And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
During the famine Jacob commanded his sons to go back to Egypt to buy a little food for the family. Those words are repeated by Judah when he speaks to Joseph to explain the chain of events that brought Benjamin down to Egypt. Jacob gave that order for the second journey, yet he was reluctant to let Benjamin go with his brothers.
His reluctance was because he still grieved greatly over the loss of Joseph, and Benjamin was all that was left of the mother he loved, so his life was bound up in the lad's life and separation from him would kill him. To overcome that reluctance Judah pledged himself as surety for Benjamin, to bear the blame forever if he failed to bring him back to his father. Judah then nobly offered to remain as a bondman in his brother's place so that Benjamin could go up with his brethren to their father.
During the famine Jacob commanded his sons to go back to Egypt to buy a little food for the family. Those words are repeated by Judah when he speaks to Joseph to explain the chain of events that brought Benjamin down to Egypt. Jacob gave that order for the second journey, yet he was reluctant to let Benjamin go with his brothers.
His reluctance was because he still grieved greatly over the loss of Joseph, and Benjamin was all that was left of the mother he loved, so his life was bound up in the lad's life and separation from him would kill him. To overcome that reluctance Judah pledged himself as surety for Benjamin, to bear the blame forever if he failed to bring him back to his father. Judah then nobly offered to remain as a bondman in his brother's place so that Benjamin could go up with his brethren to their father.