성경 주석서

(19) At the door of the house.—Alarmed at a thing so unexpected as being taken to the house of the governor, they can see nothing but danger, and will not enter until they receive the assurance of safety from the officer “who was over Joseph’s house.” (See Note on Genesis 43:25.)

(21) The inn.—The lodging-place. (See Note on Genesis 42:27.)

Our sacks.—Heb., our travelling or forage bags. It is the word used at the end of Genesis 42:27. So immediately afterwards the silver was found “in the mouth of the travelling-bag.” And so again in Genesis 43:22-23. This is accurate, as the silver was placed in the private bag of each one, and not in the corn sacks; but as we have seen in Genesis 42:27; Genesis 42:35, only one of them found his money at the lodging-place. This, however, was a matter of no importance, while it was necessary to show that they were a full day’s journey on the route homewards before the mistake was discovered.

(23) Your God . . . —Either Joseph had instructed his steward what to say, or he had trained his household generally in the truths of his religion. (See Note on Genesis 42:18.) The word for “treasure” means hidden treasure, or as we call it a “windfall.” By bringing out Simeon he would remove their worst fears, and so at last they consent to go in.

(25) For they heard . . . —As Joseph in Genesis 43:16 gives his orders in the Egyptian language, his brethren would not understand why they were taken to the governor’s palace; but probably the steward now tells them that they were to feast with the governor, in order to allay their fears, as the rights of hospitality were too sacred to permit of perfidy to a guest.

(28) They bowed down.—This was the literal fulfilment of the first dream concerning the eleven sheaves making obeisance. As their business in Egypt was to buy corn, there was a fitness also in their being represented as sheaves.

(29) Is this your younger brother?—Rather, your youngest brother. Joseph’s question was one of surprise. Can this young man, now nearly thirty, be the little Benjamin, who was but a child of eight or nine when last I saw him!

(31) He washed his face.—This was done to remove all traces of his tears.

(32) By himself . . . by themselves.—These caste distinctions were common in ancient times, and still exist in India. Joseph probably had his food served separately because of his high rank; but the word “abomination” shows that eating with foreigners was shunned by the Egyptians for religious considerations. Herodotus (ii. 41) says that the Greeks were equally the objects of their dislike, and that the use even of a Greek knife would render food, otherwise clean, polluted in the eyes of the Egyptians.