1
Genesis 43:1
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英文原文
The famine was severe. The pressure began to be felt more and more. The twelve households had at length consumed all the corn they had purchased, and the famine still pressed heavily upon them. Jacob directs them to return. "And Judah said." Reuben had offended, and could not come forward. Simon and Levi had also grieved their father by the treacherous slaughter of the Shekemites. Judah therefore, speaks. "Is your father yet alive?" "Have ye a brother?" These questions do not come out in the previous narrative, on account of its brevity. But how pointed they are, and how true to Joseph's yearnings! They explain how it was that these particulars came out in the replies of the brothers to Joseph. For the charge of being spies did not call for them in exculpation. Judah now uses all the arguments the case would admit of, to persuade his father to allow Benjamin to go with them. He closes with the emphatic sentence, If I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me have sinned against thee all my days; that is, let me bear the blame, and of course the penalty of having sinned against thee in so tender a point. Both Judah and his father knew that this was a matter that touched the interest of the former very deeply. Reuben was bearing the blame of a grievous sin, and had no hope of the birthright. Simon and Levi were also bearing blame, and, besides, had not the natural right, which belonged only to Reuben. Judah came next, and a failure in securing the safe return of Benjamin might set him also aside. He undertakes to run this risk.
11
Genesis 43:11
繁體中文
雅各終於勉強打發便雅憫與他們同去。他像往常一樣，用盡一切手段以求獲得良好的結果。「本地土產中最好的」——指那地被人稱頌、即著名的出產。「一點蜂蜜」。巴勒斯坦盛產蜜蜂的蜜；把葡萄汁熬濃所得的糖漿也稱為蜜，且是商品。「榧子」。這被認為是開心果（pistachio），出自 pistacia vera；這樹與篤耨香樹（terebinth）相似，原產於安那托利亞、敘利亞和巴勒斯坦。「杏仁」。杏樹在春天比別的樹更早發芽開花。它原產於巴勒斯坦、敘利亞和波斯。其他出產見 Genesis 37:25。「另外的銀子」——不是雙倍的銀子，而是為新購糧食的第二筆款項。「全能的神」——那能隨己意支配人心的偉大之靈。雅各一面使用手段，一面仰望上天求福。「我若喪了兒子，就喪了吧」——這是順服於護理之旨意無論如何安排的表達。「雙倍的銀子」——指退回的銀子和為第二批糧食當付的銀子。
英文原文
Jacob at length reluctantly sends Benjamin with them. He employs all means, as is usual with him, of securing a favorable result. "The best of the land" - the sung or celebrated products of the land. "A little honey." Palestine abounded with bee honey. A sirup obtained by boiling down the juice of the grape was also called by the same name, and formed an article of commerce. "Nuts." These are supposed to be pistachio nuts, from the pistacia vera, a tree resembling the terebinth, a native of Anatolia, Syria, and Palestine. "Almonds." The almond tree buds or flowers earlier in the spring than other trees. It is a native of Palestine, Syria, and Persia. For the other products see Genesis 37:25. "Other silver;" not double silver, but a second sum for the new purchase. "God Almighty" - the Great Spirit, who can dispose the hearts of men as he pleases. Jacob looks up to heaven for a blessing, while he uses the means. "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved." This is the expression of acquiescence in whatever may be the will of Providence. "Double silver," - what was returned and what was to pay for a second supply of corn.
16
Genesis 43:16
繁體中文
進約瑟之家的邀請使眾兄弟滿心驚慌。「看見便雅憫與他們同在。」這對約瑟是難以言喻的安慰；他原本擔心他同母的弟弟——同樣是父親所疼愛的——可能已遭眾兄弟的嫉妒與苦害。「領那些人進約瑟的家裏」——他最終這樣行了，但那是在他與他們交談之後。那些人害怕這是一個奪去他們自由與財產的詭計。
英文原文
The invitation into Joseph's house fills the brothers with alarm. "Saw with them Benjamin." This was an unspeakable relief to Joseph, who was afraid that his full brother, also the favorite of his father, might have incurred the envy and persecution of the brothers. "Brought the men to Joseph's house." This he eventually did, but not until after the conference between him and them took place. The men were afraid of a plot to rob them of their liberty and property.
