Genesis 44:1-17

A Silver Cup in a Sack

1 Joseph told the manager of his house what to do. "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry," he said. "Put each man's money in his sack.

2 "Then put my silver cup in the youngest one's sack. Put it there along with the money he paid for his grain." So the manager did what Joseph told him to do.

3 When morning came, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.

4 They hadn't gone very far from the city when Joseph spoke to his manager. "Go after those men at once," he said. "Catch up with them. Say to them, 'My master was good to you. Why have you paid him back by doing evil?

5 Isn't this the cup my master drinks from? Doesn't he also use it to figure things out? You have done an evil thing.' "

6 When the manager caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had said.

7 But they said to him, "Why do you say these things? We would never do anything like that!

8 We even brought back to you from Canaan the money we found in our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?

9 "If you find out that any of us has the cup, he will die. And the rest of us will become your slaves."

10 "All right, then," he said. "As you wish. The one who is found to have the cup will become my slave. But the rest of you will be free from blame."

11 Each of them quickly put his sack down on the ground and opened it.

12 Then the manager started to search. He began with the oldest and ended with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 When that happened, they were so upset they tore their clothes. Then all of them loaded their donkeys and went back to the city.

14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him.

15 Joseph said to them, "What have you done? Don't you know that a man like me has ways to figure things out?"

16 "What can we say to you?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove we haven't done anything wrong? God has shown you that we are guilty. We are now your slaves. All of us are, including the one who was found to have the cup."

17 But Joseph said, "I would never do anything like that! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace."

Genesis 44:1-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 44

This chapter relates the policy of Joseph in making an experiment of his brethren's regard and affection for Benjamin; he ordered his steward to put every man's money into his sack, and his silver cup in Benjamin's, and when they were got out of the city, to follow after them, and charge them with the theft, as he did; and having searched their sacks, as they desired he would, found the cup with Benjamin, which threw them into the utmost distress, and obliged them to return to Joseph, Ge 44:1-14; who charged them with their ill behaviour towards him; they acknowledge it, and propose to be his servants; but he orders them to depart to their father, retaining Benjamin in servitude, Ge 44:15-17; upon which Judah addressed him in a very polite and affectionate manner, and relates the whole story, both of what passed between Joseph and them, concerning Benjamin, the first time they were in Egypt, and between their father and them upon the same subject, when he directed them to go a second time thither to buy corn, and how he became a surety to his father for him, and therefore proposed to be his bondman now, not being able to see his father's face without Benjamin, Ge 44:18-34.