Genesis 44:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He said, "Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent."

NIV: "Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame."

NASB: So he said, 'Now let it indeed be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be considered innocent.'

CSB: The steward replied, "What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless."

NLT: That’s fair,' the man replied. 'But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.'

KJV: And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.

NKJV: And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.”

Joseph's brothers have been defending themselves from what seemed like wild accusations. Joseph's steward has accused them of stealing his lord's personal silver cup (Genesis 44:4–8). They insist that they would never do such a thing, rashly offering that if any of them is found with the cup, that man will die. More, all the rest will become servants of the Egyptian ruler (Genesis 44:9). They have no idea that the Egyptian governor is their own estranged brother (Genesis 42:7–8).

The steward knows the silver cup is in Benjamin's sack, because he placed it there on Joseph's own order (Genesis 44:1–3). Probably in accordance with Joseph's wishes, he pounces on their foolish offer, but changes the terms. Instead of killing the man found with the cup, that man shall stay behind as a slave of his master. The rest of them will be free to go.

Taken in full context, this seems to be yet another test by Joseph. He seems interested to know if the men will once again abandon a younger brother to meet their own selfish ends. That's exactly what they—other than Benjamin—had done some twenty years prior (Genesis 37:24–28).

Genesis 44:1–13 describes Joseph's final test of his estranged brothers, this time using a silver cup. After a merry feast, Joseph's brothers—who still know nothing of his identity—are sent out with grain and money. Joseph orders his house steward to hide his unique personal cup in Benjamin's sack. Shortly after they leave, he sends the steward to overtake the brothers on their way out of town. Once the cup is found, all the brothers return to Joseph's house in great grief and frustration.

Eleven of Jacob's sons enjoyed a meal as honored guests of an Egyptian governor. They are sent off the next morning with full sacks of grain. All seems well until the governor's house steward overtakes them on the road and accuses them of stealing the ruler's personal and valuable silver cup. The brothers don't know this governor is Joseph, their long-lost brother. Nor do they know he ordered the steward to place the cup in Benjamin's sack. This is part of Joseph's final test of his brothers and their moral growth. Seeking to rescue Benjamin from slavery, Judah makes a powerful speech to Joseph, offering to take Benjamin's place as a slave to save the boy and avoid grieving their father, Jacob.

Joseph maintained his hidden identity when his estranged brothers first arrived in Egypt (Genesis 42). When they returned a second time, he continued to test them and treated them to a fine meal (Genesis 43). Genesis 44 describes Joseph's final scheme to test the character of his brothers. Will they once again abandon a sibling into slavery? After a successful scheme by Joseph, Benjamin seems doomed to become a slave in Egypt. Judah boldly begs Joseph to keep him, instead. He offers himself in Benjamin's place. This finally overwhelms Joseph, who will break down and reveal himself in the next chapter.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.