THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Joseph inquired of them, "Why have you committed this act? Are you not aware that I have performed sorcery with it (the cup)?"
Genesis 44:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף מָֽה־הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם הֲל֣וֹא יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם כִּֽי־נַחֵ֧שׁ יְנַחֵ֛שׁ אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּמֹֽנִי׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Ephraem the Syrian
Joseph confronted them with indignation, echoing the sentiments of the Egyptians by asking, "Why do you act in such a manner? You once prided yourselves on being men of integrity, and during the grand feast we held in your honor, we declared your honesty to the Egyptians. Yet now, you have become the subject of ridicule among them, for you have appropriated the cup that signifies my wisdom before all the Egyptians. Are you unaware that there is no one as wise as I?" They could discern this from the fact that Joseph had struck the cup while arranging seating for everyone at the feast. But Joseph replied to them in anger, "Is this how you repay my kindness? For this reason, I elevated your status, only for you to take my cup, the one that represents the wisdom among men. Haven’t I informed you that you are not men of peace, but rather spies?"
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Gen 3:13And the Lord God said to the woman: Why hast thou done this? And she answered: The serpent deceived me, and I did eat.
- Gen 4:10And he said to him: What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth.
- Ex 32:1And the people seeing that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, gathering together against Aaron, said: Arise, make us gods, that may go before us: For as to this Moses, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has befallen him.
- Gen 39:8But he in no wise consenting to that wicked act said to her: Behold, my master hath delivered all things to me, and knoweth not what he hath in his own house:
- Gen 44:4And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way: Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?
- Gen 44:5The cup which you have stolen, is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.
- Gen 21:26And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: and thou didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till today.