Genesis 43 – Joseph Meets His Brothers a Second Time

A. Jacob decides to let the brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin.

1. (1-2) Jacob gives the order to get more food.

Now the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”

a. Now the famine was severe in the land: There is reason to believe the brothers went to Egypt for grain in the first year of the famine. Joseph knew the famine would continue seven years, but his brothers did not. They probably thought it was one bad year, but the second year of famine came quickly.

b. When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt: Perhaps Jacob originally thought they had enough to survive the famine and they would never need to go back with Benjamin, and never need to go back and get Simeon. The famine wore on, and eventually they ran out of food.

c. Go back, buy us a little food: Necessity drove Jacob to do something he would normally never do. It is likely that Jacob intensely prayed for the famine to break, asking God to send relief. Perhaps Jacob became angry and bitter against God for not answering such prayers. Nevertheless, God had a plan and had something so much better for Jacob than he could ever imagine.

2. (3-5) Judah explains why they had to bring Benjamin with them to Egypt.

But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

a. Judah spoke to him: Judah continued to show himself something of a leader among his brothers.

b. The man solemnly warned us: Judah didn’t know that the man was his brother Joseph, but he remembered what a strong and even frightening person he was. He said, you shall not see my face unless Benjamin was with them.

3. (6-7) Jacob complains, and the brothers defend what they told the Egyptian.

And Israel said, “Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”

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’?”

a. Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother: Jacob was desperate. They must have discussed this question a hundred times before, yet he brought it up again.

b. Could we possibly have known: The brothers gave a logical explanation to their father. The question of the mysterious Egyptian official was so unexpected, they could never have anticipated it.

4. (8-10) Judah convinces his father to let them go to Egypt with Benjamin.

Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”

a. Send the lad with me: The reference to Benjamin as a lad raises the question of how old he was at this time. Adam Clarke and others think lad here is better translated as youth or young man and that Benjamin was in his mid-twenties or early thirties with a family of his own (Genesis 46:21).

b. I myself will be surety for him: Judah promised his own life as a guarantee for Benjamin. This is the first good thing we see that Judah did. Previously, he was the one who had proposed the sale of Joseph (Genesis 37:26-27). He was the one who wronged his daughter-in-law Tamar and had sex with her as a harlot (Genesis 38).

i. In the realm of unseen, yet real spiritual struggles and strategies, Satan may have directed his previous attacks against Joseph believing he was the son of Jacob from whom the Messiah would come. To this point, God had not yet revealed which of the 12 sons of Jacob the Messiah would come from.

ii. Satan not only hated the children of Jacob for what they were, but also for what God would make of them. The devil directs the same kind of hatred against believers today, as Satan considers the destiny God has for His people.

5. (11-14) Jacob sends them with money and gifts for the Egyptian leader.

And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”

a. Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man: Once before, Jacob gave a generous gift to a potential enemy, and it worked well (Esau in Genesis 33:10-11). He hoped these gifts would buy the favor of the mysterious Egyptian official.

b. Take double money in your hand: They took double money with them to Egypt to buy grain and the Egyptian leader’s favor. Since ten brothers went to Egypt and they took double money, there were 20 units of money. This answered exactly to the 20 pieces of silver they sold Joseph for (Genesis 37:28). The words for silver and money are the same.

c. May God Almighty give you mercy before the man: It was good for Jacob to say and to believe this but seems to have had too much fatalism and too little faith (If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!). Faith and fatalism aren’t the same.

B. The sons of Jacob face Joseph again.

1. (15-18) Joseph invites the brothers to dinner.

So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and fall upon us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”

a. They stood before Joseph: Accounting for Joseph’s time as a slave in Potiphar’s house, his time in prison, the seven years of plenty, and a few years of famine, it had been more than 20 years since all twelve brothers had been together. Joseph understood this; the brothers did not know it was Joseph.

b. Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me: This was unusual interest and kindness. The brothers must have wondered why the powerful Egyptian official took such an interest in them, and why he wanted to share a meal with them.

i. Joseph here again points towards Jesus the Messiah, who wants to be with His people, to eat with them, meaning that Jesus wants close relationship with His people (Revelation 3:20).

c. Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house: Perhaps they feared that the kindness from the Egyptian leader was only to arrange their execution.

i. It is both interesting and amusing that they were worried not only about their own fate (take us as slaves), but also the fate of their donkeys. These were simple herdsmen who thought a lot about their animals.