19
Genesis 43:19
繁體中文
約瑟家的管家鼓勵他們放下懼怕，預備他們的禮物。「在屋門口和他說話。」這自然是在他們進屋之前。「到了住宿的地方。」敘述者為求簡潔，容易把幾件事合併講述。他們在第一個住宿處就開始「打開口袋」，到家時在最後一站完成這一過程。「別的銀子。」這解釋了 Genesis 43:12 中「第二次的銀子」一語。「願你們平安。」放心吧，一切都好。「你們的神。」約瑟的管家說話像一個敬畏並信靠神的人——就是那位在埃及彰顯了祂全知與全能的希伯來人的神。「他把西緬帶出來交給他們。」他們還在門口徘徊時，體貼的管家想起把西緬帶出來交給他們，這使他們的心得了安撫，甘願進屋。管家於是成功把他們帶進去，隨後以東方待客的慣禮款待他們。他們如今就「預備禮物」。
英文原文
They are encouraged by the steward of Joseph's house to lay aside their fears, and prepare their present. "Spake to him at the door of the house." This was, of course, before they entered. "When we came to the inn." The relater is prone to lump matters in the narration, for the sake of brevity. They began to "open their bags" at the first lodging-place, and finished the process at the last when they got home. Other silver. This explains the phrase "second silver" in Genesis 43:12. "Peace be to you." Be at rest. All is well. Your God. The steward of Joseph expresses himself as one who fears and trusts God, the God of the Hebrews, who had displayed his omniscience and omnipotence in Egypt. "He brought out unto them Simon." While they still linger at the entrance, the considerate steward bethought himself of bringing out Simon to them, which reassured their hearts, and induced them to enter willingly. He now succeeds therefore, in bringing them in, and then bestows upon them the usual attentions of Eastern hospitality. They now "make ready their present."
26
Genesis 43:26
繁體中文
暂无译文。
英文原文
They are now entertained by Joseph. They brought the present, and made a lowly obeisance before him. "They bent the head." See Genesis 24:26. "God be gracious unto thee, my son." His kind treatment of Benjamin, on whose presence he had so much insisted, was calculated to reassure the brothers. The latter was born in his thirteenth year, and therefore, he was entitled to assume the paternal style in regard to him. Joseph still appeals with a natural and unconstrained reverence to his own God. "And Joseph hastened away." The little touch of tenderness he had involuntarily thrown into his address to Benjamin, is too much for his feelings, which yearn toward his brother, and he is obliged to retreat to his chamber to conceal his tears and compose his countenance. "They set for him by himself." As the governor, or as connected by affinity with the priestly caste, Joseph does not eat with the other Egyptians. The Egyptians cannot eat with the Hebrews. "That is an abomination to the Mizrites." For the Hebrews partook of the flesh of kine, both male and female.
But Herodotus informs us (ii. 41), that "male kine, if clean, are used by the Egyptians, but the females they are not allowed to sacrifice, since they are sacred to Isis." And he adds that "a native of Egypt will not kiss a Greek, use his knife, his spit, or his cauldron, or taste the flesh cut with a Greek knife." They considered all foreigners unclean, and therefore, refused to eat with them (see Rawlinson's Herodotus on p. q.). They sat in his presence; arranged according to the order of their birth, to their great amazement. Egypt was to them a land of wonders, and Egypt's sultan a man of wonder. "Benjamin's mess." The honored guest was distinguished by a larger or daintier portion of the fare (1 Samuel 9:23-24; Homer, ii. 7,321). A double portion was assigned to the Spartan kings. The fivefold division was prominent in Egyptian affairs Genesis 41:34; Genesis 45:22; Genesis 47:2, Genesis 47:24, Genesis 47:26. "And were merry." They drank freely, so as to be exhilarated, because their cares were dissipated by the kindness they were receiving, the presence of Simon, and the attention paid to Benjamin.
- 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.
那場饑荒甚大。壓力越來越令人感受得到。十二家人終於吃盡了他們所買來的一切糧食，而饑荒仍舊重重地壓在他們身上。雅各吩咐他們再去。「猶大說。」流便犯了罪，不能出面。西緬和利未也因詭詐地屠殺示劍人，傷了父親的心。於是由猶大來開口。「你們的父親還健在嗎？」「你們還有兄弟嗎？」這些問話因前文簡略的緣故，沒有在其中顯明出來。然而這些話何等尖銳，又何等切合約瑟那渴慕之情！它們說明了兄弟們回答約瑟時，為何會帶出這些細節；因為被指控為探子一事，並不要求他們用這些事實來為自己辯白。猶大如今用這案子所能容許的一切論據，勸父親允許便雅憫與他們同去。他以一句擲地有聲的話作結：我若不帶他回來交在你面前，使他在你面前站住，我就永遠向你擔罪——意思是說，在如此敏感的事上得罪了你，就讓我承擔這罪責，以及理所當然的刑罰吧。猶大和他的父親都知道，這是深深關乎猶大切身利益的事。流便正擔著一樁重罪的責任，對長子名分已無指望。西緬和利未也擔著責任，而且也沒有那僅屬於流便的天然權利。接下來便輪到猶大；若不能保證便雅憫安全歸回，他也可能被撇在一旁。他願意承擔這風險。