11 Their father, Israel, said to them, "If it be so now, do this. Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there? why then isn't the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
A man's gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
Because of your temple at Jerusalem, Kings shall bring presents to you.
The men of Dedan were your traffickers; many isles were the market of your hand: they brought you in exchange horns of ivory and ebony.
Come away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!
A gift in secret pacifies anger; And a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath.
Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, And everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
Make vows to Yahweh your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
He lodged there that night, and took from that which he had with him, a present for Esau, his brother: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty she-donkeys and ten foals. He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass over before me, and put a space between herd and herd." He commanded the foremost, saying, "When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, 'Whose are you? Where are you going? Whose are these before you?' Then you shall say, 'They are your servant, Jacob's. It is a present sent to my lord, Esau. Behold, he also is behind us.'" He commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the herds, saying, "This is how you shall speak to Esau, when you find him. You shall say, 'Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob, is behind us.'" For, he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me." So the present passed over before him: and he himself lodged that night in the camp.
Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast you for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
At that time Berodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
The king said to Hazael, Take a present in your hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of Yahweh by him, saying, Shall I recover of this sickness?
[There is] a league between me and you, between my father and your father: behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
besides [that which] the traders [brought], and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.
Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
For the precious things of the fruits of the sun, For the precious things of the growth of the moons,
May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 43
Commentary on Genesis 43 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 43
Here the story of Joseph's brethren is carried on, and very particularly related
Gen 43:1-10
Here,
Gen 43:11-14
Observe here,
Gen 43:15-25
Jacob's sons, having got leave to take Benjamin with them, were observant of the orders their father had given them, and went down the second time into Egypt to buy corn. If we should ever know what a famine of the word means, let us not think it much to travel as far for spiritual food as they did for corporal food. Now here we have an account of what passed between them and Joseph's steward, who, some conjecture, was in the secret, and knew them to be Joseph's brethren, and helped to humour the thing; I rather think not, because no man was permitted to be present when Joseph afterwards made himself known to them, ch. 45:1. Observe,
Gen 43:26-34
Here is,