|Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary| 44:1-17 Joseph tried how
his brethren felt towards Benjamin. Had they envied and hated
the other son of Rachel as they had hated him, and if they had
the same want of feeling towards their father Jacob as
heretofore, they would now have shown it. When the cup was found
upon Benjamin, they would have a pretext for leaving him to be a
slave. But we cannot judge what men are now, by what they have
been formerly; nor what they will do, by what they have done.
The steward charged them with being ungrateful, rewarding evil
for good; with folly, in taking away the cup of daily use, which
would soon be missed, and diligent search made for it; for so it
may be read, Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, as having
a particular fondness for it, and for which he would search
thoroughly? Or, By which, leaving it carelessly at your table,
he would make trial whether you were honest men or not? They
throw themselves upon Joseph's mercy, and acknowledge the
righteousness of God, perha