THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
After the meal had concluded, Joseph summoned his steward and instructed him to fill the sacks of these men with as much food as they could manage, placing each man's silver at the mouth of his sack.
Genesis 44:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.
וַיְצַ֞ו אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּיתוֹ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ מַלֵּ֞א אֶת־אַמְתְּחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֹ֔כֶל כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יוּכְל֖וּן שְׂאֵ֑ת וְשִׂ֥ים כֶּֽסֶף־אִ֖ישׁ בְּפִ֥י אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Ephraem the Syrian
In Benjamin's robe, a cup was placed, along with silver in the robes of all the others. He then instructed his steward to provide them with full bags of wheat at no cost, secretly placing his cup into Benjamin's bag. Shortly thereafter, he allowed them to depart joyfully.
Jerome of Stridon
Instruct the younger man to throw a pouch. The Hebrew version uses the term for a bag or wallet instead of pouch. Additionally, the word typically rendered as cup appears in Isaiah (Isaiah 51:17); in the translations of Akilah and Simmah, it is referred to as glass and phial, respectively.
Ignatij (Briantchaninow)
While this was happening, Joseph discreetly instructed his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, providing them more than they could handle. He also directed that each man’s money be placed in the sack above the grain.
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Gen 42:25And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he commanded his servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to put every man's money again in their sacks, and to give them besides provisions for the way: and they did so.
- Gen 43:16And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon.
- Isa 3:1For behold the sovereign Lord of hosts shall take away from Jerusalem, and from Juda the valiant and the strong, the whole strength of bread, and the whole strength of water.
- Gen 24:2And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was ruler over all he had: Put thy hand under my thigh,
- Gen 43:2And when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Go again, and buy us a little food.
- Gen 43:19Wherefore, going up to the steward of the house, at the door,