Genesis 43:19

Christian Standard Bible ®

So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the doorway of the house.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
They came near to the steward of Yosef's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

King James Version
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

Lexham English Bible
So they approached the man who was over Joseph's house and spoke to him at the doorway of the house.

New Century Version
So the brothers went to the servant in charge of Joseph's house and spoke to him at the door of the house.

New English Translation
So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

Amplified Bible
So they approached the steward of Joseph's house, and talked with him at the entrance of the house,

New American Standard Bible
So they approached Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore came they to Iosephs stewarde, & communed with him at the doore of ye house.

Legacy Standard Bible
So they came near to Joseph's house steward and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,

Contemporary English Version
So when they arrived at Joseph's house, they said to the servant in charge,

Complete Jewish Bible
So they approached the manager of Yosef's household and spoke to him at the entrance of the house:

Darby Translation
And they came up to the man that was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

Easy-to-Read Version
So the brothers went to the servant in charge of Joseph's house.

English Standard Version
So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the door of the house,

George Lamsa Translation
So they came near to the steward of Josephs house and spoke with him at the door of the house,

Good News Translation
So at the door of the house, they said to the servant in charge,

Literal Translation
And they came near to the man who was over Joseph's house and spoke to him at the door of the house.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore came they to ye man, that was ruler of Iosephs house, and talked wt him at the doore,

American Standard Version
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spake unto him at the door of the house,

Bible in Basic English
So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therefore came they to the man that was the ruler ouer Iosephes house, and communed with him at the doore of the house,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house,

King James Version (1611)
And they came neere to the steward of Iosephs house, and they communed with him at the doore of the house,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the porch of the house,

English Revised Version
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spake unto him at the door of the house,

Berean Standard Bible
So they approached Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wherfor thei neiyeden in the `yatis, and spaken to the dispendere,

Young's Literal Translation
And they come nigh unto the man who [is] over the house of Joseph, and speak unto him at the opening of the house,

Update Bible Version
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

Webster's Bible Translation
And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

World English Bible
They came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

New King James Version
When they drew near to the steward of Joseph's house, they talked with him at the door of the house,

New Living Translation
The brothers approached the manager of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace.

New Life Bible
So they came near the man who took care of Joseph's house, and spoke to him at the door of the house.

New Revised Standard
So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the entrance to the house.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So they drew near unto the man that was over Joseph's house, - and spake unto him at the entrance of the house;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore, going up to the steward of the house, at the door,

Revised Standard Version
So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house, and spoke with him at the door of the house,

THE MESSAGE
So they went up to Joseph's house steward and talked to him in the doorway. They said, "Listen, master. We came down here one other time to buy food. On our way home, the first night out we opened our bags and found our money at the mouth of the bag—the exact amount we'd paid. We've brought it all back and have plenty more to buy more food with. We have no idea who put the money in our bags."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So they came near to Joseph's house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,

Contextual Overview

¹⁵The men took this gift, double the amount of silver, and Benjamin. They immediately went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. ¹⁶When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward, “Take the men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they will eat with me at noon.” ¹⁷The man did as Joseph had said and brought them to Joseph’s house. ¹⁸But the men were afraid because they were taken to Joseph’s house. They said, “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time. They intend to overpower us, seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” ¹⁹So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the doorway of the house.²⁰They said, “My lord, we really did come down here the first time only to buy food. ²¹When we came to the place where we lodged for the night and opened our bags of grain, each one’s silver was at the top of his bag! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us. ²²We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in the bags.” ²³Then the steward said, “May you be well. Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. ²⁴The steward brought the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and got feed for their donkeys.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:2 - the Genesis 42:20 - bring Genesis 42:23 - he spake unto them by an interpreter Genesis 43:16 - the ruler Genesis 44:1 - the steward Matthew 20:8 - unto Luke 16:1 - a steward

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house,.... The same person before called the ruler of his house, under whose direction they were; just before they came to the house, as it seems by what follows, they made up to him as having something to say to him:

and they communed with him at the door of the house; before they went into it, being uneasy and eager to know what should be the meaning of their being brought thither, which was unusual.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- Joseph and His Eleven Brethren

11. דבשׁ d^ebash, “honey,” from the bee, or sirup from the juice of the grape. בטנים bôṭ^en, “pistachio nuts.” שׁקד shâqêd, “almond tree;” related: “awake.” The tree is also called לוּז lûz. Some refer the former to the fruit, the latter to the tree.

The eleven brothers are now to bow down before Joseph.

