Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
Parallel translations
- WEB Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”
- BSB Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
- NKJV Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”
- NASB Is this not that from which my lord drinks, and which he indeed uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this!’ ”
- NLT Why have you stolen my master’s silver cup, which he uses to predict the future? What a wicked thing you have done!’”
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 is to single out the missing silver cup, by which the lord supposedly divines. The detail heightens the apparent gravity of the theft.
Overview
The cup is described as one used for divination, a practice associated with Egyptian rulers, lending weight to the charge against the brothers. Whether Joseph actually practiced divination or merely allowed the reputation as part of his disguise is debated among faithful interpreters; the narrative neither commends nor condemns it here. What is clear is that the cup serves Joseph's design to test his brothers and bring the family to repentance and reunion.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 2 Kgs 21:6And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
- Gen 30:27And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
- Lev 19:26Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
- Deut 18:10–14There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
- Gen 44:15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
- 1 Kgs 20:33Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
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 44:5 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.