Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 44:21
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
21. that I may upon him ] The phrase probably means something more than merely seeing Benjamin. It may indicate favourable protection, as in Psa 33:18; Psa 34:15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
i.e. See him with my own eyes, and thereby be satisfied of the truth of what you say. Compare Gen 42:15,16. Elsewhere this phrase signifies to show favour to a person, as Jer 39:12; 40:4. But though that was Josephs intention, as yet he was minded to conceal it from them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And thou saidst unto thy servants, bring him down unto me,…. Judah does not relate the reason of his order, which was to give proof that they were no spies, but as if Joseph designed to show favour to Benjamin, as undoubtedly he did:
that I may set mine eyes upon him; not barely see him, as Aben Ezra interprets it, though that would be, and was, very desirable by him, and agreeable to him; but he desired to set his eyes upon him, not only for his own pleasure, but for the good of Benjamin, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; he intimated that he should receive him kindly, show favour unto him, and use him well: the Septuagint version is, “and I will take care of him”: Joseph’s brethren had told him, that Benjamin was at home with their father, who they suggested was afraid to let him go with them, lest evil should befall him; wherefore to encourage him to let him go with them, Joseph promised to take care of him, that no hurt should be done to him, but he should be provided with everything that was proper and necessary; and this Judah improves into an argument with the governor in favour of Benjamin, that since he desired his coming, in order to show him a kindness, he hoped he would not detain him, and make a slave of him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
To “ set eyes upon him ” signifies, with a gracious intention, to show him good-will (as in Jer 39:12; Jer 40:4).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
“And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may set eyes on him.’ And we said to my lord, ‘The young man cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ And you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother come down with you, you will see my face no more.’ ”
This is an expansion on the words in Genesis 42 but we must recognise that more was said than was recorded there. The point is again to emphasis the importance of the young man to his father. Without realising it Judah is showing how much he has changed. Now his concern is not for himself but for his father, and he does not mind about his father’s favouritism.
“That I might set my eyes on him.” In other words that he may show him favour. Now he intends to show him anything but favour.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 44:21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
Ver. 21. See Trapp on “ Gen 44:19 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Bring: Gen 42:15, Gen 42:20, Gen 43:29
that I may: Jer 24:6, Jer 40:4, Amo 9:4