Genesis 43:1-10

The famine was severe. The pressure began to be felt more and more. The twelve households had at length consumed all the corn they had purchased, and the famine still pressed heavily upon them. Jacob directs them to return. “And Judah said.” Reuben had offended, and could not come forward. Simon and Levi had also grieved their father by the treacherous slaughter of the Shekemites. Judah therefore, speaks. “Is your father yet alive?” “Have ye a brother?” These questions do not come out in the previous narrative, on account of its brevity. But how pointed they are, and how true to Joseph’s yearnings! They explain how it was that these particulars came out in the replies of the brothers to Joseph. For the charge of being spies did not call for them in exculpation. Judah now uses all the arguments the case would admit of, to persuade his father to allow Benjamin to go with them. He closes with the emphatic sentence, If I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me have sinned against thee all my days; that is, let me bear the blame, and of course the penalty of having sinned against thee in so tender a point. Both Judah and his father knew that this was a matter that touched the interest of the former very deeply. Reuben was bearing the blame of a grievous sin, and had no hope of the birthright. Simon and Levi were also bearing blame, and, besides, had not the natural right, which belonged only to Reuben. Judah came next, and a failure in securing the safe return of Benjamin might set him also aside. He undertakes to run this risk.

Genesis 43:11-15

Jacob at length reluctantly sends Benjamin with them. He employs all means, as is usual with him, of securing a favorable result. “The best of the land” - the sung or celebrated products of the land. “A little honey.” Palestine abounded with bee honey. A sirup obtained by boiling down the juice of the grape was also called by the same name, and formed an article of commerce. “Nuts.” These are supposed to be pistachio nuts, from the pistacia vera, a tree resembling the terebinth, a native of Anatolia, Syria, and Palestine. “Almonds.” The almond tree buds or flowers earlier in the spring than other trees. It is a native of Palestine, Syria, and Persia. For the other products see Genesis 37:25. “Other silver;” not double silver, but a second sum for the new purchase. “God Almighty” - the Great Spirit, who can dispose the hearts of men as he pleases. Jacob looks up to heaven for a blessing, while he uses the means. “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” This is the expression of acquiescence in whatever may be the will of Providence. “Double silver,” - what was returned and what was to pay for a second supply of corn.

Genesis 43:16-18

The invitation into Joseph’s house fills the brothers with alarm. “Saw with them Benjamin.” This was an unspeakable relief to Joseph, who was afraid that his full brother, also the favorite of his father, might have incurred the envy and persecution of the brothers. “Brought the men to Joseph’s house.” This he eventually did, but not until after the conference between him and them took place. The men were afraid of a plot to rob them of their liberty and property.

Genesis 43:19-25

They are encouraged by the steward of Joseph’s house to lay aside their fears, and prepare their present. “Spake to him at the door of the house.” This was, of course, before they entered. “When we came to the inn.” The relater is prone to lump matters in the narration, for the sake of brevity. They began to “open their bags” at the first lodging-place, and finished the process at the last when they got home. Other silver. This explains the phrase “second silver” in Genesis 43:12. “Peace be to you.” Be at rest. All is well. Your God. The steward of Joseph expresses himself as one who fears and trusts God, the God of the Hebrews, who had displayed his omniscience and omnipotence in Egypt. “He brought out unto them Simon.” While they still linger at the entrance, the considerate steward bethought himself of bringing out Simon to them, which reassured their hearts, and induced them to enter willingly. He now succeeds therefore, in bringing them in, and then bestows upon them the usual attentions of Eastern hospitality. They now “make ready their present.”

Genesis 43:26-34

They are now entertained by Joseph. They brought the present, and made a lowly obeisance before him. “They bent the head.” See Genesis 24:26. “God be gracious unto thee, my son.” His kind treatment of Benjamin, on whose presence he had so much insisted, was calculated to reassure the brothers. The latter was born in his thirteenth year, and therefore, he was entitled to assume the paternal style in regard to him. Joseph still appeals with a natural and unconstrained reverence to his own God. “And Joseph hastened away.” The little touch of tenderness he had involuntarily thrown into his address to Benjamin, is too much for his feelings, which yearn toward his brother, and he is obliged to retreat to his chamber to conceal his tears and compose his countenance. “They set for him by himself.” As the governor, or as connected by affinity with the priestly caste, Joseph does not eat with the other Egyptians. The Egyptians cannot eat with the Hebrews. “That is an abomination to the Mizrites.” For the Hebrews partook of the flesh of kine, both male and female.

But Herodotus informs us (ii. 41), that “male kine, if clean, are used by the Egyptians, but the females they are not allowed to sacrifice, since they are sacred to Isis.” And he adds that “a native of Egypt will not kiss a Greek, use his knife, his spit, or his cauldron, or taste the flesh cut with a Greek knife.” They considered all foreigners unclean, and therefore, refused to eat with them (see Rawlinson’s Herodotus on p. q.). They sat in his presence; arranged according to the order of their birth, to their great amazement. Egypt was to them a land of wonders, and Egypt’s sultan a man of wonder. “Benjamin’s mess.” The honored guest was distinguished by a larger or daintier portion of the fare (1 Samuel 9:23-24; Homer, ii. 7,321). A double portion was assigned to the Spartan kings. The fivefold division was prominent in Egyptian affairs Genesis 41:34; Genesis 45:22; Genesis 47:2, Genesis 47:24, Genesis 47:26. “And were merry.” They drank freely, so as to be exhilarated, because their cares were dissipated by the kindness they were receiving, the presence of Simon, and the attention paid to Benjamin.