Bible Commentaries

And ^a 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.

(a) We may not use this example to justify any unlawful practices, seeing God has commanded us to walk in simplicity.

[Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinketh, and ^b whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

(b) Because the people thought he could divine, he attributes to himself that knowledge: or else he pretends that he consults with soothsayers: which deceit is worthy to be reproved.

Then they ^c rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

(c) To show how greatly the thing displeased them and how sorry they were for it.

And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? ^d God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we [are] my lord's servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.

(d) If we see no obvious cause for our affliction, let us look to the secret counsel of God, who punishes us justly for our sins.

Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou [art] even ^e as Pharaoh.

(e) Equal in authority or, next to the king.

And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my ^f wife bare me two [sons]:

(f) Rachel bore to Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin.

And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ^g ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

(g) You will cause me to die for sorrow.

For ^h how shall I go up to my father, and the lad [be] not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

(h) Meaning, he would rather remain as their prisoner, than to return and see his father in sorrow.