New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Genesis 43
1
There still wasn't enough food anywhere in the land.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 12:10
2
After a while Jacob's family had eaten all of the grain the brothers had brought from Egypt. So their father said to them, "Go back. Buy us a little more food."
3
But Judah said to him, "The man gave us a strong warning. He said, 'You won't see my face again unless your brother comes with you.'
Reference
4
So send our brother along with us. Then we'll go down and buy food for you.
5
"If you won't send him, we won't go down. The man said to us, 'You won't see my face again unless your brother comes with you.' "
6
Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble to me? Why did you tell the man you had another brother?"
7
They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' "We just answered his questions. How could we possibly know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?"
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 43:3
8
Judah spoke to Israel his father. "Send the boy along with me," he said. "We'll go at once. Then we and you and our children will live and not die.
Reference
9
"I myself promise to keep him safe. You can hold me accountable for him. I'll bring him back to you. I'll set him right here in front of you. If I don't, you can put the blame on me for the rest of my life.
Reference
10
"As it is, we've already waited too long. We could have gone to Egypt and back twice by now."
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 19:16
11
Then their father Israel spoke to them. He said, "If that's the way it has to be, then do what I tell you. Put some of the best things from our land in your bags. Take them down to the man as a gift. Take some lotion and a little honey. Take some spices and myrrh. Take some pistachio nuts and almonds.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 37:25
Jeremiah 8:22
Proverbs 18:16
1 Samuel 9:7
References Israel
Ezekiel 27:17
12
Take twice the amount of money with you. You have to give back the money that was put in your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake.
Reference
13
"Also take your brother. Go back to the man at once.
14
May the Mighty God cause him to show you mercy. May the man let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. And if I lose my sons, I lose them."
Reference
Grace
Nehemiah 1:11
Psalm 100:5
Isaiah 49:13
Parallel theme
Esther 4:16
Acts 21:14
Psalm 119:41
Proverbs 16:7
Genesis 22:14
Acts 7:10
References God
Genesis 17:1
15
So the men took the gifts. They took twice the amount of money. They also took Benjamin. They hurried down to Egypt and went to Joseph.
16
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he spoke to the manager of his house. "Take these men to my house," he said. "Kill an animal and prepare dinner. I want them to eat with me at noon."
Reference
17
The manager did what Joseph told him to do. He took the men to Joseph's house.
18
They were afraid when they were taken to Joseph's house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the money that was put back in our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us. Then he can hold us as slaves and take our donkeys."
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 42:35
19
So they went up to Joseph's manager. They spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
21
We opened our sacks at the place where we stopped for the night. Each of us found in our sacks the money we had paid. So we've brought it back with us.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 43:12
22
We've also brought more money with us to buy food. We don't know who put our money in our sacks."
23
"It's all right," the manager said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you riches in your sacks. I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 42:24
Peace
John 20:26
John 14:27
John 20:19
John 20:21
Luke 10:5
Luke 24:36
1 Chronicles 12:18
References God
Genesis 42:28
Genesis 43:14
24
The manager took the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water to wash their feet. He provided feed for their donkeys.
Reference
25
They prepared their gifts for Joseph. He was planning to arrive at noon. They had heard that they were going to eat there.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 43:11
26
When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought into the house. They bowed down to the ground in front of him.
Reference
27
He asked them how they were. Then he said, "How is your old father you told me about? Is he still living?"
Reference
28
They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And they bowed low to show him honor.
Reference
29
Joseph looked around. Then he saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son. He asked, "Is this your youngest brother? Is he the one you told me about?" He continued, "May God be gracious to you, my son."
Reference
30
It moved him deeply to see his brother. So Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to cry. He went into his own room and cried there.
Reference
32
They served Joseph by himself. They served the brothers by themselves. They also served the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves. Because of their beliefs, Egyptians couldn't eat with Hebrews.
Reference
33
The brothers had been given places in front of Joseph. They had been seated in the order of their ages, from the oldest to the youngest. That made them look at each other in great surprise.
