Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 44:2
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
2. the silver cup ] i.e. a well-known, or favourite, goblet. The word for “cup,” the same as in Exo 25:31, Jer 35:5 (where it is rendered “bowl”), seems to denote a vessel shaped like the calyx of a flower. LXX renders ; Lat. scyphum.
Observe that Joseph does not reveal his intention to the steward. He plays upon his brethren the same trick as in chap. 42; but brings matters to a point by associating Benjamin with the loss of the cup.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 2. Put my cup in the sack’s mouth of the youngest] The stratagem of the cup seems to have been designed to bring Joseph’s brethren into the highest state of perplexity and distress, that their deliverance by the discovery that Joseph was their brother might have its highest effect.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
It seems to have been a large cup, and of great price, and much used by Joseph.
In the sacks mouth of the youngest, with design to discover their intentions and affections towards Benjamin, whether they did envy him, and would desert him in his danger, as they did Joseph; or would cleave to him; that hence he might take his measures how to deal with him and them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. put my cup, the silver cup, inthe sack’s mouthIt was a large goblet, as the originaldenotes, highly valued by its owner, on account of its costlymaterial or its elegant finish and which had probably graced histable at the sumptuous entertainment of the previous day.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest,…. Benjamin; this he ordered to be done, partly to put him in apparent danger, and try how his brethren would behave towards him in such circumstances, and thereby know how they stood affected to him; and partly that he might have an excuse for retaining him with him. This cup was valuable both for the matter of it, being of silver, and for the use of it, being what Joseph himself drank out of: and by the word used to express it, it seems to have been a large embossed cup, a kind of goblet, for it has the signification of a little hill. Jarchi says it was a long cup, which they called “mederno”. The Septuagint render it by “condy”, which is said to be a Persian word, and a kind of an Attalic cup, that held ten cotylae g, or four or five quarts, and weighed ninety ounces; but a cup so large seems to be too large to drink out of:
and his corn money; what he had paid for his corn:
and he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken; put every man’s money in the mouth of his sack, and his silver cup with the corn money into Benjamin’s sack.
g Nicomachus de festis Aegypt. apud Athenaeum, l. 11. c. 7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. And put my cup, the silver cup. It may seem wonderful that, considering his great opulence, Joseph had not rather drunk out of a golden cup. Doubtless, either the moderation of that age was still greater than has since prevailed, and the splendor of it less sumptuous; or else this conduct must be attributed to the moderation of the man, who, in the midst of universal license, yet was contented with a plain and decent, rather than with a magnificent style of living. Unless, perhaps, on account of the excellence of the workmanship, the silver was more valuable than gold: as it is manifest from secular history, that the workmanship has often been more expensive than the material itself. It is, however, probable, that Joseph was sparing in domestic splendor, for the sake of avoiding envy. For unless he had been prudently on his guard, a contention would have arisen between him and the courtiers, resulting from a spirit of emulation. Moreover, he commands the cup to be enclosed in Benjamin’s sack, in order that he might claim him as his own, when convicted of the theft, and might send the rest away: however, he accuses all alike, as if he knew not who among them had committed the crime. And first, he reproves their ingratitude, because, when they had been so kindly received, they made the worst possible return; next, he contends that the crime was inexpiable, because they had stolen what was most valuable to him; namely, the cup in which he was accustomed both to drink and to divine. And he does this through his steward, whom he had not trained to acts of tyranny and violence. Whence I infer, that the steward was not altogether ignorant of his master’s design.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Gen 44:2. My cup See on Gen 44:5. Joseph ordered this cup to be privately put into Benjamin’s sack, in order to make a further trial of his brethren’s temper, and to see whether, moved with envy, they would give up Benjamin, or help him in his danger. But I cannot think, with some, that he really designed to have made this a pretence for detaining Benjamin; or that he could be ignorant of his father’s solicitous attachment to this his younger son.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Is not this cup an emblem of the cup of salvation? Doth not JESUS put it himself in the hands and hearts of his people? Psa 116:13 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 44:2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
Ver. 2. He did according to the word. ] Servus est nomen officii. A servant is not , one that moveth absolutely of himself, saith Aristotle; but the master’s instrument, and , wholly his. Such was this servant of Joseph; and such should we all be to God.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
cup. Hebrew. gebi’a, out of which wine was poured: distinguishing from the smaller cups from which it was drunk. Jer 35:5.
youngest. This was the fourth step to try them, and to prove whether they were the same brethren still, and would treat Benjamin as they had treated Joseph.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Gen 42:15, Gen 42:16, Gen 42:20, Gen 43:32, Deu 8:2, Deu 8:16, Deu 13:3, Mat 10:16, 2Co 8:8
Reciprocal: Gen 42:25 – commanded Gen 45:17 – lade your
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 44:2. Put my cup, the silver cup Probably a large cup of great value, and much used by Joseph; in the sacks mouth of the youngest Hereby, it seems, Joseph meant to try his brethrens affection to Benjamin, whether they would assist him in his extremity, and also their regard for their father, whether they would willingly give up and leave in confinement his favourite son. Had they hated Benjamin as they had Joseph, and been influenced by the same unfeeling disposition as they formerly were toward their father, they certainly would have discovered themselves on this occasion: and no doubt Joseph would have taken his measures in dealing with them accordingly.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
44:2 And {a} put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
(a) We may not use this example to justify any unlawful practices, seeing God has commanded us to walk in simplicity.