44:1 Praecepit autem Joseph dispensatori domus suae, dicens : Imple saccos eorum frumento, quantum possunt capere : et pone pecuniam singulorum in summitate sacci.
And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.
44:2 Scyphum autem meum argenteum, et pretium quod dedit tritici, pone in ore sacci junioris. Factumque est ita.
And in the mouth of the younger's sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.
44:3 Et orto mane, dimissi sunt cum asinis suis.
And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses.
44:4 Jamque urbem exierant, et processerant paululum : tunc Joseph accersito dispensatore domus, Surge, inquit, et persequere viros : et apprehensis dicito : Quare reddidistis malum pro bono ?
*H And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way: Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?
Ver. 4. Pursue; escorted by a troop of horsemen, to prevent resistance. M.
44:5 scyphus, quem furati estis, ipse est in quo bibit dominus meus, et in quo augurari solet : pessimam rem fecistis.
*H The cup which you have stolen, is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.
Ver. 5. To divine. This was spoken by Joseph to his steward in jest; alluding to the notion of the people, who took him to be a diviner. Ch. — S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 195. a. 7. Heb. may be translated without attending to the points, "Is not this the cup, out of which my lord drinketh; and he has augured, or discovered, by it the evil which you have committed." Pliny (xxx. 2.) mentions a method of divining, by means of water in a basin. C. — The Egyptians probably supposed, that Joseph used some means to disclose what was hidden; and he alludes, in jest, to their foolish notion. H. — He had a right to afflict his guilty brethren; and as for Benjamin, who was innocent, he made him ample recompense for this transitory terror. Some think that the steward said, in which he is wont to divine, unauthorized by his master. M.
44:6 Fecit ille ut jusserat : et apprehensis per ordinem locutus est.
He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.
44:7 Qui responderunt : Quare sic loquitur dominus noster, ut servi tui tantum flagitii commiserint ?
And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?
44:8 pecuniam, quam invenimus in summitate saccorum, reportavimus ad te de terra Chanaan : et quomodo consequens est ut furati simus de domo domini tui aurum vel argentum ?
The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord's house, gold or silver?
44:9 apud quemcumque fuerit inventum servorum tuorum quod quaeris, moriatur, et nos erimus servi domini nostri.
With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.
44:10 Qui dixit eis : Fiat juxta vestram sententiam : apud quemcumque fuerit inventum, ipse sit servus meus, vos autem eritis innoxii.
*H And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.
Ver. 10. Sentence. It is but just; yet I shall only insist on the detention of the culprit. C. — Joseph wished to see whether the marks of attention, which he had shewn to Benjamin, would have excited the envy of his brethren (M.); and whether they would be concerned for him: thus he would discover their present dispositions. He might wish also to keep his younger brother out of danger, in case they were inclined to persecute him. H.
44:11 Itaque festinato deponentes in terram saccos, aperuerunt singuli.
Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.
44:12 Quos scrutatus, incipiens a majore usque ad minimum, invenit scyphum in sacco Benjamin.
Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest, and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.
44:13 At illi, scissis vestibus, oneratisque rursum asinis, reversi sunt in oppidum.
*H Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.
Ver. 13. The town, with heavy hearts, of which their torn garments were signs (H.): yet they say not a word in condemnation of Benjamin. They are determined either to clear him, or never to return home. M.
44:14 Primusque Judas cum fratribus ingressus est ad Joseph (necdum enim de loco abierat) omnesque ante eum pariter in terram corruerunt.
*H And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph (for he was not yet gone out of the place) and they all together fell down before him on the ground.
Ver. 14. Juda, mindful of his engagement, (C. xliii. 9,) and perhaps more eloquent and bolder than the rest. M.
44:15 Quibus ille ait : Cur sic agere voluistis ? an ignoratis quod non sit similis mei in augurandi scientia ?
*H And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.
Ver. 15. The science of divining. He speaks of himself according to what he was esteemed in that kingdom. And, indeed, he being truly a prophet, knew more without comparison than any of the Egyptian sorcerers. Ch. — Heb. Sept. and Chal. "knew ye not that a man like me would divine with certainty," and presently discover any fraud? C.
44:16 Cui Judas : Quid respondebimus, inquit, domino meo ? vel quid loquemur, aut juste poterimus obtendere ? Deus invenit iniquitatem servorum tuorum : en omnes servi sumus domini mei, et nos, et apud quem inventus est scyphus.
