The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 542

eh. iii. 1) originally signifying to hiss or whis- let it be according to your words. So LXX., per, and hence to mutter incantations, to Vulgate, and commentators generally; but practise ophiomancy, and generally to divine. Kalisch reads it as an interrogation, "Is it The special form of divination here referred right according to your words 1" meaning to (,cu:l.1,coµavrEia, or divining out of cups) that strict justice demanded only the punish- was practised by the A.ncient Egyptians ment of the thief, as he explained. He with (Hengstenberg's • Egypt and the Books of whom it is found shall be my servant; and Moses,' p. 89). "Small pieces of gold or ye (i. e. the others of you) shall be blameless. silver, together with precious stones, marked Vers. 11-13.-Then they speedily took with strange figures and signs, were thrown down (literally, a'TU:l, they hasted a'TU:l, took into the vessel; after which certain incanta- down) every mo.n his so.ck (from off his ass) tions were pronounced, and the evil demon to the ground, o.nd opened every man his was invoked ; the latter was then supposed so.ck. Thus as it were delivering them up to give the answer either by intelligible for examination. And he (the steward) words, or by pointing to some of the cha- searched, and began o.t the eldest, and left racters on the precious stones, or in some o.t the youngest (in order thereby to mask other more mysterious manner. Sometimes the deception): and the cup wo.s found (where the goblet was filled with pure water, upon the steward himself had put it) in l!enjamin's which the sun was allowed to play; and the so.ck. Then (literally, and) they rent their figures which were thus formed, or which a clothes (on the simlah vide eh. ix. 23), and lively imagination fancied it saw, were inter- lo.ded every mo.n his ass (by putting on the preted as the desired omen" (Kalisch). Traces sack which had been taken down), and re- of this ancient practice of soothsaying have turned to the city. been detected by some writers in the magni- Vers. 14-17.-And Judah-who is recog- ficent vase of turquoise belonging to Jam- nised as the leader in this second embassy to sheed, the Solomon of Persia. , Like Merlin's Egypt (eh. xliii. 8)-o.nd his brethren came cup, described by Spenser(' Faery Queene,' to Joseph's house; for he was yet there:- iii. 2, 19)- " awaiting, no doubt, the result which he " It vertue had to show in perfect sight anticipated" (Murphy)-and they fell before Whatever thing was in the world con- him on the ground. The expression indicates tained a complete prostration of the body. It was a token of their penitence, and a sign that Betwixt the lowest earth e.nd haven's hight, they craved his forgiveness. And Joseph So that it to the looker appertaynd." so.id unto them,-in a speech not of "cruel a.nd haughty irony" (Kalisch), but simply of A similar account is given by Homer of the o.ssumed resentment-What deed is this that cup of Nestor; and Alexander the Great is ye have done 1 wot ye not (or, did you not reported to have possessed o. mystic goblet of know i) that such a mo.n as I co.n certainly o. like kind. It is said that in the storming divine '!--literally, divining can dfrine (vide of Seringapatam the unfortunate Tippoo Saib on ver. 6). Though Joseph uses this la.nguage, retired to gaze on his divining cnp, and that and is represented by his steward as possessing after stirnding a.while absorbed in it he re- n divining cup, there is no reason to suppose turned to tl1e fight nnd fell (vide Kitto's that he was in the habit of practising this • Cyclopcdia,' art. Divination). Ye have done heathen superstition. And Judah said (11ct- evil in so doing. ing throughout this scene as the spokesman Ver. 6.-And he (i. e. tho steward) over- of his brethren), What shall we say unto my took them, and he epake unto them these lord 1 what eho.ll we speak! or how shall same words. we clear ourselves l (i. e. justify ourselves, Vcrs. 7-10.-And they said unto him, or purge ourselves from suspicion). God Wherefore saith my lord these words 1 God (literally, the Elohim) ho.th found out the forbid that thy servants should do (literally, iniquity of thy servants: behold, we arc far be thy servants from doing) according to my lord's servants (literally, serrants to rny this thing: behold, the money (literally, the lord), both we, and ho also with whom the silver), which we found in our so.eke' mouths, oup is found. And he (i. e. Joseph) so.id, we brought o.!!'ain unto thee out of the land God forbid that I should do so (vide ver. 9): of Cano.an (this was 11n im1fr11.gable proof of but the mo.n in whose hand the cup is their honesty) : how then should we steal found, he shall be my servant; o.nd as out of my lord's house silver or gold t They for you, get you up in peace unto your were even so confident of their innocence that father. 'l'hus they were once more tested as they ventured on o. rash proposition. With to whether they could, as before, callously whomsoever of thy servants it be found, deliver up their father's favourite, and so both let him die, and we also will be my bring down the grey hairs of their father to lord's bondmen-literally, for servants to my the grave, or would heroically and self-sil.cri- lord. And he (the steward) ■aid, Now also ficingly offer their own lives and liberties for_  490 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [cB, :X:LlV. 1-34.