Gênesis 43:16

16 Quando José viu Benjamim com eles, disse ao despenseiro de sua casa: Leva os homens � casa, mata reses, e apronta tudo; pois eles comerão comigo ao meio-dia.

Gênesis 43:16 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 43:16

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them
Whom he knew, though he had not seen him twenty two years, and though he must be very much altered, being but about ten years of age when Joseph was said into Egypt, yet being with the rest of his brethren, whom he knew very well, concluded it must be him: he said to the ruler of his house;
his steward, as be is after called, not his son Manasseh, as the Targum of Jonathan: bring [these] men home;
to his own house, for Joseph was now at or near the place where were the granaries of corn, and where that was said and distributed: and slay, and make ready;
or "slay a slaughter" ^F20, that is, of beasts for food; a sheep, or a lamb, or a calf, very probably, and order it to be dressed, boiled or roasted, or both, that it might be fit for food: wherefore Aben Ezra must be mistaken when ( Genesis 46:34 ) ; he says, that the Egyptians in those times did not eat flesh, nor might any kill a sheep; for it cannot be thought that Joseph could order a dinner for his brethren, to whom as yet he did not choose to make himself known, in direct violation of the customs and laws of Egypt, and who, it is plain by what follows, dined as an Egyptian, and with the Egyptians, and not as an Hebrew, and with his brethren as Hebrews; besides, for what purpose did Pharaoh get and possess such herds and flocks of cattle, if not for food as well as other uses? see ( Genesis 47:6 Genesis 47:16 Genesis 47:17 ) ; though in later times they abstained from eating various animals, as Porphyry ^F21 from Chaeremon relates, and particularly from sheep and goats, according to Juvenal ^F24: for [these] men shall dine with me at noon;
which was the usual time of dining with the eastern people, as it is now with us, though with the Romans at evening.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (xbj xbj) "macta mactationem", Drusius, Schmidt; "macta animalia", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F21 De abstinentia, l. 4. sect. 6, 7.
F24 "-----lanatis animalibus abstinet omnis Mensa, nefas illic foetus jugulare capellae." Satyr 15. ver. 11, 12.

Gênesis 43:16 In-Context

14 e Deus Todo-Poderoso vos dê misericórdia diante do homem, para que ele deixe vir convosco vosso outro irmão, e Benjamim; e eu, se for desfilhado, desfilhado ficarei.

15 Tomaram, pois, os homens aquele presente, e dinheiro em dobro nas mãos, e a Benjamim; e, levantando-se desceram ao Egito e apresentaram-se diante de José.

16 Quando José viu Benjamim com eles, disse ao despenseiro de sua casa: Leva os homens � casa, mata reses, e apronta tudo; pois eles comerão comigo ao meio-dia.

17 E o homem fez como José ordenara, e levou-os � casa de José.

18 Então os homens tiveram medo, por terem sido levados � casa de José; e diziam: por causa do dinheiro que da outra vez foi devolvido nos nossos sacos que somos trazidos aqui, para nos criminar e cair sobre nós, para que nos tome por servos, tanto a nós como a nossos jumentos.