1 And the famine was sore in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7 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?
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 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.
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at another.
34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
Genesis 43 is a continuation of the story of Joseph and his brothers, which began in the previous chapter. In this chapter, we see the brothers returning to Egypt for a second time to buy food, as their first supply had run out. However, this time, they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, with them, as Joseph had commanded. The main themes of this chapter include forgiveness, reconciliation, and the fulfillment of God's plan.
The chapter begins with Jacob, the father of the brothers, instructing them to return to Egypt to buy more food. However, he is hesitant to send Benjamin with them, as he fears for his safety. This is because Benjamin is the only remaining son of his beloved wife, Rachel, and he does not want to lose him as he did with Joseph. However, the brothers assure Jacob that they will take full responsibility for Benjamin's safety and return him safely.
This shows the growth and change in the brothers' character since the incident with Joseph. In the past, they had been jealous and resentful of Joseph, leading them to sell him into slavery. But now, they are willing to risk their own safety to protect their youngest brother, showing a sense of responsibility and brotherly love.
When the brothers arrive in Egypt, they are brought before Joseph, who is still disguised as an Egyptian official. Joseph recognizes his brothers but does not reveal his true identity to them. Instead, he accuses them of being spies and demands that they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, to prove their innocence.
The brothers are shocked and afraid, as they do not understand why they are being accused. They explain to Joseph that they are honest men and have come to buy food for their family. They also reveal that they have brought the money from their previous purchase to repay Joseph, which they had found in their sacks upon their return home.
Joseph is moved by their honesty and decides to release Simeon, who had been held captive during their first visit. He also instructs his servants to fill their sacks with food and return their money to them. This shows Joseph's compassion and forgiveness towards his brothers, despite the wrong they had done to him in the past.
As the brothers prepare to leave Egypt, Joseph secretly orders his servants to place his silver cup in Benjamin's sack. When the brothers are a short distance away, Joseph sends his steward to retrieve the cup and accuse them of stealing it. The brothers are horrified and deny the accusation, offering to become slaves in Egypt if the cup is found in their possession.
When the cup is found in Benjamin's sack, the brothers are devastated and return to Joseph in fear. They plead for mercy and explain that they had no knowledge of the cup being in Benjamin's possession. This incident shows the brothers' loyalty and love for Benjamin, as they are willing to risk their own freedom to protect him.
At this point, Judah steps forward and pleads with Joseph to let Benjamin return to their father. He explains the pain and grief that their father had experienced when Joseph had been taken from them, and how losing Benjamin would be too much for him to bear. Judah offers to take Benjamin's place as a slave in Egypt, showing his selflessness and love for his family.
This plea touches Joseph's heart, and he can no longer contain his emotions. He reveals his true identity to his brothers and reassures them that he has forgiven them for their past actions. He also explains that it was God's plan for him to be in Egypt to save his family from the famine.
Genesis 43 teaches us several important lessons about forgiveness, reconciliation, and the fulfillment of God's plan. Firstly, we see the power of forgiveness and how it can bring about reconciliation. Despite the wrongs that the brothers had done to Joseph, he chooses to forgive them and show them compassion. This act of forgiveness leads to the reconciliation of the family and the restoration of their relationship.
Secondly, we see the fulfillment of God's plan in the lives of Joseph and his family. God had a purpose for Joseph to be in Egypt, and He used the brothers' actions to bring about this plan. This shows us that even in the midst of difficult and trying circumstances, God is still in control and working out His plan for our lives.
Furthermore, we see the importance of brotherly love and responsibility. The brothers had grown and changed since the incident with Joseph, and they were now willing to risk their own safety to protect their youngest brother. This shows the power of love and how it can transform our relationships with others.
Lastly, we see the importance of honesty and integrity. The brothers were honest in their dealings with Joseph, and this honesty ultimately led to their reconciliation. This teaches us the importance of being truthful and transparent in our relationships, as it builds trust and strengthens our bonds with others.
Genesis 43 is a powerful chapter that teaches us about forgiveness, reconciliation, and the fulfillment of God's plan. Through the story of Joseph and his brothers, we see the transformative power of forgiveness and the importance of brotherly love and responsibility. We also learn the value of honesty and integrity in our relationships and how God is always working out His plan for our lives, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. This chapter reminds us of the importance of trusting in God's plan and His perfect timing, as He is always faithful to fulfill His promises.
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