2. (19-23) The brothers explain the money and are treated well in Joseph’s house.

When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, and said, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

a. They talked with him at the door of the house: The brothers thought it was wise to explain things to the steward of Joseph’s house before they had to explain it to the Egyptian official himself.

b. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money: This was not a lie from Joseph’s steward, because he really did have it, and he then gave it back. In addition, it really was because of God’s goodness that they had the money back. God gave it to them.

c. He brought Simeon out to them: Joseph fulfilled his promise.

3. (24-26) The brothers meet Joseph and bring their gift to him.

So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth.

a. Gave them water, and they washed their feet: The brothers expected to be seized as slaves and have everything taken from them (Genesis 43:18). Yet Joseph treated them with kindness. This love and goodness from Joseph would win them over and bring them to full repentance.

i. The brothers received the blessings of love and kindness from Joseph without knowing who he was. In the same way, God showers love and blessing upon man even when man doesn’t know from whom the blessings come.

b. They brought him the present…and bowed down: They once again fulfilled a dream Joseph had many years before. They honored this Egyptian official not only out of respect, not only out of gratitude, but also out of need. When people sense they truly need Jesus will prompt them to give to Him, and to worship Him.

4. (27-30) Joseph’s emotional meeting with Benjamin.

Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.

Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.

a. He asked them about their well-being: The mysterious Egyptian official had an unusual personal concern for these brothers and their family. Surely, he did not treat other grain purchasers this way.

b. Now his heart yearned for his brother: Joseph was especially affected at meeting his only full brother, Benjamin, whom he last saw as a small child. He was so overcome with emotion that he went into his chamber and wept. He was sad and emotional because he never had a relationship with Benjamin.

5. (31-32) The dinner tables are segregated.

Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”

So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

a. They set him a place by himself: Joseph did not eat with his brothers, because at the time, Egypt was one of the most racially separated societies on earth. They believed that Egyptians came from the gods, and all other people came from lesser origins. There was little social mixing with foreigners in the Egypt of Joseph’s time.

b. And the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves: The Egyptians would not eat with Joseph, much less the strangers from Canaan. Even with all his status and power, Joseph could still not eat with real Egyptians.

i. “It is known from Herodotus that Egyptians so abhorred things foreign, that priests, at least, ate and drank nothing that was imported, nor would they use utensils for eating that had been used by Greeks.” (Leupold)

ii. Here, we see the wisdom of God. Before the Genesis account ends, God brought the entire family of Jacob into Egypt, where they were isolated from the surrounding people for some 400 years. In that time, they multiplied greatly, increasing to the millions. If God had allowed them to remain in Canaan, they would have simply assimilated into the corrupt and godless peoples of Canaan.

iii. God not only had to take the family of Israel out of the corrupt environment of Canaan, but He had to put them among a racially separated people who would not often intermarry or mingle with them. God simply sent Joseph on ahead to make the arrangements.

6. (33-34) Joseph arranges them by order of birth and shows favor to Benjamin.

And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

a. The firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth: No wonder the brothers were filled with astonishment. This arrangement couldn’t happen by chance. Statistically, the odds of placing 11 brothers in their precise order of birth are something like 1 in 40 million.

b. Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs: This was another test, seeing how the brothers reacted when the younger brother was specially favored. This was an appropriate test because the brothers resented it so much when Joseph was favored by his father.

i. Joseph wanted to see if there was a change in the heart of his brothers, or if they were the same men who threw him into a pit and were deaf to his cries for help.

ii. This might have been the main motivation in Joseph’s demand that Benjamin come to Egypt. He wondered if the brothers would take care of Benjamin on such a journey, as they failed to do with Joseph.

iii. It is often the case that when believers fail in a test related to their spiritual growth, that God will arrange for them to repeat the test another time. This is a serious reason to take the test well the first time.

©1996–present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik