The Silver Cup Trap
Study note
Joseph orders his house manager to fill the brothers' sacks with grain, return their money, and place his own silver cup in Benjamin's sack. After the brothers leave the next morning, Joseph sends his manager to chase them down and accuse them of stealing. The brothers are completely confident in their innocence and declare that whoever has the cup should die, and the rest will become slaves. The manager searches their sacks from oldest to youngest. When the cup is found in Benjamin's sack, the brothers tear their clothes in grief — the same sign of sorrow they once caused their father — and return to the city.
1 Later, Joseph told his house manager, "Fill their bags with as much grain as they can carry. Put each man's silver back in the top of his bag." And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.
2 "Then take my personal silver cup and put it in the youngest brother's bag along with his grain money." The manager followed Joseph's instructions exactly. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
3 At first light the next morning, the brothers were sent on their way with their loaded donkeys. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
4 They had barely left the city when Joseph told his manager, "Chase after those men right now. When you catch them, say, 'Why did you repay kindness with theft?'" And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
5 "'You stole the cup my master drinks from — the one he uses to interpret signs. You did a terrible thing.'" Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
6 The manager caught up to them and repeated those words. And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.
7 They protested, "Sir, why would you accuse us of something like that? We would never do such a thing!" And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:
8 "We even went to the trouble of bringing back the silver we found in our bags all the way from Canaan. Why would we turn around and steal from your master's house?" Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
9 "If you find it on any of us, that person dies. And the rest of us will become your master's slaves." With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.
10 The manager said, "Fair enough — but let's adjust the terms. Only the person who has the cup will become my slave. Everyone else can leave freely." And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.
11 They all scrambled to lower their bags to the ground and open them up. Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
12 The manager searched them one by one, starting with the oldest and working his way down to the youngest. The cup turned up in Benjamin's bag. And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
13 The brothers were so horrified they ripped their clothes. They loaded their donkeys back up and headed straight back to the city. Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
Judah Confronts Joseph
Study note
The brothers fall before Joseph in despair. Joseph asks what they have done, and Judah says there is nothing they can say to clear themselves. He says God has uncovered their guilt — not just about the cup, but their deeper guilt from years ago. Judah offers that all the brothers will become slaves. But Joseph says only the one who had the cup will be his slave, and the rest can go home in peace. This is the ultimate test: will the brothers abandon Benjamin the way they abandoned Joseph?
14 Judah and his brothers walked into Joseph's house while Joseph was still there. They fell face-first on the ground before him. And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
15 Joseph demanded, "What were you thinking? Didn't you know someone like me would figure out the truth?" And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
16 Judah responded, "What can we even say, my lord? How do we explain this? How do we prove we're innocent? God has exposed our guilt. We are all your slaves now — every one of us, including the one who had the cup." And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.
17 Joseph said, "I would never do that. Only the one caught with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you — go home to your father in peace." And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
Judah's Plea for Benjamin
Study note
Judah approaches Joseph and delivers one of the most moving speeches in all of Scripture. He recounts the whole story — their aging father's love for the youngest son, the pain of losing Joseph, and the promise Judah made to bring Benjamin home safely. Judah explains that their father's very life is bound up with this boy. If Benjamin does not return, Jacob will die of grief. Judah then makes an extraordinary offer: let him stay as a slave instead of Benjamin. This is a complete transformation. Years ago, Judah suggested selling his brother Joseph into slavery. Now he is willing to become a slave himself to save his brother Benjamin. This selfless act shows that the brothers have truly changed.
18 Judah stepped forward and spoke: "Please, my lord — let me say something without making you angry. You have as much power as Pharaoh himself." Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
19 "You asked us, 'Do you have a father or another brother?'" My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
20 "We told you, 'Our father is old, and there's a young boy born to him in his later years. That boy's brother is dead, making him the only surviving son of his mother. Our father adores him.'" And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
21 "Then you told us, 'Bring him here so I can see him myself.'" And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
22 "We explained, 'The boy can't leave his father. His father would die without him.'" And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
23 "But you insisted, 'Don't come back without your youngest brother.'" And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
24 "We went home and told our father what you said." And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 "When our father told us to go buy more food," And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
26 "we said, 'We can't go unless our youngest brother comes along. The man in Egypt won't see us without him.'" And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.
27 "Our father told us, 'You know that my wife Rachel gave me only two sons.'" And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
28 "'One of them left and never came back. I'm convinced he was ripped apart by a wild animal, because I've never seen him since.'" And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
29 "'If you take this last one from me and something bad happens, it will send this heartbroken old man straight to his grave.'" And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
30 "So if I go back to my father without the boy — and my father's whole life is wrapped up in that boy —" Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;
31 "the moment he sees Benjamin isn't with us, he will die on the spot. We will have sent our heartbroken father to his grave." It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 "My lord, I personally put myself on the line for the boy. I promised my father, 'If I don't bring him back, I will carry the blame for the rest of my life.'" For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
33 "So please — let me stay here as your slave in the boy's place. Let Benjamin go home with his brothers." Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
34 "How could I possibly face my father without the boy? I couldn't bear to watch the grief destroy him." For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.