44:10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! 2 The one who has it will become my slave, 3 but the rest of 4 you will go free.” 5 44:11 So each man quickly lowered 6 his sack to the ground and opened it. 44:12 Then the man 7 searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack!
1 tn Heb “The one with whom it is found from your servants.” Here “your servants” (a deferential way of referring to the brothers themselves) has been translated by the pronoun “us” to avoid confusion with Joseph’s servants.
2 tn Heb “Also now, according to your words, so it is.” As the next statement indicates, this does mean that he will do exactly as they say. He does agree with them the culprit should be punished, but not as harshly as they suggest. Furthermore, the innocent parties will not be punished.
3 tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”
4 tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
5 tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.
sn The rest of you will be free. Joseph’s purpose was to single out Benjamin to see if the brothers would abandon him as they had abandoned Joseph. He wanted to see if they had changed.
6 tn Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.
7 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.