Genesis 44

Chap. XLIV. Ver. 1—34. Joseph’s stratagem to detain Benjamin.—Joseph’s object, through all this part of his history, is evidently to bring his brethren to deep reflection and contrition; and every circumstance is contrived to suggest the idea, that the justice of God was following them for their former conduct. This so far succeeds, that at length Judah confesses the fact before Joseph, though in language somewhat equivocal: “God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants.” What do they mean to confess, the theft of the cup? Certainly not. But there was a worse crime that haunted them, and they could not conceal their anguish. There is some difficulty about this cup. It is a silver cup, but that is the smallest part of its value: “It is the cup (says the steward) in which my lord drinketh;”

nor is that all— “and whereby indeed he divineth.” It is certain, that divination by the cup was practised in the East, and particularly in Egypt. Christian commentators, however, are unwilling to believe that Joseph was so superstitious: we would rather suppose that he might find it politic to preserve appearances, and inspect his cup, as others did, without any faith in its discoveries; and certain it is, that the words may be so rendered as to exclude all idea of divination. The stratagem adopted by Joseph was certainly intended to detain Benjamin, as the last and severest trial of his brethren; and the proposal of the steward, knowing, as he did, into whose sack the cup was put, though it has an appearance of candour and equity, had evidently the same design.

When Joseph had been sold into Egypt, the ten brethren, though they had not acted unanimously, agreed upon a made-up story to pacify their father, and he means now to try if they will do the same respecting Benjamin: as if he had said, “Let all go but him, and let us see what tale they will now forge to excuse themselves.” But they were now in a very different temper, and their hearts were much softened. Dr. Clarke very justly remarks, that “No paraphrase can heighten the effect of Judah’s address to Joseph. To add, would be to diminish its excellence; to attempt to explain, would be to obscure its beauties; to clothe the ideas in other language than that of Judah, and his translators in our Bible, would ruin its energy, and destroy its influence.

It is, perhaps, one of the most tender, affecting pieces of natural oratory ever spoken or penned: and we need not wonder to find, that when Joseph heard it he could not refrain himself, but wept aloud. His soul must have been insensible beyond what is common to human

Notes on the verses

Chap. XLIV, Ver. 5. Is not this it? &c.—There seems something defective in this form of speech. The LXX. and Syriac supply, “Why have ye stolen my cup, the silver cup? Is it not that?” &c. Geddes and Boothroyd, therefore, both adopt it in their text.—Kennicott’s Remarks. Boothroyd’s Hebrew Bible and Note. Supposing this cup to have been used at the feast given to Joseph’s brethren, as is very probable, the crime is thereby much enhanced; for it was then a breach of hospitality. The ingenious Editor of Calmet supposes it to be a cup of office. So Bruce says the governor of Tigris had an official cup of gold.—Fragments to Calmet, No. 21. But may we not connect with this the probability that it was a present from Pharaoh, and given him for the purpose of divining, though not so employed by him?

This would fully justify the expression. Clemens Alexandrinus speaks of a cup employed in the sacred rites of Egypt: and Lucian rallies them for this practice.—Geddes. When Norden was at Derri, in the farthest part of Egypt, a powerful Arab, in a threatening way, told one of their people, whom they had sent to him, that he knew what sort of people they were; that he had consulted his cup, and had found by it that they were those, of whom one of their prophets had said, that Franks would come in disguise, and, passing everywhere, examine the state of the country, and afterwards bring over a great number of Franks, conquer the country, and exterminate all. It was precisely the same thing that Joseph meant when he talked of “divining by his cup.”

—Harmer. Compare (Genesis 42:9). “‘Ye are spies: to see the nakedness of the land are ye come.’” Whereby he divineth.—The margin reads, “Maketh trial;” and again, ver. 15. “Can make trial;” perhaps intimating, that by this cup, he meant to try their honesty. But Dr. Boothroyd renders ver. 5. “Is it not that (the cup) in which my lord drinketh, and for which he indeed will make inquiry?” And, ver. 15. “Knew ye not that I should certainly make inquiry?” The Hebrew Nacash, (whereof the serpent hath his name—see Note on (Genesis 3:1).) signifieth, 1. A diligent observation, trial, or search; (Genesis 30:27). (1 Kings 20:33). 2. A too curious search by divination, or soothsaying, which God’s law forbiddeth, (Deuteronomy 18:10).—Leigh’s Crit. Sac. The Chaldee, Aben Ezra, Ainsworth, &c. favour the former interpretation; but the LXX., Vulgate, Jerusalem Targum, and others, the latter; and the current of Oriental tradition certainly runs strong that way. [In the East, there is an ancient tradition, that there was a CUP which possessed the strange property, of representing in it, the whole world, and all the things which were then doing. The cup is called Jami Jensheed, “the cup of Jemsheed,” a very ancient king of Persia; and they say that it was discovered, filled with the elixir of immortality, when digging to lay the foundations of Persepolis. The Persian poets are full of allusions to this cup, which they stile Jam jehan nima, the cup showing the universe; and to it they ascribe all the prosperity of their ancient monarchs.

Many of the Mohammedan princes and governors affect still to have