441 Then he commanded his house steward e , saying , "Fill the men's sacks with food , as much as they can carry , and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack . 2 "Put my cup , the silver cup , in the mouth of the sack of the youngest , and his money for the grain ." And he did as Joseph had told him. 3 As soon as it was light , the men were sent away , they with their donkeys . 4 They had just gone out of the city , and were not far off, when Joseph said to his house steward e , "Up, follow e the men ; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good ? 5 'Is not this the one from which my lord drinks and which he indeed uses for divination ? You have done wrong in doing this .' " 6 So he overtook them and spoke these words to them. 7 They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these ? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing . 8 "Behold , the money which we found in the mouth 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 ? 9 " With whomever of your servants it is found , let him die , and we also will be my lord's slaves ." 10 So he said , "Now let it also be according to your words ; he with whom it is found shall be my slave , and the rest of you shall be innocent ." 11 Then they hurried , each man lowered his sack to the ground , and each man opened his sack . 12 He searched , beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest , and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack . 13 Then they tore their clothes , and when each man loaded his donkey , they returned to the city . 14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house , he was still there , and they fell to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done ? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination ?" 16 So Judah said , "What can we say to my lord ? What can we speak ? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants ; behold , we are my lord's slaves , both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found ." 17 But he said , "Far be it from me to do this . The man in whose possession the cup has been found , he shall be my slave ; but as for you, go up in peace to your father ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 44:1-17
Commentary on Genesis 44:1-17
(Read Genesis 44:1-17)
Joseph tried how his brethren felt towards Benjamin. Had they envied and hated the other son of Rachel as they had hated him, and if they had the same want of feeling towards their father Jacob as heretofore, they would now have shown it. When the cup was found upon Benjamin, they would have a pretext for leaving him to be a slave. But we cannot judge what men are now, by what they have been formerly; nor what they will do, by what they have done. The steward charged them with being ungrateful, rewarding evil for good; with folly, in taking away the cup of daily use, which would soon be missed, and diligent search made for it; for so it may be read, Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, as having a particular fondness for it, and for which he would search thoroughly? Or, By which, leaving it carelessly at your table, he would make trial whether you were honest men or not? They throw themselves upon Joseph's mercy, and acknowledge the righteousness of God, perhaps thinking of the injury they had formerly done to Joseph, for which they thought God was now reckoning with them. Even in afflictions wherein we believe ourselves wronged by men, we must own that God is righteous, and finds out our sin.