the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Revised Standard Version
Genesis 43:7
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They said, "The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'"
And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
And they said, "The man asked explicitly about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?' And we answered him according to these words. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring down your brother'?"
The brothers answered, "He questioned us carefully about ourselves and our family. He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We just answered his questions. How could we know he would ask us to bring our other brother to him?"
They replied, "The man questioned us thoroughly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered him in this way. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down'?"
And they said, "The man asked us straightforward questions about ourselves and our relatives. He said, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down [here to Egypt]'?"
But they said, "The man specifically asked about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"
And they answered, The man asked straitly of our selues and of our kinred, saying, Is your father yet aliue? haue ye any brother? And wee tolde him according to these wordes: could we knowe certainely that he would say, Bring your brother downe?
But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our kin, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So we told him concerning these things. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down'?"
They answered, "He asked a lot of questions about us and our family. He wanted to know if you were still alive and if we had any more brothers. All we could do was answer his questions. How could we know he would tell us to bring along our brother?"
They answered, "The man kept questioning us about ourselves and about our kinsmen. He asked, ‘Is your father still alive?' ‘Do you have another brother?' and we answered according to the literal meaning of his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down'?"
And they said, The man asked very closely after us, and after our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we at all know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
The brothers answered, "He asked lots of questions. He wanted to know all about us and about our family. He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother at home?' We only answered his questions. We didn't know he would ask us to bring our brother to him!"
They replied, "The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down'?"
And they said, The man asked us straitly about ourselves and our kindred, saying, Is your father still alive? Have you another brother? And we told him simply because of these words; could we have known in advance that he would say to us that we should bring our brother down?
They answered, "The man kept asking about us and our family, ‘Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?' We had to answer his questions. How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother with us?"
They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
And they said, The man keenly asked about us and about our kindred, saying, Is your father still alive? Is there a brother to you? And we said to him on the mouth of these words. Could we know certainly that he would say, Bring down your brother?
They answered: The man enquered so strately of vs and of oure kynrede, & sayde: Is youre father yet a lyue? Haue ye yet a brother? Then tolde we him, as he axed vs. How coulde we knowe, that he wolde saye: brynge youre brother downe wt you?
And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?
They aunswered, The man asked vs straytely of our [state] and of our kinrede, saying: Is your father yet aliue? haue ye [not another] brother? And we tolde hym accordyng to the tenour of these wordes: Could we by any meane knowe, that he would say, bryng your brother downe with you?
And they said: 'The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying: Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words; could we in any wise know that he would say: Bring your brother down?'
And they said, The man asked vs straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet aliue? haue yee another brother? and we tolde him according to the tenour of these words: Could we certainely knowe that he would say, Bring your brother downe?
And they said, The man closely questioned us about our family also, saying, Does your father yet live, and have ye a brother? and we answered him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring your brother?
And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
They replied, "The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother here'?"
And thei answeriden, The man axide vs bi ordre oure generacioun, if the fadir lyuede, if we hadden a brother; and we answeriden suyngli to hym, bi that that he axide; whether we myyten wite that he wolde seie, Brynge ye youre brothir with you?
and they say, `The man asked diligently concerning us, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? and we declare to him according to the tenor of these things; do we certainly know that he will say, Bring down your brother?'
And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have you [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
And they said, The man asked us strictly concerning our state, and our kindred, saying, [Is] your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: Could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
They said, "The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'"
But they said, "The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, "Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, "Bring your brother down'?"
"The man kept asking us questions about our family," they replied. "He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered his questions. How could we know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here'?"
And they said, "The man asked questions about us and our family. He said, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered his questions. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here'?"
They replied, "The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down'?"
And they said, The man did ask I concerning ourselves and concerning our kindred saying - Is your father yet alive? Have ye a brother? So we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we, at all know, that he would say, Bring down your brother?
But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would say: Bring hither your brother with you?
