---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Genesis 44"
description: "CHAPTER 44   :-. POLICY TO
STAY HIS
BRETHREN. 1. And Joseph commanded the
steward—The design of putting the cup into the sack of Benjamin
was obviously to"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44"
---

![Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible](/images/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible.jpg)

 The Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
 
Include 66 books
 
Denomination: calvinism
 
 GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong Of SolomonIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950 

CHAPTER 44

. POLICY TO
STAY HIS
BRETHREN.

**1. And Joseph commanded the
steward**—The design of putting the cup into the sack of Benjamin
was obviously to bring that young man into a situation of difficulty
or danger, in order thereby to discover how far the brotherly
feelings of the rest would be roused to sympathize with his distress
and stimulate their exertions in procuring his deliverance. But for
what purpose was the money restored? It was done, in the first
instance, from kindly feelings to his father; but another and further
design seems to have been the prevention of any injurious impressions
as to the character of Benjamin. The discovery of the cup in *his*
possession, if there had been nothing else to judge by, might have
fastened a painful suspicion of guilt on the youngest brother; but
the sight of the money in each man's sack would lead all to the same
conclusion, that Benjamin was just as innocent as themselves,
although the additional circumstance of the cup being found in his
sack would bring him into greater trouble and danger.

**2. put my cup, the silver cup, in
the sack's mouth**—It was a large goblet, as the original
denotes, highly valued by its owner, on account of its costly
material or its elegant finish and which had probably graced his
table at the sumptuous entertainment of the previous day.

**3. As soon as the morning was light,
the men were sent away**—They commenced their homeward journey at
early dawn (see on [Genesis 44:1](../../../kjv/genesis/44/1)); and
it may be readily supposed in high spirits, after so happy an issue
from all their troubles and anxieties.

**4. When they were gone out of the
city . . . Joseph said unto his steward**—They were brought to a
sudden halt by the stunning intelligence that an article of rare
value was missing from the governor's house. It was a silver cup; so
strong suspicions were entertained against them that a special
messenger was despatched to search them.

**5. Is not this it in which my lord
drinketh**—not only kept for the governor's personal use, but
whereby he divines. Divination by cups, to ascertain the course of
futurity, was one of the prevalent superstitions of ancient Egypt, as
it is of Eastern countries still. It is not likely that Joseph, a
pious believer in the true God, would have addicted himself to this
superstitious practice. But he might have availed himself of that
popular notion to carry out the successful execution of his stratagem
for the last decisive trial of his brethren.

**6, 7. he overtook them, and he spake
. . . these words**—The steward's words must have come upon them
like a thunderbolt, and one of their most predominant feelings must
have been the humiliating and galling sense of being made so often
objects of suspicion. Protesting their innocence, they invited a
search. The challenge was accepted [[Genesis 44:10](../../../kjv/genesis/44/10);
[Genesis 44:11](../../../kjv/genesis/44/11)]. Beginning with the
eldest, every sack was examined, and the cup being found in
Benjamin's [[Genesis 44:12](../../../kjv/genesis/44/12)], they all
returned in an indescribable agony of mind to the house of the
governor [[Genesis 44:13](../../../kjv/genesis/44/13)], throwing
themselves at his feet [[Genesis 44:14](../../../kjv/genesis/44/14)],
with the remarkable confession, "God hath found out the iniquity
of thy servants" [[Genesis 44:16](../../../kjv/genesis/44/16)].

**16-34. Judah said, What shall we
say?**—This address needs no comment—consisting at first of
short, broken sentences, as if, under the overwhelming force of the
speaker's emotions, his utterance were choked, it becomes more free
and copious by the effort of speaking, as he proceeds. Every word
finds its way to the heart; and it may well be imagined that
Benjamin, who stood there speechless like a victim about to be laid
on the altar, when he heard the magnanimous offer of Judah to submit
to slavery for his ransom, would be bound by a lifelong gratitude to
his generous brother, a tie that seems to have become hereditary in
his tribe. Joseph's behavior must not be viewed from any single
point, or in separate parts, but as a whole—a well-thought,
deep-laid, closely connected plan; and though some features of it do
certainly exhibit an appearance of harshness, yet the pervading
principle of his conduct was real, genuine, brotherly kindness. Read
in this light, the narrative of the proceedings describes the
continuous, though secret, pursuit of one end; and Joseph exhibits,
in his management of the scheme, a very high order of intellect, a
warm and susceptible heart, united to a judgment that exerted a
complete control over his feelings—a happy invention in devising
means towards the attainment of his ends and an inflexible adherence
to the course, however painful, which prudence required.

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/?s={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Genesis 44"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Genesis 44","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"CHAPTER 44   :-. POLICY TO\nSTAY HIS\nBRETHREN. 1. And Joseph commanded the\nsteward—The design of putting the cup into the sack of Benjamin\nwas obviously to","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","name":"Commentaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis","name":"Genesis"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/genesis/44","name":"44"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]}
```