Summary of Genesis 43
Genesis chapter 43 continues the story from the previous chapter, where Jacob refuses to allow Benjamin to go back to Egypt with his brothers. The chapter begins by describing how the famine continued throughout the land, and the grain they brought from Egypt ran out. Jacob asked his sons to return to Egypt to buy more grain, but Judah reminded him of the condition of the steward who warned them that they would not see his face if the younger brother was not with them.
Judah further tells his father that they would rather stay in the land of Egypt until they could get their money back and that the man had made it clear that they would not see his face without their younger brother. Israel becomes angry at his sons, saying that it was their fault for telling Joseph that they had another brother in addition to the ones they sold. He further says, “what have you done to bring this trouble upon me?” The statement is ironic because Israel had no choice but to answer the accusations of the steward who questioned him when they went to Egypt the first time.
Judah repeats what Reuben had previously said but adds something that his brothers had not thought of. He asks his father to permit them to take the boy with them so they can go in the morning and provide food and drink so they and their children may live (Genesis 43:5). He says that he will bear the responsibility for Benjamin, and if he does not return him to his father, he will be accountable for the boy’s life. Then, he says that they could have gone and returned twice over by now if this trouble had not occurred.
Israel lets them go and tells them to take some of the best products of the land, including balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds, to give to the man. They are to take twice as much silver to pay for the grain as was found in their sacks, which they should return to the man, along with the money they were given for selling their grain. Israel also tells them to take Benjamin with them, and he finishes by saying that may God Almighty show mercy to you before the man and cause him to release your other brother and Benjamin to you, because as for me, I am willing to lose him.
The brothers went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph, and when he saw Benjamin with them, the steward took them to the house of Joseph. He ordered that they should be fed at the house because they were to dine with him at the noonday meal. However, when the brothers were brought into the house of Joseph, they were grieved and told the steward that they thought it was because of the silver that was found in their sacks the last time, so they were ready for him to capture them and take their donkeys.
They asked the steward to speak to Joseph on their behalf and tell him that they had brought the silver back with them and extra to pay for the grain, but the steward assured them that it was not so and told them that their God, even the God of their father, had placed treasure in their sacks. He then brought Simeon to them, and the brothers relaxed when they saw him, and the steward brought them into the house and told them to wash their feet. He further assure them that they may stay until the time of the meal, and he fed their servants and gave them food to eat. They then prepared the present for Joseph, who was to arrive at noon.
Joseph arrived and was shown the present by his brothers, and they bowed before him on the ground, and he asked them how their father was. He said, “is your aged father well, the one of whom you spoke?” They replied that he was well, and they bowed again (Genesis 43:28). Then Joseph looked over the brothers and saw Benjamin, his mother’s son, and asked if he was their youngest brother, and God had been gracious to them. He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”
Joseph’s feelings for his younger brother overcame him, and he was so emotional that he had to call his attendants to lead the brothers away so he could be alone and cry. He went to his chamber and cried there and then washed his face.
Joseph ordered that they should be fed, and the Egyptians who were eating with the brothers were told to bring food to the house (Genesis 43:34). The reason given is that it was detestable to the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, so Joseph ate in his chamber. The brothers also ate where the servants ate because of the distance between them and the Egyptians. The brothers were seated before Joseph in order from the oldest to the youngest, and they stared in wonder at each other. They were surprised that Joseph knew their birthright so well, and the food was brought to them from the table of Joseph. He had ordered it to be five times more than what was given to the rest of them, and they were all surprised that Benjamin had received such an extravagant gift. It was a fitting replica of the evil that had occurred when Joseph was taken from them, although it was much gentler.
The brothers ate and drank freely with Joseph, and the chapter ends with a sigh of relief as they celebrated their recovery from the famine and the return of Benjamin. This is in contrast to the tension that was present in the beginning when they feared that Joseph would harm them when they came to his house.
