BIBLE BITS: Genesis 40-42

Today's reading covered a portion of Joseph's interactions with his brothers during a time of famine.  Joseph was the overseer in charge of distributing the reserves of grain to keep people alive during a seven-year famine.  He happened to be on duty when ten of his brothers came as a group to buy food.

Joseph wanted to see if his brothers were any different from their past dealings with him.  Part of this testing included an accusation that they were spies, scouting out any weakness in Egypt.  Such a weakness would be pronounced during a famine.

When the brothers pleaded their case and their innocence, Joseph said he would dismiss all the brothers except one.  The rest would return to get their missing brother (Benjamin) if they were to receive any more food.  

While Joseph spoke to them in Egyptian and an interpreter was used to facilitate this conversation, the brothers began to bicker and argue with one another.  They were convinced that they were suffering because of the terrible way they had treated Joseph years earlier.  Apparently, their guilt was still eating at them all this time later.

In the midst of the bickering, Reuben states, "“Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood” (Genesis 42:22).  Of course, Joseph did not need the interpreter to understand them.  He heard every Hebrew word they uttered.

I wonder if Reuben's statement was the first time that Joseph learned of Reuben's compassion and attempt to save him from being sold into slavery.  Reuben was not present when Joseph was sold.  But here may be the first time he learned that Reuben actively pleaded for mercy upon Joseph.

This explains why Joseph seized Simeon, the second oldest, for imprisonment rather than Reuben.  Mercy was returned to Reuben in Joseph's treatment of him.