Genesis 43:16
And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon.
Open Genesis 43:16 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Quos cum ille vidisset et Benjamin simul, præcepit dispensatori domus suæ, dicens : Introduc viros domum, et occide victimas, et instrue convivium : quoniam mecum sunt comesturi meridie.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἴδεν δὲ Ἰωσὴφ αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸν Βενιαμεὶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν ὁμομήτριον, καὶ ἐνετείλατο τῷ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ εἰσαγαγεῖν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν Καὶ σφάξον ⸂⸆⸃ θύματα καὶ ἑτοίμασον· μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ γὰρ φάγονται οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἄρτους τὴν μεσημβρίαν ⸆
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיַּ֨רְא יוֹסֵ֣ף אִתָּם֮ אֶת בִּנְיָמִין֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל בֵּית֔וֹ הָבֵ֥א אֶת הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים הַבָּ֑יְתָה וּטְבֹ֤חַ טֶ֨בַח֙ וְהָכֵ֔ן כִּ֥י אִתִּ֛י יֹאכְל֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים בַּֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם
Haydock's commentary
Victims: the blood of which was first offered to God, as he had appointed, (chap. xviii. 1[Leviticus xvii. 11?]; Leviticus xvii. 5.) and the flesh brought upon the table. If idolatry was then common in Egypt, as Calmet supposes, in opposition to Grotius, Joseph did not participate at least in that impiety.
At noon. This was the time for the chief meal in Egypt. The Hebrews generally took something at this time, and again in the evening. To eat before noon was esteemed a mark of intemperance. (Ecclesiastes x. 16; Acts ii. 15.) Plato thought the people of Italy, who eat two full meals in the day, would never be eminent for wisdom or for prudence. (Athen. iv. 10.) (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Jerome The Letters of St. Jerome, To Eustochium
12. I linger long in the land of the midday sun for it was there and then that the spouse found her bridegroom at rest and Joseph drank wine with his brothers once more. I will return to Jerusalem and, passing through Tekoa the home of Amos, I will look upon the glistening cross of Mount Olivet from which the Saviour made His ascension to the Father. Here year by year a red heifer was burned as a holocaust to the Lord and its ashes were used to purify the children of Israel. Here also according to Ezekiel the Cherubim after leaving the temple founded the church of the Lord.