Genesis 43 KJV
The Second Journey to Egypt
Genesis Chapter 43: The Second Journey to Egypt
Jacob's invocation of 'God Almighty' (El Shaddai) when releasing Benjamin deliberately echoes the covenant name used with Abraham and Jacob, framing the perilous journey as an extension of divine promises rather than mere survival.
1nd the famine was sore in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Josephโs house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Josephโs house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 And they came near to the steward of Josephโs house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every manโs money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 And the man brought the men into Josephโs house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his motherโs son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjaminโs mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
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Did You Know?
Jacob's invocation of 'God Almighty' (El Shaddai) when releasing Benjamin deliberately echoes the covenant name used with Abraham and Jacob, framing the perilous journey as an extension of divine promises rather than mere survival.
The steward's private assurance that the returned silver was 'your money' that 'came to' him subtly attributes the brothers' financial restoration to divine agency, prefiguring the providential reversals that will culminate in Joseph's self-revelation.
Benjamin's fivefold larger portion at the banquet functions as both a test of the brothers' lingering envy and an early literary signal of Benjamin's later tribal prominence, especially its association with Israel's first king.
The explicit note that Egyptians would not eat with Hebrews because it was 'an abomination' highlights Joseph's delicate navigation of ethnic boundaries while still in disguise, illustrating the tension between assimilation and covenant identity.
Judah's extended speech assuming full responsibility for Benjamin marks his narrative arc from instigator of Joseph's sale to willing guarantor, positioning him as the emerging leader whose tribe will ultimately carry the messianic line.
Commentary & Study Notes Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) ยท Public Domain their father said,... Go again, buy us a little food โ It was no easy matter to bring Jacob to agree to the only conditions on which his sons could return to Egypt (Ge 42:15). Theโฆ
Classic verse-by-verse commentary on Genesis 43 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: Preparations for a second journey to Egypt; Arrival in Egypt; The dinner.
- 2
- their father said,... Go again, buy us a little food โ It was no easy matter to bring Jacob to agree to the only conditions on which his sons could return to Egypt (Ge 42:15). The necessity of immediately procuring fresh supplies for the maintenance of themselves and their families overcame every other consideration and extorted his consent to Benjamin joining in a journey, which his sons entered on with mingled feelings of hope and anxiety โ of hope, because having now complied with the governor's demand to bring down their youngest brother, they flattered themselves that the alleged ground of suspecting them would be removed; and of apprehension that some ill designs were meditated against them.
- 11
- take of the best fruits... a present โ It is an Oriental practice never to approach a man of power without a present, and Jacob might remember how he pacified his brother (Pr 21:14) โ balm, spices, and myrrh (see on Ge 37:25), honey โ which some think was dibs, a syrup made from ripe dates [BOCHART]; but others, the honey of Hebron, which is still valued as far superior to that of Egypt; nuts โ pistachio nuts, of which Syria grows the best in the world; almonds โ which were most abundant in Palestine.
Read all 10 notes on Genesis 43 โ