Genesis 43:34 - Exposition

And he took and sent (literally, and he sent ) messes — maseoth , from nasa , to take or lift up, i.e. things taken or lifted up, hence portions or gifts ( 2 Samuel 11:8 )— unto them from before him (cf. 1 Samuel 9:23 ). The practice of thus honoring guests was also observed among other nations ( vide 'Iliad,' 7:321). But Benjamin's mess (or portion) was five times so much as any of theirs —literally, exceeded the portions of all of them five hands, i.e. five times. Herodotus (6.57) mentions that among the Spartans the king received a double portion. The unusually large portion assigned to Benjamin was designed as an expression of his strong fraternal affection, and perhaps also as a test of his brethren to ascertain if they were now free from that spirit of envy which had prompted their former cruelty to him. And they drank, and were merry with him— literally, and drank largely with him . Though the verb שָׁכַר sometimes signifies to drink to the full ( Haggai 1:6 ; So 5:1), and though intoxication was not unusual at Egyptian entertainments, there is no reason to suppose that either Joseph or his brethren were inebriated (Vulgate, Alford), or that more is meant than simply that their hearts became exhilarated "because their cares were dissipated by the kindness they were receiving, the presence of Simeon, and the attention paid to Benjamin" (Murphy).