A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/XXIV. Joseph’s Silver Cup.
Chapter XXIV.
JOSEPH'S SILVER CUP.
[Gen. 44.]
THEN Joseph commanded the steward to fill their sacks with corn, and to put each one’s money in the top of his sack; but to place in the mouth of Benjamin’s sack Joseph’s own silver cup. This was done, and the brothers set out on their journey.
But they had scarcely gone forward a little way, when Joseph sent his steward after them, who, overtaking them, accused them of stealing his master’s cup. He said: “Why have ye returned evil for good?”[1] Struck with terror, and angry at being suspected of theft, the brothers replied: “With whomsoever the cup shall be found, let him die[2], and we will be the bondsmen of my lord.” The steward replied: “Be it according to your words.”
They immediately took down their sacks and opened them, and when the steward had searched them all, beginning with that of the eldest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack. The brothers, rending [3] their garments, loaded their asses again and returned to the city[4].
And falling down[5] before Joseph, they said: “Behold, we are all bondsmen[6] to my lord.” But Joseph answered: “God forbid! He that stole the cup, he shall be my bondsman, and go you away free to your father.”
Then Juda told Joseph how much it had cost their father to part with Benjamin. They would rather die, all of them, he said, than return to their aged father without his youngest son. Juda[7], moreover, offered to remain, and be the governor’s slave till death, if he would allow Benjamin to go back safe to his father.
COMMENTARY.
Sin is an ingratitude to God. Almighty God might well say to us, what the steward said to Joseph’s brethren: “Why have you returned evil for good? I have done good to you; I have given you life and health and grace, and you have repaid my bounties with ingratitude. You have done a very evil thing each time you have sinned.” Mortal sin, especially, is a base act of ingratitude towards God, our Father.
Love for our parents, brothers and sisters. Juda had evidently a very sincere love both for his father and for his brother Benjamin. Children should show their love for their parents by never annoying or grieving them, and by helping them in their necessities. And, in the same way, brothers and sisters ought to love one another.
Application. In order to spare his old father grief, Juda offered to be a slave, instead of Benjamin, for the rest of his life. Have you ever caused sorrow to your parents? Repent of this, and take every pains to be a joy to them by your obedience, diligence &c. “Son, grieve not thy father” (Ecclus. 3, 14).
Juda protected Benjamin. You ought to take up the cause of your younger brothers and sisters, and help them to pray and learn to keep from evil and love what is good. But are you not, on the contrary, cross with them, and do you not, sometimes, encourage them to do wrong?
- ↑ Evil for good. Why have you thus repaid the hospitality of my master?
- ↑ Let him die . This they said, each feeling quite certain that no one of the others was capable of such an act.
- ↑ Rending. With grief.
- ↑ To the city. i. e. the city where Joseph dwelt. With what feelings of fear, grief and repentance must they have returned!
- ↑ Falling down. When, on other occasions, they had come into Joseph’s presence, they had bowed down to the ground before him, but this time, they prostrated themselves, for they felt that everything depended on propitiating this great man.
- ↑ Bondsmen. When first accused, they had said: “With whomsoever the cup shall be found, let him die.” But Juda makes no mention of this now. Once it is a question of Benjamin, they would all prefer being slaves, rather than that he should perish.
- ↑ Juda. Juda’s conduct was very noble. He was quite ready to give himself to be a slave, in Benjamin’s stead, so as to spare his father sorrow for the boy's loss. It was no longer possible for Joseph to doubt the change in his brothers’ dispositions.