Genesis 43:11

_AND THEIR FATHER ISRAEL SAID UNTO THEM, IF IT MUST BE SO NOW, DO THIS; TAKE OF THE BEST FRUITS IN THE LAND IN YOUR VESSELS, AND CARRY DOWN THE MAN A PRESENT, A LITTLE BALM, AND A LITTLE HONEY, SPICES, AND MYRRH, NUTS, AND ALMONDS:_ Take of the best fruits ... a present, х_ MIZIMRAT_ (H2173) _ HAA'AARETS_ (H776)] - literally, of the song of the land. It is an Oriental practice never to approach a man of power without a present, and Jacob might remember how he pacified his brother (Proverbs 21:14). BALM ... SPICES, AND MYRRH - (Genesis 37:25.) HONEY, х_ DªBASH_ (H1706)] - which some think was dibs, a syrup made from rip

11._Take of the best fruits _(167) Though the fruits which Moses enumerates were, for the most part, not very precious, because the condition of holy Jacob was not such that he could send any royal present; yet, according to his slender ability, he wished to appease Joseph. Besides we know that fruits are not always estimated according to their cost. And now, having commanded his sons to do what he thought necessary, he has recourse to prayer, that God would give them favor with the governor of Egypt. We must attend to both these points whenever we are perplexed in any business; for we must not omit any of those things which are expedient, or which may seem to be of use; and yet we must place our reliance upon God. For the tranquillity of faith has no affinity with indolence: but he who expects a prosperous issue of his affairs from the Lord, will, at the same time, look closely to the m...

1-14 Jacob urges his sons to go and buy a little food; now, in time of dearth, a little must suffice. Judah urges that Benjamin should go with them. It is not against the honour and duty children owe their parents, humbly to advise them, and when needful, to reason with them. Jacob saw the necessity of the case, and yielded. His prudence and justice appeared in three things. 1. He sent back the money they had found in the sack. Honesty obliges us to restore not only that which comes to us by our own fault, but that which comes to us by the mistakes of others. Though we get it by oversight, if we keep it when the oversight is discovered, it is kept by deceit. 2. He sent as much again as they took the time before; the price of corn might be risen, or they might have to pay a ransom for Simeon. 3. He sent a present of such things as the land afforded, and as were scarce in Egypt, balm, and...

Verse Genesis 43:11. _CARRY DOWN THE MAN A PRESENT_] From the very earliest times _presents_ were used as means of introduction to great men. This is particularly noticed by Solomon: _A man's gift maketh room_ _for him, and bringeth him before great men_, Proverbs 18:16. But what was the present brought to Joseph on this occasion? After all the labour of commentators, we are obliged to be contented with probabilities and conjecture. According to our translation, the gifts were _balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts_, and _almonds_. _BALM_] צרי _tsori_ is supposed to signify _resin_ in general, or some kind of gum issuing from trees. _HONEY_] דבש _debash_ has been supposed to be the same as the rob

- Joseph and His Eleven Brethren 11. דבשׁ _d__e__bash_, “honey,” from the bee, or sirup from the juice of the grape. בטנים _bôṭ__e__n_, “pistachio nuts.” שׁקד _shâqêd_, “almond tree;” related: “awake.” The tree is also called לוּז _lûz_. Some refer the former to the fruit, the latter to the tree. The eleven brothers are now to bow down before Joseph. Genesis 43:1 The famine was severe. The pressure began to be felt more and more. The twelve households had at length consumed all the corn they had purchased, and the famine still pressed heavily upon them. Jacob directs them

EXPOSITION GENESIS 43:1, GENESIS 43:2 AND THE FAMINE WAS SORE (literally, _was heavy_)_ _IN THE LAND (_sc_._ _of Canaan). AND IT CAME TO PASS, when they had eaten up—literally, _had finished to eat up, i.e._ not nearly (Mercerus, Bush), but entirely consumed—THE CORN WHICH THEY HAD BROUGHT OUT OF EGYPT,—it is probable that only Jacob's family partook of the Egyptian corn, the slaves supporting themselves on roots, vegetables, and milk (Calvin, Rosenmüller, Gerlach)—THEIR FATHER SAID UNTO THEM, GO AGAIN, BUY US A LITTLE FOOD. What they could buy would be little in proportion to their needs....

AND THEIR FATHER SAID UNTO THEM,.... Being in some measure convinced by their reasonings, and in part at least reconciled to let Benjamin go with them, there being nothing to be done, he perceived, unless he consented to it: IF [IT MUST BE] SO NOW, DO THIS; if nothing else will do but Benjamin must go, which after all he was reluctant to, then he advises them to do as follows: TAKE OF THE BEST FRUITS IN THE LAND IN YOUR VESSELS; such as were the peculiar produce of the land of Canaan, and the best of it; for which it was most famous, and praised, as the word used signifies; these Jacob advises to take and put into their sacks they carried to bring back their corn in: AND CARRY DOWN THE MAN A PRESENT; the great man and governor of Egypt, whose name was not known, little thinking it was his son Joseph; this he proposed to be done, in order to procure his friendship, that he might carry...

CHAPTER 43 THE SECOND VISIT TO JOSEPH _ 1. The journey to Egypt with Benjamin (Genesis 43:1)_ 2. The kindness of Joseph (Genesis 43:16)...

GENESIS 43. THE BROTHERS RETURN TO EGYPT WITH BENJAMIN. It is generally held that this chapter is from J except for the references to Simeon in Genesis 43:14 and Genesis 43:23_ b_. According to J, Simeon seems to have played no special part, and there is not the same urgency for return as in E; the discussion as to Benjamin is postponed till the corn is spent. Genesis 42:38 perhaps originally stood after Genesis 43:2. In the conversation Judah takes the part taken by Reuben in E (as in the discussion as to the killing of Joseph), and we learn that Joseph had ascertained Benjamin's existence by inquiry. Arrived in Egypt, they are tak

The Return to Egypt 2. _Go again_ That Jacob seems to forget about Simeon, is due to the change from the E to the J narrative....