With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.
The verse belongs to the account of Joseph and his brothers, at the point when their bowing before Joseph recalled his earlier dreams about them. It records the brothers' pledge that with whomever the cup should be found, that one should die and the rest would become bondmen.
The pledge was a rash, confident protest of innocence, showing their certainty that none of them had stolen the cup. It was offered as proof that they would not steal, since they had faithfully brought back from Canaan the money found in their sacks. The offer was made before the cup was found and set the terms for the search. The proposed penalty was not enforced exactly; instead only the one with whom the cup was found would be servant, and the rest would be blameless. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack. By their own promise this doomed Benjamin to a life of slavery, and the brothers read the outcome as the hand of God against them for their past wickedness.
The verse belongs to the account of Joseph and his brothers, at the point when their bowing before Joseph recalled his earlier dreams about them. It records the brothers' pledge that with whomever the cup should be found, that one should die and the rest would become bondmen.
The pledge was a rash, confident protest of innocence, showing their certainty that none of them had stolen the cup. It was offered as proof that they would not steal, since they had faithfully brought back from Canaan the money found in their sacks. The offer was made before the cup was found and set the terms for the search. The proposed penalty was not enforced exactly; instead only the one with whom the cup was found would be servant, and the rest would be blameless. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack. By their own promise this doomed Benjamin to a life of slavery, and the brothers read the outcome as the hand of God against them for their past wickedness.