So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Parallel translations
- WEB He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
- KJV And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
- BSB The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
- ESV And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
- NASB And he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
- NLT The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack!
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The steward searches in order of age and finds the cup in Benjamin's sack. The planted evidence falls on the most beloved and vulnerable brother.
Overview
The deliberate search from oldest to youngest heightens the suspense until the cup appears in Benjamin's sack. Joseph has engineered the worst possible outcome to test whether the brothers will sacrifice Rachel's son. The moment mirrors their earlier betrayal of Joseph and forces a decision that will reveal whether they have truly changed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Gen 43:14May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
- Gen 43:33They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another.
- Gen 44:26–32We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’
- Gen 44:2Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
- Gen 42:36–38Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 44:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.