Genesis 43King James Version
The food runs out. Jacob, with great reluctance, lets Benjamin go down with the brothers. They bow before Joseph again. He sees Benjamin and is so overcome that he leaves the room to weep. He invites them to eat at his table, seats them in birth order to their amazement, and serves Benjamin five times as much as the others.
The grain runs out; Jacob must send to Egypt again. After extended resistance he allows Benjamin to go, on Judah's personal guarantee. The brothers arrive with gifts and double money. Joseph's steward reassures them about the money, releases Simeon, and brings them to Joseph's house for a meal. Joseph sees Benjamin, leaves the room to weep privately, then returns and hosts the feast. Benjamin receives five times the others' portion. They drink and are merry.
The feast Joseph throws for his brothers is a grace they cannot explain and do not deserve yet, and the sight of Benjamin alive nearly undoes his composure.
30: "And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there." Joseph does not reveal himself yet, but he cannot maintain the distance. He has to leave the room.
The seating at the feast is in exact birth order. The brothers sit in the right sequence and the text says they marveled at one another. They cannot understand how this Egyptian official knows their birth order. The detail is there to show the reader: Joseph has been paying attention. He knows exactly who they are.
Jacob, who releases Benjamin under Judah's guarantee; Judah, who offers himself as surety; Benjamin, the beloved youngest; Joseph, who weeps alone before hosting his brothers; Joseph's Egyptian steward.
This chapter marks Judah's first act of genuine responsibility, standing surety for Benjamin. It is the beginning of his transformation from the man who suggested selling Joseph to the man who offers himself in chapter 44. The feast with assigned seating in birth order astonishes the brothers. Joseph knows who they are.
For when you see someone you love after a very long separation, and you cannot say what you need to say yet. Joseph's private weeping in verse 30 is one of the most human moments in the whole story.
1And the famine was sore in the land.
2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
4If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
5But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
6And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
10For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
11And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
12And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
13Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
17And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
18And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
22And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
23And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
25And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
28And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
30And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
31And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
34And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.