As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
This verse belongs to the famine account in which Jacob's sons traveled to Egypt to buy grain and stood before Joseph without recognizing him. It marks their sending away in the morning light at daybreak, after their sacks had been filled with grain and food and Joseph had arranged for his silver drinking cup to be placed in Benjamin's sack. The departure had been ordered with the cup hidden by the steward in Benjamin's sack.
The hidden cup began Joseph's test to gain further proof of the brothers' feelings, since there was no further excuse to detain them. The test would accuse them of repaying good with evil and would reveal whether they would abandon Benjamin. They left joyfully for home with Simeon restored to them, feeling they had escaped safely from the perils around them. They had left the city and reached only its outskirts when Joseph sent his steward after them and the steward overtook them.
This verse belongs to the famine account in which Jacob's sons traveled to Egypt to buy grain and stood before Joseph without recognizing him. It marks their sending away in the morning light at daybreak, after their sacks had been filled with grain and food and Joseph had arranged for his silver drinking cup to be placed in Benjamin's sack. The departure had been ordered with the cup hidden by the steward in Benjamin's sack.
The hidden cup began Joseph's test to gain further proof of the brothers' feelings, since there was no further excuse to detain them. The test would accuse them of repaying good with evil and would reveal whether they would abandon Benjamin. They left joyfully for home with Simeon restored to them, feeling they had escaped safely from the perils around them. They had left the city and reached only its outskirts when Joseph sent his steward after them and the steward overtook them.