There is much drama in this chapter that runs through the entire story, including Jacob’s reluctant permission for Benjamin to go with his brothers, their fears when they came to Joseph’s house, and his feelings when he saw Benjamin. It all leads up to him revealing his identity to them, but as of yet, it has not happened. The tension has been slowly built up to this point.
Judah further tells his father that they would rather stay in the land of Egypt until they could get their money back and that the man had made it clear that they would not see his face without their younger brother. Israel becomes angry at his sons, saying that it was their fault for telling Joseph that they had another brother in addition to the ones they sold. He further says, “what have you done to bring this trouble upon me?” The statement is ironic because Israel had no choice but to answer the accusations of the steward who questioned him when they went to Egypt the first time.
Judah repeats what Reuben had previously said but adds something that his brothers had not thought of. He asks his father to permit them to take the boy with them so they can go in the morning and provide food and drink so they and their children may live (Genesis 43:5). He says that he will bear the responsibility for Benjamin, and if he does not return him to his father, he will be accountable for the boy’s life. Then, he says that they could have gone and returned twice over by now if this trouble had not occurred.
Israel lets them go and tells them to take some of the best products of the land, including balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds, to give to the man. They are to take twice as much silver to pay for the grain as was found in their sacks, which they should return to the man, along with the money they were given for selling their grain. Israel also tells them to take Benjamin with them, and he finishes by saying that may God Almighty show mercy to you before the man and cause him to release your other brother and Benjamin to you, because as for me, I am willing to lose him.
The brothers went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph, and when he saw Benjamin with them, the steward took them to the house of Joseph. He ordered that they should be fed at the house because they were to dine with him at the noonday meal. However, when the brothers were brought into the house of Joseph, they were grieved and told the steward that they thought it was because of the silver that was found in their sacks the last time, so they were ready for him to capture them and take their donkeys.
They asked the steward to speak to Joseph on their behalf and tell him that they had brought the silver back with them and extra to pay for the grain, but the steward assured them that it was not so and told them that their God, even the God of their father, had placed treasure in their sacks. He then brought Simeon to them, and the brothers relaxed when they saw him, and the steward brought them into the house and told them to wash their feet. He further assure them that they may stay until the time of the meal, and he fed their servants and gave them food to eat. They then prepared the present for Joseph, who was to arrive at noon.
Joseph arrived and was shown the present by his brothers, and they bowed before him on the ground, and he asked them how their father was. He said, “is your aged father well, the one of whom you spoke?” They replied that he was well, and they bowed again (Genesis 43:28). Then Joseph looked over the brothers and saw Benjamin, his mother’s son, and asked if he was their youngest brother, and God had been gracious to them. He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”
Joseph’s feelings for his younger brother overcame him, and he was so emotional that he had to call his attendants to lead the brothers away so he could be alone and cry. He went to his chamber and cried there and then washed his face.
Joseph ordered that they should be fed, and the Egyptians who were eating with the brothers were told to bring food to the house (Genesis 43:34). The reason given is that it was detestable to the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, so Joseph ate in his chamber. The brothers also ate where the servants ate because of the distance between them and the Egyptians. The brothers were seated before Joseph in order from the oldest to the youngest, and they stared in wonder at each other. They were surprised that Joseph knew their birthright so well, and the food was brought to them from the table of Joseph. He had ordered it to be five times more than what was given to the rest of them, and they were all surprised that Benjamin had received such an extravagant gift. It was a fitting replica of the evil that had occurred when Joseph was taken from them, although it was much gentler.
The brothers ate and drank freely with Joseph, and the chapter ends with a sigh of relief as they celebrated their recovery from the famine and the return of Benjamin. This is in contrast to the tension that was present in the beginning when they feared that Joseph would harm them when they came to his house.
There is much drama in this chapter that runs through the entire story, including Jacob’s reluctant permission for Benjamin to go with his brothers, their fears when they came to Joseph’s house, and his feelings when he saw Benjamin. It all leads up to him revealing his identity to them, but as of yet, it has not happened. The tension has been slowly built up to this point.