Genesis 44:11

THE MESSAGE

They outdid each other in putting their bags on the ground and opening them up for inspection. The steward searched their bags, going from oldest to youngest. The chalice showed up in Benjamin's bag.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Then they hurried, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

King James Version
Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

Lexham English Bible
Then each man quickly brought down his sack to the ground, and each one opened his sack.

New Century Version
Then every brother quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

New English Translation
So each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Amplified Bible
Then every man quickly lowered his sack to the ground and each man opened his sack [confident the cup would not be found among them].

New American Standard Bible
Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then at once euery man tooke downe his sacke to the grounde, and euery one opened his sacke.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they hurried, each man brought his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

Contemporary English Version
Each of the brothers quickly put his sack on the ground and opened it.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then each hurried to put his pack down on the ground, and each one opened his pack.

Darby Translation
And they hasted and laid down every man his sack on the ground, and opened every man his sack.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then every brother quickly opened his sack on the ground.

English Standard Version
Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

George Lamsa Translation
Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

Good News Translation
So they quickly lowered their sacks to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

Christian Standard Bible®
So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Literal Translation
And they hurried, and each one brought down his sack to the earth. And each one opened his sack.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they made haist, and toke downe euery man his sack to the grounde, and euery man opened his sack:

American Standard Version
Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

Bible in Basic English
Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And at once euery man toke downe his sacke to the ground, and euery man opened his sacke.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

King James Version (1611)
Then they speedily tooke downe euery man his sacke to the ground, and opened euery man his sacke.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.

English Revised Version
Then they hasted, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

Berean Standard Bible
So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And so thei diden doun hastili the sackis on erthe, and alle openyden tho whiche he souyte;

Young's Literal Translation
and they hasten and take down each his bag to the earth, and each openeth his bag;

Update Bible Version
Then they hurried, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

World English Bible
Then they hurried, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

New King James Version
Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

New Living Translation
They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them.

New Life Bible
Then each man put his bag down on the ground in a hurry and opened it.

New Revised Standard
Then each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So they hastened and took down each man his sack to the ground, - and opened each man his sack.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

Revised Standard Version
Then every man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

Contextual Overview

¹Joseph ordered his house steward: "Fill the men's bags with food—all they can carry—and replace each one's money at the top of the bag. Then put my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along with the money for his food." He did as Joseph ordered. ³At break of day the men were sent off with their donkeys. They were barely out of the city when Joseph said to his house steward, "Run after them. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why did you pay me back evil for good? This is the chalice my master drinks from; he also uses it for divination. This is outrageous!'" ⁶ He caught up with them and repeated all this word for word. ⁷They said, "What is my master talking about? We would never do anything like that! Why, the money we found in our bags earlier, we brought back all the way from Canaan—do you think we'd turn right around and steal it back from your master? If that chalice is found on any of us, he'll die; and the rest of us will be your master's slaves." ¹⁰ The steward said, "Very well then, but we won't go that far. Whoever is found with the chalice will be my slave; the rest of you can go free." ¹¹They outdid each other in putting their bags on the ground and opening them up for inspection. The steward searched their bags, going from oldest to youngest. The chalice showed up in Benjamin's bag. ¹³ They ripped their clothes in despair, loaded up their donkeys, and went back to the city. ¹⁴ Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers got back. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him. ¹⁵ Joseph accused them: "How can you have done this? You have to know that a man in my position would have discovered this." ¹⁶ Judah as spokesman for the brothers said, "What can we say, master? What is there to say? How can we prove our innocence? God is behind this, exposing how bad we are. We stand guilty before you and ready to be your slaves—we're all in this together, the rest of us as guilty as the one with the chalice."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Genesis 42:27 - the inn

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground,.... To be opened and examined, and this they did in all haste, as having a clear conscience, and being confident that nothing could be found upon them, and desirous of having the affair issued as soon as possible, that the steward might have full satisfaction, and they proceed on in their journey:

and opened every man his sack; showing neither reluctance nor fear, being conscious of their innocence.

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.