Genesis 44:10 - Forerunner Commentary

Genesis 44:10

8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan ^athe money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?

9 With whomever of your servants it is found, ^alet him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.”

11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.

12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and¹ left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Then they ^atore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they ^afell before him on the ground.

15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”

16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has ^afound out the iniquity of your servants; here ^bwe are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”

17 But he said, ^a“Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

Commentaries:

No entry exists in Forerunner Commentary for Genesis 44:10.

Genesis 44:10-15

That is a curious word that is used there. Was not Joseph a man of God, so how could he practice divination? Now this is a real dispute and debate among the commentaries. Regarding Joseph's claim to practice divination, I think Adam Clarke's commentary says it the best: “I take the Hebrew word naachash here in its general acceptance: to view attentively; or to inquire.”

Adam Clarke says that is the way it should be looked at, in more of its general sense rather than some of the more detailed meanings that are given to it later that connect it with divination. The context of other cases in the Old Testament connected it with divination, but in this case, it is not. There is no connection with divination.

Excerpted from How God Deals With Conscience (Part Four)

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