Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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more pitiable that he alone was left of his mother, and his brother was dead, namely, Joseph. Little did Judah think what a tender point he touched upon now. Judah knew that Joseph was sold, and therefore had reason enough to think that he was alive; at least he could not be sure that he was dead: but they had made their father believe he was dead; and now they had told that lie so long that they had forgotten the truth, and begun to believe the lie themselves.
21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I
may set mine eyes upon him.
22 And we said unto my lord, the lad cannot leave his father: for if he
should leave his father, his father would die.
23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, except your youngest brother
come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father,
we told him the words of my lord.
25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. 26 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.
He urged it very closely that Joseph had himself constrained them to bring Benjamin with them, had expressed a desire to see him (Ge 44:21), and had forbidden them his presence unless they brought Benjamin with them (Ge 44:23, 26), all which intimated that he designed him some kindness; and must he be brought with so much difficulty to the preferment of a perpetual slavery? Was he not brought to Egypt, in obedience, purely in obedience, to the command of Joseph? And would he not show him some mercy? Some observe that Jacob's sons, in reasoning with their father, had said, We will not go down unless Benjamin go with us (Ge 43:5); but that when Judah comes to relate the story he expresses it more decently: "We cannot go down with any expectation to speed well." Indecent words spoken in haste to our superiors should be recalled and amended.
27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare
me two sons: