Year of the Bible
Genesis 43
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Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 43:
The continuing famine forces Joseph’s brothers to mount another expedition to Egypt to obtain food and to return the money that was mysteriously returned to them on their first journey. Although Judah had previously avoided family responsibility (chapter 34), he now takes on the leadership role, promising to keep Benjamin from harm. The brothers again stand before Joseph but do not recognize the younger sibling they sold into slavery twenty years earlier. Joseph’s love of family is revealed in the feast he has prepared for them, his concern over his father, and his welcome of Benjamin, his only full-blood brother.
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 43:
Joseph’s Brothers Bring Benjamin to Egypt
1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And when they had eaten the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food; 5 but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ ” 6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so ill as to tell the man that you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions; could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame for ever; 10 for if we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you; carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man; 14 may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” 15 So the men took the present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 The man did as Joseph bade him, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, to make slaves of us and seize our donkeys.” 19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house, and spoke with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food; 21 and when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was every man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it again with us, 22 and we have brought other money down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He replied, “Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house, and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys food, 25 they made ready the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which they had with them, and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well, he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and made obeisance. 29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph made haste, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said “Let food be served.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Twice now, Joseph has wept at the site of his brothers. And we know Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Lord, what injustices are you allowing to break my heart? How are you calling me to respond?
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Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
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El hambre seguía apretando en
el país. 2 Cuando hubieron consumido
la provisión de grano que habían
traído de Egipto, les dijo su padre:
–Volved a comprarnos algún alimento.
3 Judá le respondió:
–Aquel hombre, jurando, nos ha insistido:
«No os presentéis ante mí sin
que vuestro hermano venga con vosotros
». 4 Si accedes a mandar a nuestro
hermano, bajaremos y te compraremos
alimento; 5 si no accedes, no bajaremos,
porque aquel hombre nos advirtió: «No
os presentéis ante mí sin vuestro hermano
».
6 Israel exclamó:
–¿Por qué me habéis traído tal desgracia,
contando a aquel hombre que
aún teníais otro hermano?
7 Replicaron:
–Aquel hombre nos interrogó sobre
nosotros y nuestra familia, preguntándonos:
«¿Vive todavía vuestro padre?,
¿tenéis algún hermano?» Nosotros
le contestamos según tales preguntas.
¿Acaso podíamos saber que iba a decir:
«Traed a vuestro hermano»?
8 Entonces dijo Judá a su padre Israel:
–Manda al muchacho conmigo; nos
pondremos en camino e iremos, para poder
seguir viviendo y no morir, ni nosotros,
ni tú, ni vuestros niños. 9 Yo respondo
de él, a mí me lo podrás exigir; si no
te lo traigo y lo pongo ante ti, seré para ti
culpable de pecado toda la vida. 10 Pues si
no nos hubiéramos entretenido, ya estaríamos
ahora de vuelta por segunda vez.
11 Les dijo su padre Israel:
–Si ha de ser así, hacedlo; tomad los
mejores productos del país en vuestros
equipajes y llevádselos a aquel hombre
como regalo: un poco de resina aromática,
un poco de miel, tragacanto, ládano,
pistachos y almendras. 12 Llevaos el doble
de dinero y devolved personalmente
el dinero encontrado en la boca de los
sacos, pues quizá fue un error; 13 y traed
a vuestro hermano. Poneos en camino
y volved a aquel hombre. 14 Que El–Saday
os conceda hallar misericordia ante
ese hombre, y os devuelva a vuestro otro
hermano y a Benjamín. Yo, si me quedo
sin hijos, sin ellos me quedaré.
15 Tomaron los hombres aquel regalo;
llevaron también el doble de dinero,
y a Benjamín; y poniéndose en camino,
bajaron a Egipto y se presentaron a José.
16 Cuando José vio con ellos a Benjamín,
dijo a su mayordomo:
–Haz entrar a estos hombres en
casa, mata algún animal y prepáralo,
pues ellos van a comer conmigo a mediodía.
17 El hombre hizo lo que le había
mandado José e introdujo a aquellos
hombres en casa de José. 18 Ellos sintieron
miedo al ser introducidos en casa
de José, y decían:
–Nos meten aquí por lo del dinero
devuelto en nuestros sacos la otra vez,
para acosarnos, caer sobre nosotros y
llevarnos como esclavos con nuestros
asnos.
19 Se acercaron al mayordomo de
José y le hablaron a la puerta de la casa,
20 diciéndole:
–Escúchanos, por favor, señor; ya
bajamos antes otra vez a comprar alimento,
21 y sucedió que al llegar al lugar
donde pernoctamos y abrir nuestro
sacos, el dinero de cada uno estaba en
la boca de su saco, todo nuestro dinero
en su justo peso, y queremos devolverlo
personalmente. 22 Hemos traído,
además, otro dinero para comprar alimento.
No sabemos quién metió nuestro
dinero en los sacos.
23 Él respondió:
–Quedaos en paz, no temáis; vuestro
Dios, el Dios de vuestros padres, os
puso un tesoro en los sacos, pues vuestro
dinero me llegó a mí.
Entonces sacó a Simeón con ellos.
24 Les introdujo en casa de José, les trajo
agua para que se lavaran los pies, y
echó pienso a sus asnos. 25 Ellos prepararon
los regalos antes de que llegase José
a mediodía, pues oyeron que iban a comer
allí.
26 Cuando llegó José a casa, ellos le
ofrecieron los regalos que habían traído
hasta allí, y se postraron en tierra ante
él. 27 José les saludó y les preguntó:
–¿Qué tal está vuestro anciano padre
del que me hablasteis? ¿Vive todavía?
28 Respondieron:
–Tu siervo, nuestro padre, está bien;
vive todavía.
E inclinándose se postraron. 29 Alzó
la vista y vio a su hermano Benjamín,
hijo de su madre. Preguntó:
–¿Es éste vuestro hermano pequeño
del que me hablasteis?
Y exclamó:
–¡Que Dios te guarde, hijo mío!
30 Entonces José salió a toda prisa,
porque se le conmovieron las entrañas
a la vista de su hermano, sintiendo ganas
de llorar; y entrando en su habitación,
lloró allí.
31 Luego, se lavó la cara, salió y, conteniéndose,
ordenó:
–Servid la comida.
32 Les sirvieron por separado a él, a
ellos, y a los egipcios que comían con
él, pues los egipcios no pueden comer
con los hebreos, ya que es una abominación
para los egipcios. 33 Ellos se sentaron
frente a él, el primogénito conforme
a su primogenitura, y el menor
conforme a su juventud. Y todos se miraban
asombrados. 34 José les pasó raciones
de su mesa, y la ración de Benjamín
era cinco veces más grande que las raciones
de todos los demás. Bebieron y
se alegraron en su compañía.
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La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).