Genesis 44:4

And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
out	יָֽצְא֣וּ ya.tze.'U	H3318	to go (causatively · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person common plural
city	הָעִיר֮ ha.'Ir	H5892	a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the wi… · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
off	הִרְחִיקוּ֒ hir.chi.Ku	H7368	to widen (in any direction) · verb, hiphil perfect, 3rd person common plural
Joseph	וְיוֹסֵ֤ף ve.yo.Sef	H3130	Joseph · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
said	אָמַר֙ 'a.Mar	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
steward	בֵּית֔וֹ bei.To	H1004	a house (in the greatest variation of applications · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
Up	ק֥וּם kum	H6965	to rise (in various applications · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
follow	רְדֹ֖ף re.Dof	H7291	to run after (usually with hostile intent · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
after	אַחֲרֵ֣י 'a.cha.Rei	H310	properly · cardinal number, masculine plural construct
men	הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים ha.'a.na.Shim	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
overtake	וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם֙ ve.hi.sag.Tam	H5381	to reach (literally or figuratively) · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential perfect, 2nd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
say	וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ ve.'a.mar.Ta	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 2nd person masculine singular
rewarded	שִׁלַּמְתֶּ֥ם shi.lam.Tem	H7999	to be safe (in mind · verb, piel perfect, 2nd person masculine plural
evil	רָעָ֖ה ra.'Ah	H7451	bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) · noun, common feminine singular absolute
good	טוֹבָֽה to.Vah	H2896	good (as an adjective) in the widest sense · noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

John 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
Psalms 35:12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
Deuteronomy 2:16 So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
1 Samuel 24:17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
Psalms 109:5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Proverbs 17:13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
2 Chronicles 20:11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 44:1-17

Joseph heaps further kindnesses upon his brethren, fills their sacks, returns their money, and sends them away full of gladness; but he also exercises them with further trials. Our God thus humbles those whom he loves and loads with benefits. Joseph ordered his steward to put a fine silver cup which he had (and which, it is likely, was used at his table when they dined with him) into Benjamin's sack's mouth, that it might seem as if he had stolen it from the table, and put it here himself, after his corn was delivered to him. If Benjamin had stolen it, it had been the basest piece of dishonesty and ingratitude that could be and if Joseph, by ordering it to be there, had designed really to ta…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 44:4

When they were gone out of the city . . . Joseph said unto his steward--They were brought to a sudden halt by the stunning intelligence that an article of rare value was missing from the governor's house. It was a silver cup; so strong suspicions were entertained against them that a special messenger was despatched to search them.

Adam Clarke on Genesis 44:2

Put my cup in the sack's mouth of the youngest - The stratagem of the cup seems to have been designed to bring Joseph's brethren into the highest state of perplexity and distress, that their deliverance by the discovery that Joseph was their brother might have its highest effect.

John Gill on Genesis 44:4

And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off,.... Which perhaps was Tanis, the Zoan of the Scriptures; see Ezekiel 30:14, margin: Joseph said unto his steward, up, follow after the men; who no doubt was ready provided with men and horses, to go out and pursue when Joseph should give the orders, he being privy to Joseph's intentions, and with whom the scheme was concerted, and the secret was. Joseph appears to have been up very early this morning, and had observed the exact time of his brethren's departure, and guessed whereabouts they might be when he sent his steward, and others after them; for it can hardly be thought he was sent alone after eleven men, and to charge them…

Dictionary and topics

Cup — A wine-cup (Gen. 40:11, 21), various forms of which are found on Assyrian and Egyptian monuments. All Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold (1 Kings 10: 21). The cups mentioned in the New Testament…
Evil For Good · .Joseph accuses his brothers of ren — .Joseph accuses his brothers of ren
Money · Silver used as — Silver used as

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Genesis 44:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 44:1-17

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 44:4

Adam Clarke on Genesis 44:2

John Gill on Genesis 44:4

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 44:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 44:1-17

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 44:4

Adam Clarke on Genesis 44:2

John Gill on Genesis 44:4

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Genesis 44:2-4

Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 44:3-6

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 44:2

Rashi on Genesis 44:2