Genesis 43:33

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another.

King James Version
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.

Lexham English Bible
And they were seated before him from the firstborn according to his birthright to the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another amazed.

New Century Version
Joseph's brothers were seated in front of him in order of their ages, from oldest to youngest. They looked at each other because they were so amazed.

New English Translation
They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment.

Amplified Bible
Now Joseph's brothers were seated [by the steward] before him [in the order of their birth]—the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in astonishment [because so much was known about them].

New American Standard Bible
Now they were seated before him, from the firstborn according to his birthright to the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So they sate before him: the eldest according vnto his age, and the yongest according vnto his youth. and the men marueiled among themselues.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

Contemporary English Version
To the surprise of Joseph's brothers, they were seated in front of him according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest.

Complete Jewish Bible
So they sat there facing him, the firstborn in the place of honor, the youngest in last place; and the men expressed their amazement to each other.

Darby Translation
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one at another.

Easy-to-Read Version
Joseph's brothers were seated at a table facing him. The brothers were looking at each other because, to their surprise, they had been seated in order, from the oldest to the youngest.

English Standard Version
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement.

George Lamsa Translation
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another and marveled.

Good News Translation
The brothers had been seated at the table, facing Joseph, in the order of their age from the oldest to the youngest. When they saw how they had been seated, they looked at one another in amazement.

Christian Standard Bible®
They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment.

Literal Translation
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the younger according to his youth. And the men were astonished, each to his neighbor.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they were set ouer agaynst him, the first borne acordinge to his first byrth, and the yongest after his youth. They marueled at it amonge them selues,

American Standard Version
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one with another.

Bible in Basic English
And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they satte before hym the first borne, according to his age, & the youngest according to his youth: and the men merueyled among them selues.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one with another.

King James Version (1611)
And they sate before him, the first borne according to his birthright, and the yongest according to his youth: and the men marueiled one at another.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his seniority, and the younger according to his youth; and the men looked with amazement every one at his brother.

English Revised Version
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one with another.

Berean Standard Bible
They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at each other in astonishment.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor thei saten bifore hym, the firste gendrid bi the rite of his firste gendryng, and the leeste bi his age; and thei wondriden greetli,

Young's Literal Translation
And they sit before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the young one according to his youth, and the men wonder one at another;

Update Bible Version
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one with another.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birth-right, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men wondered one at another.

World English Bible
They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another.

New King James Version
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another.

New Living Translation
Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest.

New Life Bible
Joseph's brothers were seated in front of him by the way they were born, from the oldest to the youngest. And the men looked at each other in wonder.

New Revised Standard
When they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, the men looked at one another in amazement.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So they took their seats before him, the firstborn, according to his birthright and the youngest, according to his youth, - and the men looked with amazement, each one at his companion.

Douay-Rheims Bible
They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much;

Revised Standard Version
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in amazement.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

Contextual Overview

²⁶ When Joseph got home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought and bowed respectfully before him. ²⁷ Joseph welcomed them and said, "And your old father whom you mentioned to me, how is he? Is he still alive?" ²⁸ They said, "Yes—your servant our father is quite well, very much alive." And they again bowed respectfully before him. ²⁹ Then Joseph picked out his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son. He asked, "And is this your youngest brother that you told me about?" Then he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." ³⁰Deeply moved on seeing his brother and about to burst into tears, Joseph hurried out into another room and had a good cry. Then he washed his face, got a grip on himself, and said, "Let's eat." ³²Joseph was served at his private table, the brothers off by themselves and the Egyptians off by themselves (Egyptians won't eat at the same table with Hebrews; it's repulsive to them). The brothers were seated facing Joseph, arranged in order of their age, from the oldest to the youngest. They looked at one another wide-eyed, wondering what would happen next. When the brothers' plates were served from Joseph's table, Benjamin's plate came piled high, far more so than his brothers. And so the brothers feasted with Joseph, drinking freely.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Gen. 43; Genesis 44:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 48:18 - for this Exodus 28:10 - according to their birth

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they sat before him,.... At a table, so placed that they were in his sight, and he had a full view of them:

the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; everyone according to his age, Reuben, the firstborn, first, and so on to Benjamin the youngest: thus they placed themselves as they used to be in their father's family, or they were so placed by Joseph; and if this was the case, it may be a reason, and a principal one, of what follows:

and the men marvelled one at another; not the Egyptians, the guests of Joseph, seeing eleven brethren placed in this manner, and these being Hebrews, taken so much notice of; but Joseph's brethren, who either wondered at the manner of their being seated so regular, according to their age; or at the honour done them to dine with the governor, and at the grandeur of the entertainment, and at the separate manner in which the governor, and the nobles of Egypt, sat at meals; or at what follows.

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 43:33. The first-born according to his birthright — This must greatly astonish these brethren, to find themselves treated with so much ceremony, and at the same time with so much discernment of their respective ages.