Comments on Genesis 44

v9  The brothers pronounce their willingness to observe the
generally acknowledged legal penalties of theft and guilt by
association, namely death (cp. 31:32) for the thief and
enslavement for the associates.  Little do they realize in so
doing they put Benjamin in jeopardy of exactly what Jacob feared.

v13 "they rent their clothes", this is a Semitic tradition
indicating great anguish or terrible emotional distress.  One
must remember that clothes back then were entirely hand made and
of considerable value, unlike today where clothing is inexpensive
and mass produced.  So, tearing your shirt down the front was no
small act of destruction.  Their act here parallels Jacob's at
his apparent loss of Joseph (cp. 37:34).

v14-34  Judah valiantly honors the oath he made to Jacob in 43:8-
9 and attempts to place himself in the place of Benjamin
regarding the guilt.
     In v. 16 Judah appears to be attempting to shift the blame
of the theft away from Benjamin and onto all of the brothers
equally.  In so doing he probably hopes to avoid the death
penalty invoked in v. 9 by casting the blame upon the entire
group.  Recall that Judah is the one who made the oath to Jacob
to return Benjamin alive to him (cp. 43:8-9).
     Then in v. 17 Joseph informs them we will not kill Benjamin
for the "crime", but will only enslave them.  Naturally they
would have taken heart at this, and Judah then takes advantage of
the apparent mercy to plead his case before Joseph (v. 18-34).  



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