Genesis 43:24

Easy-to-Read Version

The servant led the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he fed their donkeys.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The man brought the men into Yosef's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys provender.

King James Version
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

Lexham English Bible
Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and he gave them water and washed their feet, and gave fodder to their donkeys.

New Century Version
The servant led the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave their donkeys food to eat.

New English Translation
The servant in charge brought the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys.

Amplified Bible
Then the steward brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed [the dust off] their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.

New American Standard Bible
Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So the man led them into Iosephs house, & gaue them water to wash their feete, and gaue their asses prouender.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.

Contemporary English Version
The servant took them into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. He also tended their donkeys.

Complete Jewish Bible
The man brought the men into Yosef's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet, and he provided fodder for their donkeys.

Darby Translation
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses food.

English Standard Version
And when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,

George Lamsa Translation
Then the servant brought the men into Josephs house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he put fodder before their asses.

Good News Translation
The servant took the brothers into the house. He gave them water so that they could wash their feet, and he fed their donkeys.

Christian Standard Bible®
The steward brought the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and got feed for their donkeys.

Literal Translation
And the man led out the men to Joseph's house. And he gave water, and they washed their feet. And he gave fodder for their asses.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and led them into Iosephs house, and gaue them water to wash their fete, & gaue their Asses prouender.

American Standard Version
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

Bible in Basic English
And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the man led them into Iosephes house, and gaue them water to washe their feete, & gaue their asses prouender.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

King James Version (1611)
And the man brought the men into Iosephs house, and gaue them water, and they washed their feete, and he gaue their asses prouender.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he brought water to wash their feet; and gave provender to their asses.

English Revised Version
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

Berean Standard Bible
And the steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and whanne thei weren brouyt in to the hows, he brouyte watir, and thei waischiden her feet, and he yaf `meetis to her assis.

Young's Literal Translation
And the man bringeth in the men into Joseph's house, and giveth water, and they wash their feet; and he giveth provender for their asses,

Update Bible Version
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. And he gave their donkeys fodder.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave [them] water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

World English Bible
The man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys provender.

New King James Version
So the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.

New Living Translation
The manager then led the men into Joseph's palace. He gave them water to wash their feet and provided food for their donkeys.

New Life Bible
The man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. And he fed their donkeys.

New Revised Standard
When the steward had brought the men into Joseph's house, and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So the man brought the men into Joseph's house, - and gave them water and they bathed their feet, and he gave them provender for their asses.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.

Revised Standard Version
And when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house, and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their asses provender,

THE MESSAGE
He then took them inside Joseph's house and made them comfortable—gave them water to wash their feet and saw to the feeding of their donkeys. The brothers spread out their gifts as they waited for Joseph to show up at noon—they had been told that they were to have dinner with him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ So the brothers took the gifts to give to the governor. And the brothers took twice as much money with them as they took the first time. This time Benjamin went with the brothers to Egypt. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his servant, "Bring these men into my house. Kill an animal and cook it. They will eat with me at noon today." ¹⁷ The servant did as he was told. He brought the men into Joseph's house. ¹⁸ The brothers were afraid when they were taken to Joseph's house and said, "We have been brought here because of the money that was put back in our sacks the last time. They will use this as proof against us and steal our donkeys and make us slaves." ¹⁹ So the brothers went to the servant in charge of Joseph's house. ²⁰ They said, "Sir, I promise this is the truth. The last time we came, we came to buy food. ²¹On the way home, we opened our sacks and found our money in every sack. We don't know how it got there, but we brought that money with us to give it back to you. And we have brought more money to pay for the food that we want to buy this time." ²³ But the servant answered, "Don't be afraid; believe me. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in your sack as a gift. I remember that you paid me for the grain the last time." Then the servant brought Simeon out of the prison. ²⁴ The servant led the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he fed their donkeys. ²⁵ The brothers heard that they were going to eat with Joseph, so they worked until noon preparing their gifts for him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 18:4, Genesis 19:2, Genesis 24:32, Luke 7:44, John 13:4-17

Reciprocal: Judges 19:20 - Peace be Judges 19:21 - So he brought

Cross-References

Genesis 18:4
I will bring some water to wash your feet. You can rest under the trees.

Genesis 24:32
So Abraham's servant went into the house. Laban unloaded his camels and gave them straw and feed. Then he gave Abraham's servant water so that he and the men with him could wash their feet.

Genesis 43:4
If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy grain.

Genesis 43:17
The servant did as he was told. He brought the men into Joseph's house.

Luke 7:44
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house, you gave me no water for my feet. But she washed my feet with her tears and dried my feet with her hair.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the man brought the men into Joseph's house,.... After the above discourse had passed between them, and he had made their minds easy, both with respect to the money, and by bringing Simeon unbound to them:

and gave [them] water, and they washed their feet; which was usually done in the eastern countries after travelling, and when about to take a meal, and was both for refreshment and cleanliness:

and he gave their asses provender; thus were they hospitably entertained, they and all that belonged to them.

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Genesis 43:24. Brought the men into Joseph's house, &c. — This is exactly the way in which a Hindoo receives a guest. As soon as he enters, one of the civilities is the presenting of water to wash his feet. So indispensable is this, that water to wash the feet makes a part of the offering to an image.