They said, "The man pressed us hard, asking pointed questions about our family: ‘Is your father alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered his questions. How did we know that he'd say, ‘Bring your brother here'?"
But they said, "The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?' So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
asked us straitly: Heb. asking asked us, Genesis 43:3, *marg.
tenor: Heb. mouth
could we certainly know: knowing could we know, Genesis 43:3, *marg.
Reciprocal: Genesis 42:13 - Thy servants Genesis 43:20 - we came indeed down Genesis 44:19 - General Genesis 44:20 - a child
Cross-References
And they said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."
But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'
And he inquired about their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And they said,.... Not Judah only, in the name of the rest, but each of them in turn, being all charged with doing an ill thing:
the man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred; or "in asking asked" h; very particularly and closely, putting many questions to us, who we were? to whom we belonged? of what family we were? and inquired into the particulars and circumstances of our relations:
saying, [is] your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? they told him they were all one man's sons, as they were obliged, when they were charged with being spies, in order to clear themselves,
Genesis 42:10; upon which he inquired whether their father was living, and whether they were all the sons their father had:
and we told him according to the tenor of these words; they answered to these questions put to them, and which were so closely put, that they could do no other than say what they did:
could we certainly know that he would say, bring your brother down? could they have foreseen this, they would have been more upon their guard; though in all probability had they been ever so cautious this would have been the case; it would have been required of them to bring their brother with them, so desirous was Joseph of seeing him.
h ש×× ×©×× "interrogando interrogavit", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- Joseph and His Eleven Brethren
11. ×××©× debash, âhoney,â from the bee, or sirup from the juice of the grape. ××× ×× boÌtÌ£en, âpistachio nuts.â ש××§× shaÌqeÌd, âalmond tree;â related: âawake.â The tree is also called ××Ö¼× luÌz. 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. âAnd Judah said.â 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. âIs your father yet alive?â âHave ye a brother?â These questions do not come out in the previous narrative, on account of its brevity. But how pointed they are, and how true to Josephâs 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. âThe best of the landâ - the sung or celebrated products of the land. âA little honey.â 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. âNuts.â These are supposed to be pistachio nuts, from the pistacia vera, a tree resembling the terebinth, a native of Anatolia, Syria, and Palestine. âAlmonds.â 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. âOther silver;â not double silver, but a second sum for the new purchase. âGod Almightyâ - 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. âIf I am bereaved, I am bereaved.â This is the expression of acquiescence in whatever may be the will of Providence. âDouble silver,â - what was returned and what was to pay for a second supply of corn.
Genesis 43:16-18
The invitation into Josephâs house fills the brothers with alarm. âSaw with them Benjamin.â 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. âBrought the men to Josephâs house.â 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 Josephâs house to lay aside their fears, and prepare their present. âSpake to him at the door of the house.â This was, of course, before they entered. âWhen we came to the inn.â The relater is prone to lump matters in the narration, for the sake of brevity. They began to âopen their bagsâ at the first lodging-place, and finished the process at the last when they got home. Other silver. This explains the phrase âsecond silverâ in Genesis 43:12. âPeace be to you.â 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. âHe brought out unto them Simon.â 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 âmake ready their present.â
Genesis 43:26-34
They are now entertained by Joseph. They brought the present, and made a lowly obeisance before him. âThey bent the head.â See Genesis 24:26. âGod be gracious unto thee, my son.â 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. âAnd Joseph hastened away.â 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. âThey set for him by himself.â 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. âThat is an abomination to the Mizrites.â For the Hebrews partook of the flesh of kine, both male and female.
But Herodotus informs us (ii. 41), that âmale kine, if clean, are used by the Egyptians, but the females they are not allowed to sacrifice, since they are sacred to Isis.â And he adds that âa 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.â They considered all foreigners unclean, and therefore, refused to eat with them (see Rawlinsonâs 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 Egyptâs sultan a man of wonder. âBenjaminâs mess.â 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. âAnd were merry.â 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.
