Genesis 44:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord 's house?

NIV: We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

NASB: Behold, the money which we found in the opening of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?

CSB: We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

NLT: Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

KJV: Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

NKJV: Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?

Eleven of Jacob's sons (Genesis 43:13–15) thought they had completed their recent mission in Egypt (Genesis 43:1–2). They still have not recognized their estranged brother Joseph as the Egyptian governor (Genesis 42:8). Joseph's steward has caught up to the men just as they began their journey back to Canaan (Genesis 44:1–3). Per Joseph's instructions, he has accused them returning his master's good with evil by stealing the Egyptian rulers own personal silver cup (Genesis 44:4–6).

The men continue their bewildered protest (Genesis 44:7). They just returned the very money they found in their sacks after their last trip to Egypt (Genesis 42:25–28)? That's not something thieves would do. Why would they steal silver or gold after bringing back treasure mistakenly added to their bags?

Of course, it was the steward himself who had put the money in their sacks the first time (Genesis 42:25). What he told them later was that God had given them that money (Genesis 43:23), not revealing it had been ordered returned to them by Joseph. The brothers don't yet know that Joseph and the steward have done something similar with the silver cup in Benjamin's sack.

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.