Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Genesis 44:2

in Genesis 44

Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his grain money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

KJV

And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

⋯

This verse in Genesis 44

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Hebrew Questions on Genesis · Written before 420.

(Chapter XLIV - Verse 2) And put the silver of each one in the mouth of the bag, and put my silver cup in the mouth of the youngest one's bag. For bag, it has a peronem or follem in Hebrew. For cup, which we also read in Isaiah (LI, 17), Aquila translated as scyphum, Symmachus as phialam.

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.

This site's exposition

Put my cup, the silver one

Cup here is gavia, a large bowl-shaped goblet, the word used for the almond-shaped cups on the lampstand at Exodus 25:33. Joseph marks it as his own. The steward does all of it without a question.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Ambrose of Milan

On Joseph the Patriarch · Written before 397.

proposed

And the silver cup is put in his sack alone. Benjamin did not know this. So Paul was in error, but he was called. They sent after him in the morning; indeed, the night of his blindness had advanced, and the day of faith was near at hand.

The Reformation1 voice

A commentator

John Calvin

1509–1564

Commentaries (1554)

proposed

Doubtless, either the moderation of that age was still greater than has since prevailed, and the splendor of it less sumptuous; or else this conduct must be attributed to the moderation of the man, who, in the midst of universal license, yet was contented with a plain and decent, rather than with a magnificent style of living.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest,.... Benjamin; this he ordered to be done, partly to put him in apparent danger, and try how his brethren would behave towards him in such circumstances, and thereby know how they stood affected to him; and partly that he might have an excuse for retaining him with him.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Put my cup in the sack’s mouth of the youngest - The stratagem of the cup seems to have been designed to bring Joseph’s brethren into the highest state of perplexity and distress, that their deliverance by the discovery that Joseph was their brother might have its highest effect.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth--It was a large goblet, as the original denotes, highly valued by its owner, on account of its costly material or its elegant finish and which had probably graced his table at the sumptuous entertainment of the previous day.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

I.e., more than they were entitled to for the money they had brought him.
Ramban: Spain, 1194–1270 · Ramban on Genesis 44:1:1, via Sefaria, Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

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

16 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • גְּבִיעִ֞יcup my

    geviiH1375 →14 times

  • גְּבִ֣יעַ[the] cup of

    gevia'H1375 →14 times

  • הַכֶּ֗סֶף<the> silver

    hakesefH3701 →403 times

  • תָּשִׂים֙you will put

    tasimH7760 →584 times

  • בְּפִי֙in [the] mouth of

    befiH6310 →498 times

  • אַמְתַּ֣חַת[the] sack of

    ʾamtachatH572 →15 times

  • הַקָּטֹ֔ןthe young [brother]

    hakatonH6996 →101 times

  • וְאֵ֖תand <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • כֶּ֣סֶף[the] silver of

    kesefH3701 →403 times

  • שִׁבְר֑וֹgrain his

    shivroH7668 →9 times

  • וַיַּ֕עַשׂand he did

    vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times

  • כִּדְבַ֥רaccording to [the] word of

    kidvarH1697 →1440 times

  • יוֹסֵ֖ףJoseph

    yosefH3130 →213 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • דִּבֵּֽר׃he had spoken

    diberH1696 →1141 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Corinthians 8:8I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.3 worksDeuteronomy 13:3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.2 worksGenesis 43:32They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.2 worksDeuteronomy 8:2Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.2 worksGenesis 42:15–16And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.2 worksMatthew 10:16Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.2 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
Genesis 42:20Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.2 worksDeuteronomy 8:16He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.2 worksGenesis 44:12The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Deuteronomy 8:2

    Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your…

    it leads to

    • James 1:3

      because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

    • 1 Peter 1:7

      so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

    • Deuteronomy 8:16

      He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.

    • Exodus 16:4

      Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I…

    • Deuteronomy 2:7

      Indeed, the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these…

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 8:8

    I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 7:6

      I say this as a concession, not as a command.

    • 1 John 3:17–19

      If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 13:3

    you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all…

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 8:2

      Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your…

About Genesis

The Garden of Eden, Thomas Cole, 1828, Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Public domain.
The Garden of Eden, Thomas Cole, 1828, Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Public domain.
Genesis: the study guide →Read Genesis 44 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Joseph the Patriarch; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).

Read on in Genesis 44 →