Genesis 44:1
in Genesis 44Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
KJV
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
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This verse in Genesis 44
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But for what purpose was the money restored? It was done, in the first instance, from kindly feelings to his father; but another and further design seems to have been the prevention of any injurious impressions as to the character of Benjamin.
This site's exposition
put each one's silver in the mouth of his sack
on Genesis 44:1-2
The silver goes back into every sack a second time, and the ruler's own silver cup goes into the youngest one's sack. Silver had come into these men's hands once before, twenty shekels for their brother at Dothan in 37:28. The test falls on Benjamin alone, and the rest can ride home clear. The metal that convicts them is the metal they took.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
But since, in this respect, it is a rare and very difficult virtue to observe a proper medium, we must beware of imitating the example of Joseph, in an austere course of acting, unless we have laid all vindictive feelings aside, and are pure and free from all enmity.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he commanded the steward of his house,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
- 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. Gen 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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
I.e., more than they were entitled to for the money they had brought him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְצַ֞ו | vaytzav | and he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | [the one] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בֵּיתוֹ֮ | beito | household his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מַלֵּ֞א | male' | fill | H4390 → | 249 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַמְתְּחֹ֤ת | ʾamtechot | [the] sacks of | H572 → | 15 times |
| הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| אֹ֔כֶל | ʾokhel | food | H400 → | 43 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יוּכְל֖וּן | yukhelun | they are able ! | H3201 → | 194 times |
| שְׂאֵ֑ת | seet | to carry | H5375 → | 656 times |
| וְשִׂ֥ים | vesim | and put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| כֶּֽסֶף־ | kesef- | [the] silver of | H3701 → | 403 times |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | each man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בְּפִ֥י | befi | in [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃ | ʾamtachto | sack his | H572 → | 15 times |
וַיְצַ֞וand he commanded
vaytzavH6680 →494 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁ֣ר[the one] who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[was] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בֵּיתוֹ֮household his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
מַלֵּ֞אfill
male'H4390 →249 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַמְתְּחֹ֤ת[the] sacks of
ʾamtechotH572 →15 times
הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙the men
haanashimH582 →566 times
אֹ֔כֶלfood
ʾokhelH400 →43 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
יוּכְל֖וּןthey are able !
yukhelunH3201 →194 times
שְׂאֵ֑תto carry
seetH5375 →656 times
וְשִׂ֥יםand put
vesimH7760 →584 times
כֶּֽסֶף־[the] silver of
kesef-H3701 →403 times
אִ֖ישׁeach man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
בְּפִ֥יin [the] mouth of
befiH6310 →498 times
אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃sack his
ʾamtachtoH572 →15 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 24:2So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
it leads to
- Genesis 47:29
When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise…
- Genesis 39:4–6
Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.
- Genesis 15:2
But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
- Genesis 39:8–9
But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care.
- Genesis 24:9–10
So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
- Genesis 47:29
Through
Genesis 43:16When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at…
it leads to
- Genesis 43:19
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
- Genesis 43:19
Through
Genesis 42:25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
- 1 Peter 3:9
Through
Genesis 43:2So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
it leads to
- Proverbs 31:16
She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
- Proverbs 31:16
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).