Joseph has ascended to power in Egypt. As Pharaoh's vizier, he deftly manages the kingdom's grain stores to survive the coming tribulations. Meanwhile his family back home in Canaan is beginning to feel the effects of the famine. Aware that Egypt has food, Jacob sends his all of his sons to Egypt except for Benjamin, who he treasures as Rachel's only remaining son (42:1-5). What follows is easily the best literature in Genesis. This is the first time where the contents of the Torah feel less like disjointed myth-mashing and more like a real novella, complete with such literary features as emotive, three-dimensional characters and dramatic irony.
Joseph Dwelleth in Egypt by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, ca. 1896-1902 CE
A Secret Identity & A Clever Ruse
When Joseph's brothers (sans Benjamin) arrive in Egypt in an effort to acquire food Joseph, who they fail to recognize, accuses them of being spies (42:6-12). Seeing that his only full-blood brother is missing from their party, Joseph is worried that his brothers have disposed of young Benjamin. Joseph's accusation establishes a pretense for a scheme to discover the fate of his younger brother. He initially demands that one brother return to Canaan to fetch Benjamin while the rest are held captive, but after imprisoning them for three days he changes his mind, holding only one as ransom (42:16-19). In the Elohist passages (42:21-25) the brothers acknowledge that this curse has fallen upon them as a punishment for their mistreatment of Joseph, and Reuben reminds them of how he tried to stay their hand. Here Joseph becomes overwhelmed with emotion, and must hide his tears from his brothers in order to maintain the ruse.
They did not know that Joseph understood, because there was an interpreter between them. He turned away from them and wept. When he was able to speak to them again, he chose Simeon out of their number and had him bound while they looked on.-Genesis 42:23-24 (NJB)
Biblical Illustration of Book of Genesis Chapter 45 by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Sweet Publishing, 1984 CE
Throughout this story the reader can truly sympathize with Joseph as he hides his identity from his brothers. He maintains the façade well, but the deception tears him up as he longs to embrace his brothers. But he knows he must see his plot through in order to learn if Benjamin yet lives. This is the first time any character in Genesis really expresses genuine emotions. Even during the binding of Isaac (Genesis 22) we never read about Abraham's doubts, internal struggle, or relief when he is let off the hook. He just obeys like a psychopath. Events just occur in sequence with little regard for the characters. But here Joseph and his brothers are more fleshed out. They have hidden knowledge and motivations, emotional struggles, hopes, regrets, fears, etc. The Joseph Cycle reads like actual literature.
Joseph sends the brothers not named Simeon back to Jacob with sacks of grain, but he also hides the brothers' money (which was used to purchase the grain) in their sacks (42:25-26). It appears that this might be to serve two purposes: first to simply advantage his own family, and second to test his brothers' morality. The brothers are mortified to find the money, assuming that the Egyptians will accuse them of theft (42:27-28). When they return to Jacob/Israel and inform them of the ultimatum from Egypt Jacob refuses to send them back with Benjamin (42:29-36). Feeling as though he has already lost Joseph and now Simeon, he desperately clings to his youngest son. In an E passage, Reuben (the righteous brother in the Elohist's eyes) offers a guarantee of Benjamin's safety, promising to let Jacob murder his two sons if Benjamin comes to harm on the journey (42:37-38). Father of the year material.
Eventually Israel's household runs out of food again (it's a long famine, you know) and Israel asks his sons to return to Egypt for more food (43:1-2). Of course they refuse to go without taking Benjamin along (43:3-5). This time, in a J passage, it is Judah who personally ensures Benjamin's safety. A more loving father than Reuben apparently, Judah simply offers to bear the blame his entire life rather than have his sons murdered (43:8-10). Good on you, Judah.
Anyway, Jacob eventually acquiesces and when the brothers arrive in Egypt with Benjamin in tow Joseph prepares a feast for them (43:11-17). The brothers fear they are in it deep because of the missing money, and so have brought with them the original sum and then some to purchase additional food, apologizing and explaining that they don't know how the money got into their sacks (43:18-22). Joseph responds by claiming it is a miracle:
He replied, "Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money."- Genesis 43:23
I never expected to see an example of a false miracle claim in the Bible. Look how easy it is!
When the dinner begins Joseph immediately inquires after his father, and then is struck when he sees Benjamin:
Then he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!" With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went to a private room and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, "Serve the meal."- Genesis 43:29-31
I know I'm repeating myself, but this is actually a compelling story with a coherent plot. I like it.
The Benjamin Test
Following the dinner, Joseph performs some more trickery in order to threaten enslaving Benjamin as a final test for his brothers (44:1-17). The brothers now face a real dilemma. Will they betray and abandon Benjamin as they did with Joseph before or have they truly changed for the better? Out of great love and concern for their father Jacob, Judah (paragon of the Yahwist) pulls a Katniss, offering to stay as Joseph's slave in place of Benjamin.
