创世记 44:17

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

約瑟說：“我絕不能這樣作。在誰的手裡搜出杯來，誰就要作我的奴僕；你們其餘的人，可以平平安安地上你們父親那裡去。”

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
约 瑟 说 ： 『 我 断 不 能 这 样 行 ! 在 谁 的 手 中 搜 出 杯 来 ， 谁 就 作 我 的 奴 仆 ； 至 於 你 们 ， 可 以 平 平 安 安 地 上 你 们 父 亲 那 里 去 。 』

Contextual Overview

¹ Then Joseph gave a command to the servant in charge of his house. He said, "Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man's money into his sack with the grain. ² Put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother, along with his money for the grain." The servant did what Joseph told him. ³ At dawn the brothers were sent away with their donkeys. ⁴ They were not far from the city when Joseph said to the servant in charge of his house, "Go after the men. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why have you paid back evil for good? ⁵ The cup you have stolen is the one my master uses for drinking and for explaining dreams. You have done a very wicked thing!'" ⁶ So the servant caught up with the brothers and said to them what Joseph had told him to say. ⁷ But the brothers said to the servant, "Why do you say these things? We would not do anything like that! ⁸ We brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in our sacks. So surely we would not steal silver or gold from your master's house. ⁹ If you find that silver cup in the sack of one of us, then let him die, and we will be your slaves." ¹⁰ The servant said, "We will do as you say, but only the man who has taken the cup will become my slave. The rest of you may go free."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God forbid: Genesis 18:25, Genesis 42:18, 2 Samuel 23:3, Psalms 75:2, Proverbs 17:15

he shall: Genesis 44:10

in peace: Genesis 26:29, Genesis 37:32, Genesis 37:33

Reciprocal: Genesis 44:30 - When I Joshua 22:29 - God forbid 2 Samuel 23:17 - Be it far 1 Kings 21:3 - The Lord 1 Corinthians 6:15 - God

Cross-References

Genesis 18:25
Surely you will not destroy the good people along with the evil ones; then they would be treated the same. You are the judge of all the earth. Won't you do what is right?"

Genesis 26:29
that since we did not hurt you, you will not hurt us. We were good to you and sent you away in peace. Now the Lord has blessed you."

Genesis 42:18
On the third day Joseph said to them, "I am a God-fearing man. Do this and I will let you live:

Genesis 44:32
"I gave my father a guarantee that the young boy would be safe. I said to my father, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, you can blame me all my life.'

Genesis 44:33
So now, please allow me to stay here and be your slave, and let the young boy go back home with his brothers.

2 Samuel 23:3
The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘Whoever rules fairly over people, who rules with respect for God,

Psalms 75:2
You say, "I set the time for trial, and I will judge fairly.

Proverbs 17:15
The Lord hates both of these things: freeing the guilty and punishing the innocent.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, God forbid that I should do so,.... This would be doing an unjust thing, Joseph suggests, should he take them all for bondmen, for the offence of one:

[but] the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; not die, as they had supposed, but become his servant:

and as for you, get ye up in peace unto your father; they had leave, yea, an order to return to their father in the land of Canaan, with their corn and cattle, in peace and plenty; there being no charge against them, nor would any hurt or damage come to them: this Joseph said to try their affection to their brother Benjamin, and see whether they would leave him to distress, and then he should know better how to conduct both towards him and them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- The Ten Brothers Were Tested

Joseph has had the satisfaction of seeing his brother Benjamin safe and well. He has heard his brothers acknowledging their guilt concerning himself. He resolves to put their attachment to Benjamin, and the genuineness of their change of disposition, to a test that will at the same time expose Benjamin to no hazard.

Genesis 44:1-5

And my cup. - Besides returning each man’s money as before, a silver cup of Joseph’s is put in Benjamin’s bag, after which, when daylight comes, they are dismissed. They are scarcely out of the town when Joseph’s steward is ordered to overtake them, and charge them with stealing the cup. “And whereby indeed he divineth.” Divining by cups, we learn from this, was a common custom in Egypt (Herodotus ii. 83). It is here mentioned to enhance the value of the cup. Whether Joseph really practised any sort of divination cannot be determined from this passage.

Genesis 44:6-12

The cup is found in Benjamin’s bag. “Spake unto them these words.” The words of Joseph, supplying of course the mention of the cup which is expressed in the text only by the pronoun this. “We brought back to thee.” Silver that we might have retained, and to which you made no claim when we tendered it, we brought back. How or why should we therefore, steal silver? “Now also according to your words let it be.” He adopts their terms with a mitigation. He with whom the cup is found shall become a slave for life, and the rest be acquitted. The steward searches from the oldest to the youngest. The cup is found where it was put.

Genesis 44:13-17

“They rent their garments;” the natural token of a sorrow that knows no remedy. “And Judah went.” He had pledged himself for the safety of Benjamin to his father. And he was yet there; awaiting no doubt the result which he anticipated. “They fell before him on the earth.” It is no longer a bending of the head or bowing of the body, but the posture of deepest humiliation. How deeply that early dream penetrated into the stern reality! “Wot ye not that such a man as I doth certainly divine?” Joseph keeps up the show of resentment for a little longer, and brings out from Judah the most pathetic plea of its kind that ever was uttered. “The God,” the great and only God, “hath found out the iniquity of thy servants;” in our dark and treacherous dealing with our brother. “Behold, we are servants to my lord.” He resigns himself and all to perpetual bondage, as the doom of a just God upon their still-remembered crime. “He shall be my servant; and ye, go up in peace to your father.” Now is the test applied with the nicest adjustment. Now is the moment of agony and suspense to Joseph. Will my brothers prove true? says he within himself. Will Judah prove adequate to the occasion? say we. His pleading with his father augured well.

Verse 18-34

“And Judah came near unto him.” He is going to surrender himself as a slave for life, that Benjamin may go home with his brothers, who are permitted to depart. “Let thy servant now speak a word in the ears of my lord.” There is nothing here but respectful calmness of demeanor. “And let not thine anger burn against thy servant.” He intuitively feels that the grand vizier is a man of like feelings with himself. He will surmount the distinction of rank, and stand with him on the ground of a common humanity. “For so art thou as Pharaoh.” Thou hast power to grant or withhold my request. This forms, the exordium of the speech. Then follows the plea. This consists in a simple statement of the facts, which Judah expects to have its native effect upon a rightly-constituted heart. We will not touch this statement, except to explain two or three expressions. A young lad - a comparative youth. “Let me set mine eyes upon him” - regard him with favor and kindness. “He shall leave his father and he shall die.” If he were to leave his father, his father would die. Such is the natural interpretation of these words, as the paternal affection is generally stronger than the filial. “And now let thy servant now abide instead of the lad a servant to my lord.” Such is the humble and earnest petition of Judah. He calmly and firmly sacrifices home, family, and birthright, rather than see an aged father die of a broken heart.