Genesis 44:27 - Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin

And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

my wife bare me two sons: Rachel, Jacob's second wife, bare him his two youngest sons, Joseph and Benjamin. Jacob had twelve sons in all, listed by wife in order of their birth (Genesis 35:23 - 26):

• The sons of Leah were Reuben (the first born), Simeon (2nd), Levi (3rd), Judah (4th), Issachar (9th), and Zebulun (10th).
• The sons of Rachel were Joseph (11th ) and Benjamin (the youngest).
• The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan (5th) and Naphtali (6th).
• The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad (7th) and Asher (8th).

Genesis 44:15 - Can Joseph Certianly Divine?

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?

Like Daniel, Joseph was appointed Chief Diviner; for he was found to have the Spirit of God (Daniel 4:9, 5:11; Genesis 41:38), not because he could find things out with a cup. Joseph gives the impression he used the cup found in Benjamin's sack as a cup of divination (Genesis 44:5) to enhance the cups value and, more importantly, to prompt the question: wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? If they couldn't believe Joseph's dreams, then how could they believe an Egyptian could use a cup to tell the future?

Genesis 43:30 - The Tears of Joseph

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's reunification produced many emotional tears of deep affection and compassion he had for his family. Tears of sorrow for sympathizing the suffering his family had to endure (Genesis 42:24; Genesis 45:2). And tears of joy for the blessing of having another chance to reunite with his family, especially with his brother Benjamin (Genesis 45:14), and his Father Jacob (Genesis 46:29).

Genesis 43:28 - The Evil Bow Before the Good

And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

The sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance (Genesis 37:9) because the upright shall have dominion (Psalm 49:14). God loves justice and will never forsake the righteous; eventually, evil will pay tribute to good (Proverbs 14:19).

Genesis 43:26 - Deja vu All Over Again

And 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.

Here, we see the dream about the sheaves come true (Genesis 37:7). The first deja vu was triggered when Joseph's brother bowed themselves down before him on their first visit (Genesis 42:6). However, this time all eleven brothers are bowed down just as his dream predicted.

Genesis 43:3 - Proof of Their Cowardliness

And 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.

Pharaoh did not say: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. Egypt was awaiting their return to settle their espionage case (Genesis 42:20). However, the brothers were ready to abandon Simeon and become fugitives of Egypt if Jacob refused to let Benjamin return.

Genesis 42:20 - Joseph's Do-or-Die Ultimatum

But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

Knowing that his brothers would soon need corn again, Joseph demanded to see Benjamin on their next visit. If they do not bring him, Joseph makes it clear that they shall not see his face and live (Genesis 43:5, Genesis 44:23), for they will be considered guilty of espionage.

Genesis 42:13 - An Inaccurate Account of Joseph

And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

The best lie contains some truth but not the whole truth. and one is not: It's true that Joseph was missing ( Genesis 37:30); but he was not presumed dead, as his brother tried to make it sound (Genesis 44:20).

Genesis 42:10 - Paying Homage to Joseph

And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

Does Joseph indeed reign over his brothers (Genesis 37:8)? my lord: Is an expression of respect and reverence to one who has dominion over the affairs of state. thy servants: Is an expression of submission to one in authority. Therefore the answer to the question is yes; for Joseph has the absolute dominion over all who are in need of corn, including his brothers.

Genesis 42:8 - Their Long Lost Brother

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

but they knew not him: Joseph was just a teenager when his brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:2). Now, 22 years later (Genesis 41:46; Genesis 45:6), Joseph is a full grown man and unrecognizable by his brothers.

Genesis 42:1 - The Wake-up Call

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

Why do ye look one upon another? Overwhelmed and sinking into despondency, Jacob's sons were looking to each other for answers, even upon hearing the good news that there was corn in Egypt. However, Jacob's faith remained grounded in the truth that God would not abandon His people in the midst of despair. So upon hearing the good news, Jacob knew immediately what to do; he sent his 10 sons to Egypt (Acts 7:12), for they were unable to act on their own accord.

Genesis 37:31 - The Object of Resentment

And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

This verse highlights the dangers of parental favoritism; the ostensive show of favoritism sometimes result in children filled with spite. Joseph's coat of many colors distinguished him as Jacob's favorite (Genesis 37:3). His brothers resented their father for making the coat so they used it out spite in convincing their father of Joseph's death.

Genesis 37:11 - Overwhelming Feelings of Reverence

And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Joseph's dream was too wonderful for his father to fathom. However, his father understood to power of dreams so his father observed the saying. Just like when the shepherds spread the word concerning what the angel had told them about baby Jesus; everyone was too amazed to believe Jesus was the Messiah, but Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:17-19).

Genesis 37:7-8 - Making dreams a reality.

For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

Joseph's brothers rightly interpreted his dream and became the agents of divine Providence. United in their hatred of him, they helped bring his dream into existence by selling him to the Midianite merchants, who took him to Egypt (Genesis 37:28). Not knowing that Joseph became the governor of Egypt, they made obeisance to him twice (Genesis 42:6; Genesis 44:14).