Joseph plants his silver cup in Benjamin’s bag as a way to get his brothers to return to him and to test if they had truly changed from the people that sold him into slavery. He does this for several reasons. Benjamin is the only other son that Rachel bore, and Joseph learns that Benjamin is favored by his father Israel, just as Joseph was the favorite son before his brothers sold him. Israel’s favoritism of Joseph is what motivated his brothers to get rid of him in the first place, so this is an excellent test of his brothers’ changed or unchanged natures. They decide to accompany Benjamin back to Joseph’s house, choosing not to leave him to an uncertain fate as they did when they left Joseph. Judah, the one who original proposed to sell Joseph, fights for Benjamin, saying, “For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?” (Genesis 44:34). It is clear that Judah loves his father so much that he would not dare betray him, and offers his life to Joseph in the place of Benjamin’s, as Anderson illustrates, “But in this case, Judah…recognized and chooses and option that requires him to make the supreme sacrifice. He insists on pledging his own life in the adored child’s stead,” (p. 208). This positive change in mindset moves Joseph to tears and shows that his test with the silver cup was successful. Although the brothers have still committed great acts of hatred and regarding Joseph, according to Anderson, “Those who are wronged have every right to expect justice in the end [from God],” (p. 211), their intentions and desires changed.
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Your response reads really well. I like how you pointed out that Judah chooses to sacrifice himself because of his love for his father. Do you think that Judah’s actions are completely done for the sake of their father, or do you think there were other things that influenced this decision?
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I agree that the silver cup serves as a test for Joseph’s brothers. I think it’s interesting to look at this test in the context of Joseph’s story and the context of Genesis as a whole. Do you think you can draw parallels to the other tests present in Genesis (tree of knowledge, Abraham and Isaac, etc.) and this one, or do they each represent separate things in the confines of their own stories?
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I completely agree with your response and think this is very similar to my interpretation of the story. I like how you pointed out that not only did the brothers change, but Judah specifically was the one to bring up the idea to rid of Joseph and he is the one who steps in for Benjamin. What do you think is the main spark in this change in him specifically? Is there importance to that?
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You did a very good job articulating how Judah’s sacrifice was an essential element for Joseph to forgive. How do you thing that relates to Joesph being considered as the beloved son?
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I thought your comparison of Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers with God’s forgiveness of us was very apt. However, throughout Genesis, God gives us countless messages on the importance of trust in relationship. Does this mean that Joseph should have trusted his brothers outright?
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