When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol... Now therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord in place of the boy; and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the suffering that would come upon my father."- Genesis 44:31, 33-34
The Hunger Games, Lionsgate Films, 2012 CE
What heroism! And unlike if Reuben were to have fulfilled his promise from the E source, Judah is not motivated to sacrifice himself in order to save his children. Such secondary motivation would have lessened the nobility of the act. This is some real self-sacrificial love going on.
One other note from this part of the story is some fun with the contrasting language of "going up" (to Canaan, to Jacob) and "going down" (to Egypt, to Sheol) which play off each other throughout the episode. Note, I am not so observant to have caught this, the Harper Collins Study Bible makes note of it. I just found it fascinating and so should you!
Revelation & Reunion
Then Joseph could not control his feelings in front of all his retainers, and he exclaimed, "Let everyone leave me." No one therefore was present with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers, but he wept so loudly that all the Egyptians heard, and the news reached Pharaoh's palace.- Genesis 45:1-2 (NJB)
Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers by Peter von Cornelius, 1816 CE
Upon Judah's passing of Joseph's test, he can no longer keep up the deception. At first his brothers fear retribution, but he comforts them and explains that their wicked deed was used for good by their god (45:5-8). Joseph and his brothers are reconciled, there is a lot of hugging and crying, and plans are made to bring the household of Israel into Egypt to survive the famine (45:9-13). Pharaoh gives them the okay and promises to allow them settle in the land of Goshen (45:16-20). Joseph equips his brothers with as many riches and provisions as they can carry, and they deliver the news to Jacob (45:21-26).
But he was as one stunned, for he did not believe them. However, when they told him all Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to fetch him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived, and Israel said, "That is enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I must go and see him before I die."-Genesis 45:26b-28
Jacob sets off for Egypt with his family and possessions, making a pitstop at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to his god, who repeats his promise to Abraham and Isaac to make a great nation out of this family (46:1-4). (This is actually the only time in the Joseph Cycle where god appears to do or say anything. Every other event has come about from the actions of human agents. Maybe this is partially why this story is more compelling than the rest of Genesis) A long list of names interrupts Upon arriving in Egypt the family caravan is greeted by Judah, then by Joseph in Goshen.
Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as he appeared he threw his arms round his neck and for a long time wept on his shoulder. Israel said to Joseph, "Now I can die, now that I have seen you in person and seen you still alive."- Genesis 46:29-30
Wrapping it Up
From here we have some priestly descendants lists (46:8-27), some nonsense about shepherds and how Egyptians don't like them (46:28-34), another version of Pharaoh letting the Hebrews settle in Goshen (47:1-12), and some mythmaking about why everyone in Egypt was a serf to the Pharaoh and why Egyptian taxes work the way they do (47:13-26), until we eventually get to Jacob adopting and blessing Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (48:1-12). Jacob making Ephraim and Manasseh his own sons (thereby doubling Joseph's inheritance relative to his brothers') serves as an explanation for why there is no "Tribe of Joseph" among the 12 (or 13?) Tribes of Israel. As has become standard, there is a reversal of expectations with the younger (Ephraim) once again being blessed above and beyond the elder (Manasseh) by way of the ol' right hand-left hand switcheroo from Jacob (48:13-22). Don't forget, Grandpa Israel is still the trickster in these stories.
Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh by Benjamin West, ca. 1766-68 CE
In Chapter 49 Jacob blesses and curses his sons, providing historical and theological justification for the fortunes of the tribes at the time of writing. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi are cursed for their transgressions, while other sons are provided simple "prophetic" descriptions of where the tribes live or what their common occupations are. However, the namesakes of the most powerful and influential tribes in 1st millennium BCE Canaan, Judah and Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) are blessed and prophesied glorious futures.
Having doled out prophetic blessings and curses to his children, Jacob can now go on to face Sheol. He makes his children promise to bury him in the land of his ancestors (49:29-33). Jacob is embalmed in Egyptian tradition, and a massive caravan accompanies the family to the funeral service in Canaan (50:1-14).
We then get the E version of Joseph's brothers worrying about retribution from Joseph (the pretense in this version being that Jacob is now dead) and the explanation from Joseph that their evil was used for good by their god (50:15-21). The epilogue to the story tells of Joseph's death in Egypt and the promise his sons make to him to return his bones to their homeland in Canaan (50:22-26).
And with the death of Joseph we reach the end of Genesis.
Psalm 24
This psalm of praise and glorification revisits some familiar themes. First in verses 1-2 we have reference to the waters of the abyss from the priestly creation account in Genesis 1. Verse 3 asks who is worthy to visit Yahweh on his holy mountain, and verse 4 answers that it is the pure of hands and heart, the modest and honest. Harper Collins notes that verses 7 through 10 might be referring to the ark of the covenant entering Jerusalem through the city gates:
Lift up your heads, O gates!and be lifted up, O ancient doors!that the King of glory may come in.Who is the King of glory?Yahweh, strong and mighty,Yahweh, mighty in battle.Lift up your heads, O gates!and be lifted up, O ancient doors!that the King of glory may come in.Who is this King of glory?Yahweh Sabaoth,he is the King of glory.
Neat psalm.
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