*H And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.
Ver. 16. Iniquity. He begins with the greatest humility, acknowledging that they were justly punished by God for some transgression, though they were, in his opinion, innocent of any theft. H. — Perhaps he might imagine, that Benjamin had been guilty, (Bonfrere) and is willing to bear a part of the blame with the rest; or his conscience still presents before him the injustice done to Joseph so long before. H.
44:17 Respondit Joseph : Absit a me ut sic agam : qui furatus est scyphum, ipse sit servus meus : vos autem abite liberi ad patrem vestrum.
Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father.
44:18 Accedens autem propius Judas, confidenter ait : Oro, domine mi, loquatur servus tuus verbum in auribus tuis, et ne irascaris famulo tuo : tu es enim post Pharaonem
*H Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art.
Ver. 18. Boldly, perceiving that he had to deal with an equitable judge. — Thou art; the second man in the kingdom. Heb. "even as Pharao."
44:19 dominus meus. Interrogasti prius servos tuos : Habetis patrem aut fratrem ?
My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother.
44:20 et nos respondimus tibi domino meo : Est nobis pater senex, et puer parvulus, qui in senectute illius natus est : cujus uterinus frater mortuus est : et ipsum solum habet mater sua, pater vero tenere diligit eum.
*H And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead; and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.
Ver. 20. Is left of, (habet mater.) Rachel had been dead about twenty-four years. H.
44:21 Dixistique servis tuis : Adducite eum ad me, et ponam oculos meos super illum.
And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.
44:22 Suggessimus domino meo : Non potest puer relinquere patrem suum : si enim illum dimiserit, morietur.
We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.
44:23 Et dixisti servis tuis : Nisi venerit frater vester minimus vobiscum, non videbitis amplius faciem meam.
And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.
44:24 Cum ergo ascendissemus ad famulum tuum patrem nostrum, narravimus ei omnia quae locutus est dominus meus.
Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.
44:25 Et dixit pater noster : Revertimini, et emite nobis parum tritici.
And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat.
44:26 Cui diximus : Ire non possumus : si frater noster minimus descenderit nobiscum, proficiscemur simul : alioquin illo absente, non audemus videre faciem viri.
And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man's face.
44:27 Ad quae ille respondit : Vos scitis quod duos genuerit mihi uxor mea.
Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.
44:28 Egressus est unus, et dixistis : Bestia devoravit eum : et hucusque non comparet.
One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him; and hitherto he appeareth not.
44:29 Si tuleritis et istum, et aliquid ei in via contigerit, deducetis canos meos cum moerore ad inferos.
If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow unto hell.
44:30 Igitur si intravero ad servum tuum patrem nostrum, et puer defuerit (cum anima illius ex hujus anima pendeat),
Therefore, if I shall go to thy servant, our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him,)
44:31 videritque eum non esse nobiscum, morietur, et deducent famuli tui canos ejus cum dolore ad inferos.
*H And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his grey hairs with sorrow unto hell.
Ver. 31. With us, is not now found in Heb. But it is in the Sam. Sept. Syr. and Chaldee. C. — His grey hairs. That is, his person, now far advanced in years. — With sorrow unto hell. The Hebrew word for hell is here Sheola, the Greek hades: it is not taken for the hell of the damned; but for that place of souls below, where the servants of God were kept before the coming of Christ. Which place, both in the Scripture and in the creed, is named hell. Ch. — In this speech, we find many particulars not mentioned before; whence it appears, that the sacred historian does not always specify every circumstance. But, in relating the same speech, uses various expressions to the same purport. C.
44:32 Ego proprie servus tuus sim qui in meam hunc recepi fidem, et spopondi dicens : Nisi reduxero eum, peccati reus ero in patrem meum omni tempore.
Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.
44:33 Manebo itaque servus tuus pro puero in ministerio domini mei, et puer ascendat cum fratribus suis.
*H Therefore I, thy servant, will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.
Ver. 33. The boy. I am older, and more fit for service. M.
44:34 Non enim possum redire ad patrem meum, absente puero : ne calamitatis, quae oppressura est patrem meum, testis assistam.
*H For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.
Ver. 34. My father; who will drop down dead, oppressed with grief. How eloquent and pathetic was this address! Joseph could bear no more.