Return to Egypt: Genesis 43.1-34
The famine is now severe in Canaan, and having eaten all their food, the brothers have to once again return to Egypt for more. Note the recurring theme of famine leading people into Egypt – Abraham did the same thing in Genesis 12 and Isaac is warned specifically not to go there in Genesis 26, when the land is struck with another famine. Despite Egypt’s abundance, the patriarchal line seems determined to stay in Canaan.
Israel (Jacob) tells his sons to head to Egypt, but Judah recalls the warning that Joseph gave them: “You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you” (Gen. 43.5). Joseph never explicitly states this in the bible, so perhaps Judah is telling it this way to his father in order to convince him. Israel asks (/whines /laments?): “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” (Gen. 43.6). The sons reply that the man questioned them very thoughtfully with specific questions about their family. How could they have known the information would backfire like that?
Judah then offers himself as collateral. Genesis 42 has Reuben offer his children to be slain if the brothers do not return with Reuben. In this chapter, however, Judah offers to “bear the blame forever” (Gen. 43.9).
Israel relents and tells them to load up with choice fruits, balm, honey, gum, resin, pistachios, and almonds. They should also take back the money that might have been given back to them as an oversight. Oh, and they take Benjamin with them. The caravan must have looked something like the caravan of Ishmaelites that took Joseph down to Egypt originally. There is therefore a sort of symmetry to the brothers’ penance.
When Joseph sees his brothers returning with Benjamin, he has an animal slaughtered for a feast at noon.
A steward goes to the brothers and leads them to Joseph’s house. The brothers are concerned this is because of the money they found in their sacks on their return trip. Surely it was all a trick so that the man might enslave them and steal their donkeys. They tell the steward about the money, but the man reassures them, “your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money” (Gen. 43.23). Well, actually it was Joseph, but Joseph does frequently act as a mouthpiece of God, having oracular dreams and interpreting dreams with the help of God.
The steward brings the brothers into the house, gives them water to wash their feet and feeds their donkeys. The brothers then prepare their present for Joseph which they will present at the dinner party at noon.
When Joseph arrives, his brothers offer him the present and bow down to him again. Joseph inquires about their father, who he discovers is alive and well. The brothers bow again and do obeisance.
Joseph looks at Benjamin and declares, “God be gracious to you, my son!” before running out of the room to weep, full of affection (Gen. 43.29). When he has gained control of himself and washed his face he walks back in and orders the meal to be served. However, he cannot eat with his brothers because of a sort of Egyptian kosher law: it is considered an abomination for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews. Joseph is in a strange place here: a Hebrew eating as an Egyptian, and a brother eating separately from the rest of his family.
Joseph has portions from his table brought to his brothers. And though Benjamin’s portions are five times as much as any of the others, they bear him no resentment. Perhaps the brothers have finally learned how to get along.
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