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Tuesday, July 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Genesis 44:8

We brought back the money that we found in our sacks before. So surely we wouldn't steal silver or gold from your master's house.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gold;   Integrity;   Money;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Cup;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Shekinah ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Crime;   Joseph (2);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cup;   Joseph;   Shem;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Kana`an. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?
King James Version
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
Lexham English Bible
Behold, the money that we found in the mouth of our sacks we returned to you from the land of Canaan. Now why would we steal silver or gold from the house of my lord?
New Century Version
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.
New English Translation
Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
Amplified Bible
"Please remember, the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Is it likely then that we would steal silver or gold from your master's house?
New American Standard Bible
"Behold, the money which we found in the opening of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Behold, the money which we found in our sackes mouthes, wee brought againe to thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steale out of thy lordes house siluer or golde?
Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
Contemporary English Version
We even returned the money we found in our grain sacks when we got back to Canaan. So why would we want to steal any silver or gold from your master's house?
Complete Jewish Bible
Why, the money we found inside our packs we brought back to you from the land of Kena‘an! So how would we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
Darby Translation
Behold, the money that we found in our sacks' mouths we have brought again to thee from the land of Canaan; and how should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
English Standard Version
Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
George Lamsa Translation
Behold, the money which we found in our sacks mouths we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; how then should we steal from your masters house gold or silver?
Good News Translation
You know that we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in the top of our sacks. Why then should we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
Christian Standard Bible®
We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
Literal Translation
Behold! The silver which we found in the mouth of our sacks, we returned to you from the land of Canaan. And how should we steal silver or gold from the house of your lord?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde, the money that we foude in oure sackes mouthes, that brought we vnto the agayne, out of the lande of Canaan: how shulde we then haue stollen either syluer or golde out of thy lordes house?
American Standard Version
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
Bible in Basic English
See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde the money which we founde in our sackes mouthes, we brought agayne vnto thee, out of the land of Chanaan: howe then shoulde we steale out of thy Lordes house eyther siluer or golde?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
King James Version (1611)
Behold, the money which wee found in our sackes mouthes, wee brought againe vnto thee, out of the land of Canaan: how then should wee steale out of thy lords house, siluer or golde?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
If we brought back to thee out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of thy lord?
English Revised Version
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
Berean Standard Bible
We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal gold and silver from your master's house?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
We brouyten ayen to thee fro the lond of Chanaan the monei which we founden in the hiynesse of sackis, and hou is it suynge that we han stole fro `the hows of thi lord gold ether siluer?
Young's Literal Translation
lo, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back unto thee from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of thy lord silver or gold?
Update Bible Version
Look, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of your lord's house silver or gold?
Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, the money which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to thee from the land of Canaan: how then should we steal from thy lord's house silver or gold?
World English Bible
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?
New King James Version
Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
New Living Translation
Didn't we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
New Life Bible
Remember how we returned to you from the land of Canaan with the money we found in the top of our bags. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your owner's house?
New Revised Standard
Look, the money that we found at the top of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; why then would we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lo! the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan, - how then could we steal out of the house of thy lord, silver or gold?
Douay-Rheims Bible
The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?
Revised Standard Version
Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; how then should we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

Contextual Overview

1 Then Joseph gave a command to his servant. He said, "Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can carry. Then put each man's money into his sack with the grain. 2 Put the youngest brother's money in his sack too. But also put my special silver cup in his sack." So the servant obeyed Joseph. 3 Early the next morning the brothers and their donkeys were sent back to their country. 4 After they had left the city, Joseph said to his servant, "Go and follow the men. Stop them and say to them, ‘We were good to you! So why have you been bad to us? Why did you steal my master's silver cup? 5 My master drinks from that cup, and he uses it to learn secret things. What you did was wrong!'" 6 So the servant obeyed. He rode out to the brothers and stopped them. The servant said to them what Joseph had told him to say. 7 But the brothers said to the servant, "Why does the governor say these things? We wouldn't do anything like that! 8 We brought back the money that we found in our sacks before. So surely we wouldn't steal silver or gold from your master's house. 9 If you find the silver cup in any of our sacks, let that man die. You can kill him, and we will be your slaves." 10 The servant said, "I agree, except that only the man who is found to have the cup will be my slave. The others will be free."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the money: Genesis 42:21, Genesis 42:27, Genesis 42:35, Genesis 43:12, Genesis 43:21, Genesis 43:22

how then: Genesis 44:7, Exodus 20:15, Deuteronomy 5:19, Matthew 19:18, Romans 13:9, James 2:10, James 2:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 23:6 - my lord

Cross-References

Genesis 42:21
They said to each other, "We are being punished for the bad thing we did to our younger brother Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in. He begged us to save him, but we refused to listen. So now we are in trouble."
Genesis 42:27
That night the brothers stopped at a place to spend the night. One of the brothers opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey. And there in the sack, he saw his money!
Genesis 42:35
Then the brothers started taking the grain out of their sacks, and every brother found his bag of money in his sack of grain. When the brothers and their father saw the money, they were afraid.
Genesis 43:12
Take twice as much money with you this time. Take the money that was given back to you after you paid last time. Maybe the governor made a mistake.
Genesis 44:7
But the brothers said to the servant, "Why does the governor say these things? We wouldn't do anything like that!
Genesis 44:10
The servant said, "I agree, except that only the man who is found to have the cup will be my slave. The others will be free."
Genesis 44:11
Then every brother quickly opened his sack on the ground.
Genesis 44:21
Then you said to us, ‘Bring that brother to me. I want to see him.'
Genesis 44:22
And we said to you, ‘That young boy cannot come. He cannot leave his father. If his father loses him, his father will be so sad that he will die.'
Exodus 20:15
"You must not steal anything.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, the money which we found in our sacks mouths;.... Upon their return from Egypt, the first time they went thither for corn:

we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan; which was a full proof of their honesty: they might have kept it until it was called for and demanded of them, but of themselves they brought it with them, as being money not their own; and they did not wait to be examined about it when they came to Egypt again, but of their own accord related the story of it, and offered the money to this same man the steward they were now speaking to, which he could not deny: yea, they brought it to him out of the land of Canaan, a foreign country at a considerable distance, and out of the jurisdiction of Egypt, and where they were not liable to be called to an account for it:

how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? that is, vessels of silver or vessels of gold, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; it could not be reasonably thought they would, for if they would not retain the governor's money when in their own land and out of his reach, much less would they steal anything out his house, which they might conclude would soon be missed, and they easily apprehended and committed to prison, and suffer for it.

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.


 
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