Disguise
(2-minute read)
In the midst of a relentless famine, the land of Canaan lay desolate while Egypt thrived under Joseph’s foresight. As hunger clawed at the hearts of Jacob’s sons, they turned to their father in desperation, pleading for sustenance to stave off starvation. Stricken by grief, Jacob made the heart-wrenching decision to send them back to Egypt, their last hope resting on the mysterious ruler who held the key to their survival. With a heavy heart, he reluctantly permitted the youngest, Benjamin, to accompany them, praying fervently for their safety as they journeyed toward an uncertain fate.
In a tense twist of fate, Joseph summoned his brothers to dine with him, igniting a storm of fear and apprehension in their hearts. Conflicted by his emotions, Joseph observed their offerings and pleas while secretly wrestling with the bond of brotherhood that remained unbroken. The atmosphere crackled with tension as he arranged them by birth order, his piercing gaze hinting at the depths of their shared history. Meanwhile, Benjamin sat at his side, showered with gifts that left their brothers in awe, as tales of Joseph’s life echoed in the shadows of their past.
As Benjamin marveled at an ancient map of stars, a revelation struck him—he recognized the regal figure beside him as Joseph, the brother they thought lost forever. In a hushed tone, Joseph urged Benjamin to keep his identity a secret while devising a poignant test for their brothers, eager to gauge their repentance for past wrongs. With hearts heavy yet hopeful, they shared one final meal together, preparing to face the trials ahead, their bonds reforged and their destinies intertwined in a dramatic resurgence of family and faith.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
GENESIS
34%
JASHER
57%
JUBILEES
9%
Exposition
J: 46 | Y: 2243 | After the corn was finished Jacob sends his sons to Egypt
Genesis 43:1-2, Jasher 52:7-10, Jubilees 42:13-15
Rising Action
Judah reminds Jacob that they must send Benjamin too
Genesis 43:3-10, Jasher 52:11-21, Jubilees 42:19
Jacob agrees to let Benjamin go
Genesis 43:11-14, Jasher 52:22-25, Jubilees 42:20
Jacob prays to YHWH
Jasher 52:26-27
Jacob writes a letter to the king of Egypt
Jasher 52:28-42
The sons of Jacob go to Egypt
Genesis 43:15, Jasher 53:1
Climax
Joseph sees Benjamin and has his servants prepare a lunch
Genesis 43:16, Jasher 53:2-3
The brothers fear Joseph because of the money they found in their sacks
Genesis 43:17-22
Joseph reassures them and then brings out Simeon
Genesis 43:23, Jasher 53:4-5, Jubilees 42:22a
The brothers and their animals are taken care of
Genesis 43:24
Benjamin is presented before Joseph
Genesis 43:25-26, Jasher 53:6, Jubilees 42:22b
Joseph asks about the welfare of Jacob
Genesis 43:27-28, Jasher 53:7
Joseph reads the letter from Jacob and weeps
Jasher 53:8
Joseph speaks to Benjamin
Genesis 43:29, Jasher 53:9, Jubilees 42:21
Joseph excuses himself to weep and then composes himself
Genesis 43:30-31, Jasher 53:10
The Egyptians eat separately from the Hebrews
Genesis 43:32
Joseph strikes his silver cup and requests that the brothers sit according to their birth order
Genesis 43:33, Jasher 53:11-13
Falling Action
The meal begins and Benjamin gets shown favoritism
Genesis 43:34, Jasher 53:14, Jubilees 42:23
Wine is brought out
Jasher 53:15-16
Joseph asks Benjamin about his family
Jasher 53:17
Joseph asks Benjamin to interpret a map to find Joseph
Jasher 53:18-19
Resolution
Benjamin learns that Joseph is sitting next to him
Jasher 53:20-22, Jubilees 42:24
Jubilee: 46
Year: 2243
After the corn was finished Jacob sends his sons to EgyptI
Genesis 43:1
1 And the famine was sore in the land.
Jasher 52:7
7 And in those days the famine was sore throughout the land, and all the people of the earth went and came to Egypt to buy food, for the famine prevailed greatly amongst them, and the sons of Jacob remained in Canaan a year and two months until their corn was finished.
Jubilees 42:13
13 And the famine increased and became sore in the land of Canaan, and in all lands save in the land of Egypt, for many of the children of the Egyptians had stored up their seed for food from the time when they saw Joseph gathering seed together and putting it in storehouses and preserving it for the years of famine.
Jubilees 42:14
14 And the people of Egypt fed themselves thereon during the first year of their famine.
Genesis 43:2
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
Jasher 52:8-10
8 And it came to pass after their corn was finished, the whole household of Jacob was pinched with hunger, and all the infants of the sons of Jacob came together and they approached Jacob, and they all surrounded him, and they said unto him, Give unto us bread, and wherefore shall we all perish through hunger in thy presence?
9 Jacob heard the words of his son’s children, and he wept a great weeping, and his pity was roused for them, and Jacob called unto his sons and they all came and sat before him.
10 And Jacob said unto them, And have you not seen how your children have been weeping over me this day, saying, Give unto us bread, and there is none? now therefore return and buy for us a little food.
Jubilees 42:15
15 But when Israel saw that the famine was very sore in the land, and that there was no deliverance, he said unto his sons: ‘Go again, and procure food for us that we die not.’
Judah reminds Jacob that they must send Benjamin too
Genesis 43:3-5
3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
Jasher 52:11
11 And Judah answered and said unto his father, If thou wilt send our brother with us we will go down and buy corn for thee, and if thou wilt not send him then we will not go down, for surely the king of Egypt particularly enjoined us, saying, You shall not see my face unless your brother be with you, for the king of Egypt is a strong and mighty king, and behold if we shall go to him without our brother we shall all be put to death.
Jubilees 42:16
16 And they said: ‘We shall not go; unless our youngest brother go with us, we shall not go.’
Jasher 52:12-18a
12 Dost thou not know and hast thou not heard that this king is very powerful and wise, and there is not like unto him in all the earth? behold we have seen all the kings of the earth and we have not seen one like that king, the king of Egypt; surely amongst all the kings of the earth there is none greater than Abimelech king of the Philistines, yet the king of Egypt is greater and mightier than he, and Abimelech can only be compared to one of his officers.
13 Father, thou hast not seen his palace and his throne, and all his servants standing before him; thou hast not seen that king upon his throne in his pomp and royal appearance, dressed in his kingly robes with a large golden crown upon his head; thou hast not seen the honor and glory which God has given unto him, for there is not like unto him in all the earth.
14 Father, thou hast not seen the wisdom, the understanding and the knowledge which God has given in his heart, nor heard his sweet voice when he spake unto us.
15 We know not, father, who made him acquainted with our names and all that befell us, yet he asked also after thee, saying, Is your father still living, and is it well with him?
16 Thou hast not seen the affairs of the government of Egypt regulated by him, without inquiring of Pharaoh his lord; thou hast not seen the awe and fear which he impressed upon all the Egyptians.
17 And also when we went from him, we threatened to do unto Egypt like unto the rest of the cities of the Amorites, and we were exceedingly wroth against all his words which he spoke concerning us as spies, and now when we shall again come before him his terror will fall upon us all, and not one of us will be able to speak to him either a little or a great thing.
18a Now therefore father, send we pray thee the lad with us, and we will go down and buy thee food for our support, and not die through hunger.
Genesis 43:6
6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
Jasher 52:18b
18b And Jacob said, Why have you dealt so ill with me to tell the king you had a brother? what is this thing that you have done unto me?
Genesis 43:7
7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
Jubilees 42:17-18
17 And Israel saw that if he did not send him with them, they should all perish by reason of the famine.
18 And Reuben said: ‘Give him into my hand, and if I do not bring him back to thee, slay my two sons instead of his soul.’
Genesis 43:8-9
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
Jasher 52:19
19 And Judah said unto Jacob his father, Give the lad into my care and we will rise up and go down to Egypt and buy corn, and then return, and it shall be when we return if the lad be not with us, then let me bear thy blame forever.
Jubilees 42:19
19 And he said unto him: ‘He shall not go with thee.’ And Judah came near and said: ‘Send him with me, and if I do not bring him back to thee, let me bear the blame before thee all the days of my life.’
Jasher 52:20
20 Hast thou seen all our infants weeping over thee through hunger and there is no power in thy hand to satisfy them? now let thy pity be roused for them and send our brother with us and we will go.
Genesis 43:10
10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
Jasher 52:21
21 For how will the Lord’s kindness to our ancestors be manifested to thee when thou sayest that the king of Egypt will take away thy son? as the Lord liveth I will not leave him until I bring him and place him before thee; but pray for us unto the Lord, that he may deal kindly with us, to cause us to be received favorably and kindly before the king of Egypt and his men, for had we not delayed surely now we had returned a second time with thy son.
Jacob agrees to let Benjamin go
Jasher 52:22
22 And Jacob said unto his sons, I trust in the Lord God that he may deliver you and give you favor in the sight of the king of Egypt, and in the sight of all his men.
Genesis 43:11
11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
Jubilees 42:20
20 And he sent him with them in the second year of this week on the [2172 A.m.] first day of the month, and they came to the land of Egypt with all those who went, and (they had) presents in their hands, stacte and almonds and terebinth nuts and pure honey.
Genesis 43:12
12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
Genesis 43:13-14
13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
Jasher 52:23
23 Now therefore rise up and go to the man, and take for him in your hands a present from what can be obtained in the land and bring it before him, and may the Almighty God give you mercy before him that he may send Benjamin and Simeon your brethren with you.
Jasher 52:24-25
24 And all the men rose up, and they took their brother Benjamin, and they took in their hands a large present of the best of the land, and they also took a double portion of silver.
25 And Jacob strictly commanded his sons concerning Benjamin, Saying, Take heed of him in the way in which you are going, and do not separate yourselves from him in the road, neither in Egypt.
Jacob prays to YHWH
Jasher 52:26-27
26 And Jacob rose up from his sons and spread forth his hands and he prayed unto the Lord on account of his sons, saying, O Lord God of heaven and earth, remember thy covenant with our father Abraham, remember it with my father Isaac and deal kindly with my sons and deliver them not into the hands of the king of Egypt; do it I pray thee O God for the sake of thy mercies and redeem all my children and rescue them from Egyptian power, and send them their two brothers.
27 And all the wives of the sons of Jacob and their children lifted up their eyes to heaven and they all wept before the Lord, and cried unto him to deliver their fathers from the hand of the king of Egypt.
Jacob writes a letter to the king of Egypt
Jasher 52:28-42
28 And Jacob wrote a record to the king of Egypt and gave it into the hand of Judah and into the hands of his sons for the king of Egypt, saying,
29 From thy servant Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham the Hebrew, the prince of God, to the powerful and wise king, the revealer of secrets, king of Egypt, greeting.
30 Be it known to my lord the king of Egypt, the famine was sore upon us in the land of Canaan, and I sent my sons to thee to buy us a little food from thee for our support.
31 For my sons surrounded me and I being very old cannot see with my eyes, for my eyes have become very heavy through age, as well as with daily weeping for my son, for Joseph who was lost from before me, and I commanded my sons that they should not enter the gates of the city when they came to Egypt, on account of the inhabitants of the land.
32 And I also commanded them to go about Egypt to seek for my son Joseph, perhaps they might find him there, and they did so, and thou didst consider them as spies of the land.
33 Have we not heard concerning thee that thou didst interpret Pharaoh’s dream and didst speak truly unto him? how then dost thou not know in thy wisdom whether my sons are spies or not?
34 Now therefore, my lord and king, behold I have sent my son before thee, as thou didst speak unto my sons; I beseech thee to put thy eyes upon him until he is returned to me in peace with his brethren.
35 For dost thou not know, or hast thou not heard that which our God did unto Pharaoh when he took my mother Sarah, and what he did unto Abimelech king of the Philistines on account of her, and also what our father Abraham did unto the nine kings of Elam, how he smote them all with a few men that were with him?
36 And also what my two sons Simeon and Levi did unto the eight cities of the Amorites, how they destroyed them on account of their sister Dinah?
37 And also on account of their brother Benjamin they consoled themselves for the loss of his brother Joseph; what will they then do for him when they see the hand of any people prevailing over them, for his sake?
38 Dost thou not know, O king of Egypt, that the power of God is with us, and that also God ever heareth our prayers and forsaketh us not all the days?
39 And when my sons told me of thy dealings with them, I called not unto the Lord on account of thee, for then thou wouldst have perished with thy men before my son Benjamin came before thee, but I thought that as Simeon my son was in thy house, perhaps thou mightest deal kindly with him, therefore I did not this thing unto thee.
40 Now therefore behold Benjamin my son cometh unto thee with my sons, take heed of him and put thy eyes upon him, and then will God place his eyes over thee and throughout thy kingdom.
41 Now I have told thee all that is in my heart, and behold my sons are coming to thee with their brother, examine the face of the whole earth for their sake and send them back in peace with their brethren.
42 And Jacob gave the record to his sons into the care of Judah to give it unto the king of Egypt.
The sons of Jacob go to Egypt
Genesis 43:15
15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
Jasher 53:1
1 And the sons of Jacob rose up and took Benjamin and the whole of the presents, and they went and came to Egypt and they stood before Joseph.
Joseph sees Benjamin and has his servants prepare a lunch
Genesis 43:16
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
Jasher 53:2-3
2 And Joseph beheld his brother Benjamin with them and he saluted them, and these men came to Joseph’s house.
3 And Joseph commanded the superintendent of his house to give to his brethren to eat, and he did so unto them.
The brothers fear Joseph because of the money they found in their sacks
Genesis 43:17-22
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
Joseph reassures them and then brings out Simeon
Genesis 43:23
23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
Jasher 53:4
4 And at noon time Joseph sent for the men to come before him with Benjamin, and the men told the superintendent of Joseph’s house concerning the silver that was returned in their sacks, and he said unto them, It will be well with you, fear not, and he brought their brother Simeon unto them.
Jubilees 42:22a
22a And he sent him into his house and he brought forth Simeon unto them and he made a feast for them,
Jasher 53:5
5 And Simeon said unto his brethren, The lord of the Egyptians has acted very kindly unto me, he did not keep me bound, as you saw with your eyes, for when you went out from the city he let me free and dealt kindly with me in his house.
The brothers and their animals are taken care of
Genesis 43:24
24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
Benjamin is presented before Joseph
Genesis 43:25
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
Jubilees 42:22b
22b and they presented to him the gift which they had brought in their hands.
Genesis 43:26
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
Jasher 53:6
6 And Judah took Benjamin by the hand, and they came before Joseph, and they bowed down to him to the ground.
Joseph asks about the welfare of Jacob
Genesis 43:27-28
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
Jasher 53:7
7 And the men gave the present unto Joseph and they all sat before him, and Joseph said unto them, Is it well with you, is it well with your children, is it well with your aged father? and they said, It is well, and Judah took the record which Jacob had sent and gave it into the hand of Joseph.
Joseph reads the letter from Jacob and weeps
Jasher 53:8
8 And Joseph read the letter and knew his father’s writing, and he wished to weep and he went into an inner room and he wept a great weeping; and he went out.
Joseph speaks to Benjamin
Genesis 43:29
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
Jasher 53:9
9 And he lifted up his eyes and beheld his brother Benjamin, and he said, Is this your brother of whom you spoke unto me? And Benjamin approached Joseph, and Joseph placed his hand upon his head and he said unto him, May God be gracious unto thee my son.
Jubilees 42:21
21 And they went and stood before Joseph, and he saw Benjamin his brother, and he knew him, and said unto them: Is this your youngest brother?’ And they said unto him: ‘It is he.’ And he said The Lord be gracious to thee, my son!’
Joseph excuses himself to weep and then composes himself
Genesis 43:30-31
30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
Jasher 53:10
10 And when Joseph saw his brother, the son of his mother, he again wished to weep, and he entered the chamber, and he wept there, and he washed his face, and went out and refrained from weeping, and he said, Prepare food.
The Egyptians eat separately from the Hebrews
Genesis 43:32
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Joseph strikes his silver cup and requests that the brothers sit according to their birth order
Jasher 53:11-12
11 And Joseph had a cup from which he drank, and it was of silver beautifully inlaid with onyx stones and bdellium, and Joseph struck the cup in the sight of his brethren whilst they were sitting to eat with him.
12 And Joseph said unto the men, I know by this cup that Reuben the first born, Simeon and Levi and Judah, Issachar and Zebulun are children from one mother, seat yourselves to eat according to your births.
Genesis 43:33
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
Jasher 53:13
13 And he also placed the others according to their births, and he said, I know that this your youngest brother has no brother, and I, like him, have no brother, he shall therefore sit down to eat with me.
The meal begins and Benjamin gets shown favoritismii
Genesis 43:34
34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of their’s. And they drank, and were merry with him.
Jasher 53:14
14 And Benjamin went up before Joseph and sat upon the throne, and the men beheld the acts of Joseph, and they were astonished at them; and the men ate and drank at that time with Joseph, and he then gave presents unto them, and Joseph gave one gift unto Benjamin, and Manasseh and Ephraim saw the acts of their father, and they also gave presents unto him, and Osnath gave him one present, and they were five presents in the hand of Benjamin.
Jubilees 42:23
23 And they eat before him and he gave them all a portion, but the portion of Benjamin was seven times larger than that of any of theirs.
Wine is brought out
Jasher 53:15-16
15 And Joseph brought them out wine to drink, and they would not drink, and they said, From the day on which Joseph was lost we have not drunk wine, nor eaten any delicacies.
16 And Joseph swore unto them, and he pressed them hard, and they drank plentifully with him on that day, and Joseph afterward turned to his brother Benjamin to speak with him, and Benjamin was still sitting upon the throne before Joseph.
Joseph asks Benjamin about his family
Jasher 53:17
17 And Joseph said unto him, Hast thou begotten any children? and he said, Thy servant has ten sons, and these are their names, Bela, Becher, Ashbal, Gera, Naaman, Achi, Rosh, Mupim, Chupim, and Ord, and I called their names after my brother whom I have not seen.
Joseph asks Benjamin to interpret a map to find Joseph
Jasher 53:18-19
18 And he ordered them to bring before him his map of the stars, whereby Joseph knew all the times, and Joseph said unto Benjamin, I have heard that the Hebrews are acquainted with all wisdom, dost thou know anything of this?
19 And Benjamin said, Thy servant is knowing also in all the wisdom which my father taught me, and Joseph said unto Benjamin, Look now at this instrument and understand where thy brother Joseph is in Egypt, who you said went down to Egypt.
Benjamin learns that Joseph is sitting next to him
Jasher 53:20-22
20 And Benjamin beheld that instrument with the map of the stars of heaven, and he was wise and looked therein to know where his brother was, and Benjamin divided the whole land of Egypt into four divisions, and he found that he who was sitting upon the throne before him was his brother Joseph, and Benjamin wondered greatly, and when Joseph saw that his brother Benjamin was so much astonished, he said unto Benjamin, What hast thou seen, and why art thou astonished?
21 And Benjamin said unto Joseph, I can see by this that Joseph my brother sitteth here with me upon the throne, and Joseph said unto him, I am Joseph thy brother, reveal not this thing unto thy brethren; behold I will send thee with them when they go away, and I will command them to be brought back again into the city, and I will take thee away from them.
22 And if they dare their lives and fight for thee, then shall I know that they have repented of what they did unto me, and I will make myself known to them, and if they forsake thee when I take thee, then shalt thou remain with me, and I will wrangle with them, and they shall go away, and I will not become known to them.
Jubilees 42:24
24 And they eat and drank and arose and remained with their asses.
i. Genesis 45:6, Jubilees 43:17, and Jubilees 42:20 state that it’s year 2 of the famine which aligns with Jasher 52:7 of 14 months.
ii. There is a slight difference between Genesis and Jubilees in how much food is given to Benjamin.
(28-minute read)
Exposition
J: 46 | Y: 2243 | After the corn was finished Jacob sends his sons to Egypt
Genesis 43:1-2, Jasher 52:7-10, Jubilees 42:13-15
The famine grew worse in the land of Canaan and spread to all the surrounding lands, except for Egypt. Many Egyptians had stored up grain for food after they saw Joseph collecting and storing it in preparation for the famine. People from all over the earth came to Egypt to buy food because the famine was severe everywhere else. Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons stayed in Canaan for 14 months until they ran out of corn. The Egyptians were able to live off their stored food during the 1st year of the famine.
When Jacob’s household finished their supply, everyone there became desperate from hunger. All the children of Jacob’s sons gathered together, approached Jacob, surrounded him, and pleaded, “Give us bread. Why should we all starve in front of you?”
Hearing the children’s words, Jacob broke down in tears, deeply moved with compassion for them. He called his sons, and they all came and sat around him. Jacob said, “Don’t you see how your children are crying before me today, begging for bread, and there’s none to give them? Go back and buy us a little food.”
Rising Action
Judah reminds Jacob that they must send Benjamin too
Genesis 43:3-10, Jasher 52:11-21, Jubilees 42:19
Judah replied to his father, “If you send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy food for you. But if you won’t send him, we won’t go. The king of Egypt specifically warned us, saying, ‘You won’t see my face unless your brother is with you.’ He’s a strong and powerful king. If we go without our brother, we’ll all be executed. Don’t you know how wise and mighty he is? There’s no one like him on earth. We’ve seen many kings, but no one compares to the king of Egypt. Even Abimelech, king of the Philistines—who is the greatest among all kings—is nothing compared to him. Abimelech could be compared only to one of his officers.
“Father, you haven’t seen his palace, his throne, or his many servants standing before him. You haven’t seen him in all his royal splendor, dressed in robes with a golden crown on his head. You haven’t seen the honor and glory God has given him—there’s no one like him. You haven’t heard his voice or seen the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge that God has placed in his heart.
“We don’t know how he learned our names or everything that happened to us, but he even asked about you, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Is he well?’
“You haven’t seen how he governs all of Egypt without even consulting Pharaoh. You haven’t seen the fear and respect he commands from the Egyptians. And when we left him, we threatened to treat Egypt as we had the cities of the Amorites, because we were furious over what he said about us being spies.
“If we go before him again, his presence will overwhelm us, and none of us will be able to speak a word, big or small. So please, father, send the boy with us. We’ll go and buy food so we don’t die from hunger.”
Israel (Jacob) responded, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the king you had another brother? What have you done to me?”
They answered, “The man questioned us carefully about our situation and our family. He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We only answered him truthfully. How could we know he would demand, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
When Israel saw that they would all die of famine if Benjamin didn’t go, Reuben said, “Put him in my care. If I don’t bring him back to you, you can kill my 2 sons in his place.”
Then Judah said to his father, Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll go at once so we can survive—us, you, and our children. I’ll take full responsibility for him. You can hold me accountable. If I don’t bring him back and present him to you, I’ll bear the blame forever. Look at how all our children have been crying before you from hunger, and you have no way to help them. Let your compassion move you—send our brother with us so we can go.
“How will God’s kindness to our ancestors be shown to you if you believe the king of Egypt will take your son away? As surely as the Lord lives, I won’t leave him until I bring him back and place him before you. But please pray to the Lord for us—that he will show us mercy and allow us to be received favorably by the king of Egypt and his men. If we hadn’t waited so long, we could have already gone and returned with your son by now.”
Jacob agrees to let Benjamin go
Genesis 43:11-14, Jasher 52:22-25, Jubilees 42:20
Jacob said to his sons, “I trust in the Lord God to deliver you and grant you favor in the sight of the king of Egypt and all his men.”
Then their father Israel said, “If it has to be this way, do this: take the best fruits of the land in your bags and bring the man a present. Take double the money with you, and also return the money that was put back in your sacks—maybe it was a mistake. Take your brother, too, and go back to the man. May God Almighty show you mercy before him so that he releases your other brother and Benjamin. If I’m bereaved of my children, so be it. May Almighty God show you mercy before him and send Benjamin and Simeon your brother back with you.”
He sent them in the 2nd year of that week, on the 1st day of the month. They traveled to Egypt with everyone going with them, carrying gifts of stacte, almonds, terebinth nuts, and pure honey.
All the men got up and took their brother Benjamin. They brought a large gift of the best the land had to offer, along with a double amount of silver. Jacob gave strict instructions about Benjamin, saying, “Watch over him on your journey, and don’t get separated from him—either on the road or once you’re in Egypt.”
Jacob prays to YHWH
Jasher 52:26-27
Jacob rose from his sons, spread out his hands, and prayed to the Lord on their behalf, saying, “O Lord God of heaven and earth, remember your covenant with our father Abraham, and remember your promise to my father Isaac. Show kindness to my sons and don’t let them fall into the hands of the king of Egypt. I beg you, O God, by your mercy—redeem all my children, rescue them from Egypt’s power, and send back their 2 brothers.”
Then all the wives of Jacob’s sons and their children lifted their eyes to heaven. They all wept before the Lord and cried out to him to save their fathers from the king of Egypt.
Jacob writes a letter to the king of Egypt
Jasher 52:28-42
Jacob wrote a letter to the king of Egypt and gave it to Judah and his sons to deliver. It read:
“From your servant Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham the Hebrew, prince of God, to the mighty and wise king, revealer of secrets, king of Egypt—greetings.
Let it be known to my lord, the king of Egypt, that the famine has been severe in Canaan. I sent my sons to buy a little food from you to keep us alive. My sons gathered around me—I am very old and can hardly see, for my eyes have grown dim from age and daily weeping over my son Joseph, who was lost.
I instructed my sons not to enter the city gates when they came to Egypt, because of the local people. I also told them to look around Egypt in search of Joseph, hoping they might find him. They did so, and you saw them as spies. But haven’t we heard that you interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and told him the truth? Then how can you not, in all your wisdom, know whether my sons are spies?
Now, my lord and king, I have sent you my son, as you requested from my sons. Please keep an eye on him until he returns to me safely with his brothers.
Don’t you know what God did to Pharaoh when he took my mother Sarah, or what he did to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, for her sake? Don’t you remember what our father Abraham did to the 9 kings of Elam—how he defeated them all with only a few men? And what about my 2 sons, Simeon and Levi, who destroyed 8 Amorite cities for the sake of their sister Dinah?
Now they’re trying to comfort themselves over the loss of Joseph by looking after their brother Benjamin. What do you think they’ll do if anyone threatens him? Don’t you know, O king of Egypt, that God’s power is with us, and he always hears our prayers? He never abandons us.
When my sons told me how you treated them, I didn’t call out to God against you, because I thought that since Simeon was in your house, you might show him kindness. That’s why I held back.
Now Benjamin is coming to you with his brothers. Be careful with him—watch over him. Then God will watch over you and your kingdom. I’ve spoken my heart to you. My sons are coming with their brother—search the whole earth on their behalf and send them all back in peace.”
Jacob gave the letter to Judah to deliver it to the king of Egypt.
The sons of Jacob go to Egypt
Genesis 43:15, Jasher 53:1
The men took the present, the double money, and Benjamin. They got up, traveled to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
Climax
Joseph sees Benjamin and has his servants prepare a lunch
Genesis 43:16, Jasher 53:2-3
When Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them, he said to the manager of his household, “Bring these men to my house, kill an animal, and get everything ready, because they will eat with me at noon.”
The brothers fear Joseph because of the money they found in their sacks
Genesis 43:17-22
The man did as Joseph had instructed and brought the men to Joseph’s house. But the brothers were afraid when they were taken to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It’s because of the money that was put back in our sacks the first time. He wants an excuse to attack us, take us as slaves, and seize our donkeys.”
So they approached the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the entrance. They said, “Please, sir, we came down once before to buy food. But when we stopped at the inn and opened our sacks, we found each man’s money in the top of his sack, the full amount. We’ve brought it back with us. We’ve also brought more money to buy more food. We don’t know who put the money in our sacks.”
Joseph reassures them and then brings out Simeon
Genesis 43:23, Jasher 53:4-5, Jubilees 42:22a
At noon, Joseph had the men brought to him along with Benjamin. They explained to the steward about the silver they had found in their sacks, and he said, “It’s all right. Don’t be afraid.” Then he brought their brother Simeon out to them.
Simeon said to his brothers, “The ruler of the Egyptians has treated me very kindly. He didn’t keep me locked up, like you might have thought. As soon as you left the city, he let me go and treated me well in his house.”
The brothers and their animals are taken care of
Genesis 43:24
The man brought them into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
Benjamin is presented before Joseph
Genesis 43:25-26, Jasher 53:6, Jubilees 42:22b
They got the gift ready for Joseph, because they had heard they would eat with him at noon.
When Joseph came home, they brought the gift they had prepared and gave it to him inside the house. Then they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
Joseph asks about the welfare of Jacob
Genesis 43:27-28, Jasher 53:7
They all sat down in front of Joseph, and he asked them, “Is everything well with you? Are your children well? And is your elderly father doing well?”
They answered, “Everything is fine. Our father, your servant, is in good health and still alive.” Then they bowed their heads and showed him respect.
Judah took the letter Jacob had sent and handed it to Joseph.
Joseph reads the letter from Jacob and weeps
Jasher 53:8
Joseph read the letter and immediately recognized his father’s handwriting. He wanted to weep, so he went into a private room and cried deeply. Then he came back out.
Joseph speaks to Benjamin
Genesis 43:29, Jasher 53:9, Jubilees 42:21
He looked up and saw his brother Benjamin and said, “Is this your younger brother you told me about?”
Benjamin came near, and Joseph placed his hand on his head and said, “May God be gracious to you, my son!”
Joseph excuses himself to weep and then composes himself
Genesis 43:30-31, Jasher 53:10
Joseph quickly left the room because he was overcome with emotion for his brother. He went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face, came back out, and pulled himself together. He said, “Serve the meal.”
The Egyptians eat separately from the Hebrews
Genesis 43:32
They served Joseph by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves—because Egyptians wouldn’t eat with Hebrews, as that was detestable to them.
Joseph strikes his silver cup and requests that the brothers sit according to their birth order
Genesis 43:33, Jasher 53:11-13
Joseph had a silver cup he drank from, beautifully inlaid with onyx stones and bdellium. While they were eating with him, he struck the cup in front of his brothers and said, “This cup tells me that Reuben the firstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun are all sons of the same mother. Sit down to eat in the order of your birth.”
So they sat before him—the firstborn in his rightful place, and the youngest according to his age—and they looked at each other in astonishment.
Then Joseph said, “I know that this youngest brother of yours has no full brother, and I too have no brother like him. So he will eat with me.”
Falling Action
The meal begins and Benjamin gets shown favoritism
Genesis 43:34, Jasher 53:14, Jubilees 42:23
Benjamin stepped up before Joseph and sat on the throne. The brothers watched what Joseph was doing and were amazed. They ate and drank with Joseph at that time, and he gave them gifts. Joseph gave a special gift to Benjamin, and when Manasseh and Ephraim saw what their father was doing, they also gave gifts to Benjamin. Osnath gave him 1 gift as well, so Benjamin received a total of 5 gifts.
They ate in front of Joseph, and he served portions to all of them, but Benjamin’s portion was 5 (or possibly 7) times larger than any of theirs.
Wine is brought out
Jasher 53:15-16
Joseph brought out wine for them to drink, but they refused and said, “Since the day Joseph went missing, we haven’t had any wine or eaten any delicacies.”
But Joseph swore to them and insisted strongly, so they finally drank a lot with him that day. Afterward, Joseph turned to speak with Benjamin, who was still sitting on the throne in front of him.
Joseph asks Benjamin about his family
Jasher 53:17
Joseph asked him, “Do you have any children?”
And Benjamin replied, “Your servant has 10 sons. These are their names: Bela, Becher, Ashbal, Gera, Naaman, Achi, Rosh, Mupim, Chupim, and Ord. I named them after my brother whom I haven’t seen.”
Joseph asks Benjamin to interpret a map to find Joseph
Jasher 53:18-19
Then Joseph had them bring him his star map—the instrument he used to know the times—and said to Benjamin, “I’ve heard that the Hebrews are skilled in all kinds of wisdom. Do you know anything about this?”
Benjamin replied, “Your servant also knows all the wisdom my father taught me.”
So Joseph said to him, “Take a look at this instrument and see if you can figure out where your brother Joseph is in Egypt—the one you said went down there.”
Resolution
Benjamin learns that Joseph is sitting next to him
Jasher 53:20-22, Jubilees 42:24
Benjamin looked closely at the instrument that mapped the stars in the sky. Being wise, he studied it to discover where his brother was. He divided all of Egypt into 4 regions and found that the one sitting on the throne in front of him was his brother Joseph. Benjamin was shocked.
When Joseph saw how astonished his brother was, he said, “What have you discovered? Why are you so surprised?”
Benjamin answered, “This tells me that my brother Joseph is the one sitting here with me on the throne.”
Then Joseph said to him, “I am Joseph your brother. Don’t reveal this to your brothers. I’m going to send you back with them when they leave, and I’ll have them brought back to the city. I’ll take you from them, and if they risk their lives and fight for you, then I’ll know they’ve truly repented for what they did to me, and I’ll reveal myself to them. But if they abandon you when I take you, then you will stay with me. I’ll fight with them and send them away, and I won’t make myself known to them.”
They ate and drank, got up, and stayed with their donkeys.
This chart shows who was alive in the year 2243.