seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 42:9 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30 “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’
33 “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade[a] in the land.’”
33 “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade[a] in the land.’”
35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.”
38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.”
38 But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”
a. Genesis 42:34 Or move about freely
I got this from bible-commentaries.com.
Jacob's problem is his ego. He may have had a major spiritual experience at Peniel, but the world still turns around him. He loved Rachel to the neglect of everybody else, then he showered his affection upon Joseph to the detriment of the rest of his family. Now he has only one pet left: Benjamin. He is not going to give him up, not because of Benjamin, but for his own sake. Everything is against Jacob, the world and God and the family.
Reuben's offer in vs. 37 sounds strange to us. We read: "Then Reuben said to his father, 'You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.'" We if take these words literally they make no sense. The picture of Jacob killing two of his own grand children to compensate for the loss of Benjamin is ridiculous. Obviously Reuben did not mean it this way. His words are meant to be an absolute guarantee for Benjamin's safety. Since it would have been impossible for Jacob to kill Reuben's children, it would have been impossible for Reuben not to return Benjamin to his father. Since his children were more precious to him than his own life, he offers himself to Jacob as Benjamin's surety.
But Jacob is not moved. There are not many issues on which Jacob put his foot down during his life, but his affection for Benjamin is one. We can't deny that Jacob suffered a lot during his life. Even if some of the suffering was of his own making, it was suffering. We can understand that Jacob's sons pitied their father. He was an old man, grieving the death of his son. But if the old man indicates that he wants to be pitied, then it is much harder to bestow pity upon him. And Jacob plays this game. He says: "Look at me, pity me. I am old and the protective cocoon I had woven around myself is peeled away from me!" There is no indication, at least not at this point, that Jacob puts all the factors on the scale; the survival of his sons and their family on the one side and his own feelings on the other. A few months later when hunger makes his stomach cramp, he changes his mind, but not now. It is not a very pretty picture.
Reuben's offer in vs. 37 sounds strange to us. We read: "Then Reuben said to his father, 'You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.'" We if take these words literally they make no sense. The picture of Jacob killing two of his own grand children to compensate for the loss of Benjamin is ridiculous. Obviously Reuben did not mean it this way. His words are meant to be an absolute guarantee for Benjamin's safety. Since it would have been impossible for Jacob to kill Reuben's children, it would have been impossible for Reuben not to return Benjamin to his father. Since his children were more precious to him than his own life, he offers himself to Jacob as Benjamin's surety.
But Jacob is not moved. There are not many issues on which Jacob put his foot down during his life, but his affection for Benjamin is one. We can't deny that Jacob suffered a lot during his life. Even if some of the suffering was of his own making, it was suffering. We can understand that Jacob's sons pitied their father. He was an old man, grieving the death of his son. But if the old man indicates that he wants to be pitied, then it is much harder to bestow pity upon him. And Jacob plays this game. He says: "Look at me, pity me. I am old and the protective cocoon I had woven around myself is peeled away from me!" There is no indication, at least not at this point, that Jacob puts all the factors on the scale; the survival of his sons and their family on the one side and his own feelings on the other. A few months later when hunger makes his stomach cramp, he changes his mind, but not now. It is not a very pretty picture.
Studylight.org puts it this way.
Jacob's heart sang this song: "No one loves me, this I know. My misfortunes tell me so."
Reuben does the best he can, making the dramatic gesture to allow Jacob to take Reuben's own two sons as surety, but Jacob will have none of it. He will not allow Benjamin to go to Egypt.
Apparently, Jacob didn't think too much of Simeon! It doesn't matter to him that this son spends his time in an Egyptian jail.
Reuben does the best he can, making the dramatic gesture to allow Jacob to take Reuben's own two sons as surety, but Jacob will have none of it. He will not allow Benjamin to go to Egypt.
Apparently, Jacob didn't think too much of Simeon! It doesn't matter to him that this son spends his time in an Egyptian jail.
Dysfunctional families are built by parents, even if the parents don't mean to be that way. This parent is not so hot!
