Joseph's Brothers Conscience And Guilt In Egypt

The narrative of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis highlights a profound journey of guilt, conscience, and eventual reconciliation. Joseph's brothers initially harbored intense hatred for him, fueled by Jacob's favoritism and Joseph's prophetic dreams ^[2]. This animosity led them to conspire against him, ultimately selling him into slavery rather than killing him ^{[1, 4]}.

Years later, when famine drove them to Egypt to buy grain, they encountered Joseph, now a powerful ruler, though they did not recognize him ^[5]. Joseph, in turn, recognized them and orchestrated a series of events to test their character and bring their past sin to the forefront of their minds ^[11]. During their imprisonment and subsequent interactions, the brothers began to reflect on their past actions. They confessed to one another, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother" ^{[7, 13]}. This realization was not merely an acknowledgment of their deed but a deep sense of remorse, believing their current troubles were divine retribution for the evil they had done to Joseph ^[11].

The brothers' conscience was particularly stirred when Joseph demanded they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, to Egypt. They saw this as a direct consequence of their earlier cruelty, connecting their present distress to Joseph's cries for mercy that they had ignored ^[11]. Even after Jacob's death, their guilt resurfaced, as they feared Joseph would finally take revenge on them for their past actions, believing his previous forbearance was solely due to their father's presence ^{[8, 10]}. They sent a message to Joseph, pleading for forgiveness for their "disobedience" and "sin" ^[6].

Joseph's actions, such as his declaration "I fear God" when he modified his severity towards them, were designed to elicit this introspection and demonstrate a moral framework beyond mere human caprice ^[12]. The Midrash Rabbah suggests that Joseph's brothers regretted their actions, indicating a shift in their hearts ^[9]. This profound sense of guilt and the subsequent plea for forgiveness ultimately paved the way for Joseph's revelation of his identity and the family's reconciliation ^[3].

Sources

Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 3, section 1: . How Joseph Was Thus Sold By His Brethren Into Egypt, By Reason Of Their Hatred To Him; And How He There Grew Famous And Illustrious And Had His Brethren Under His Power. 1. Now these brethren rejoiced as soon as they saw their brother coming to them, not indeed as at the presence of a near relation, or as at the presence of one sent by their father, but as at the presence of an enemy, and one that by Divine Providence was delivered into their hands; and they already resolved to kill him, and not let slip the opportunity that la”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Joseph — (increase). + The elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel. He was born in Padan-aram (Mesopotamia), probably about B.C. 1746. He is first mentioned when a youth, seventeen years old. Joseph brought the evil report of his brethren to his father, and they hated him because his father loved him more than he did them, and had shown his preference by making a dress which appears to have been a long tunic with sleeves, worn by youths and maidens of the richer class. (Genesis 37:2) He dreamed a dream foreshadowing his future power, which increased the hatred of his”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 7, section 1: . The Removal Of Joseph's Father With All His Family, To Him, On Account Of The Famine. 1. As soon as Jacob came to know, by his sons returning home, in what state Joseph was, that he had not only escaped death, for which yet he lived all along in mourning, but that he lived in splendor and happiness, and ruled over Egypt, jointly with the king, and had intrusted to his care almost all his affairs, he did not think any thing he was told to be incredible, considering the greatness of the works of God, and his kindness to him, alth”
Acts “Acts 7:9 (Tyndale) — And the patriarkes havinge indignacio solde Ioseph into Egipte. And God was with him”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 6, section 1: . How Joseph When He Was Become Famous In Egypt, Had His Brethren In Subjection.”
Genesis “‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. -- Genesis 50:17”
Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 42:21: Here is, I. The penitent reflection Joseph's brethren made upon the wrong they had formerly done to him, Gen 42:21. They talked the matter over in the Hebrew tongue, not suspecting that Joseph, whom they took for a native of Egypt, understood them, much less that he was the person they spoke of. 1. They remembered with regret the barbarous cruelty wherewith they persecuted him: We are verily guilty concerning our brother. We do not read that they said this during their three days' imprisonment; but now, when the matter had come to some issue and they saw themsel”
Genesis (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Genesis 50:15: Saw that their father was dead - This at once argues both a sense of guilt in their own consciences, and a want of confidence in their brother. They might have supposed that hitherto he had forborne to punish them merely on their father's account; but now that he was dead, and Joseph having them completely in his power, they imagined that he would take vengeance on them for their former conduct towards him. Thus conscience records criminality; and, by giving birth to continual fears and doubtfulness, destroys all peace of mind, security, and confidence. On this su”
Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit Rabbah 84:18: “Midianite men, merchants, passed, and they pulled and lifted Joseph from the pit; they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver pieces, and they brought Joseph to Egypt” (Genesis 37:28). “Midianite [ midyanim ] men, merchants, passed” – their contentiousness [ hadayyanim ] passed. 56 Joseph’s brothers regretted what they had done. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Baitus in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon: It is written: “Why do you lead us astray, Lord, from Your ways?” (Isaiah 63:17) – when You wished, You placed in their heart to love, and when You wishe”
Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit Rabbah 100:8: “Joseph returned to Egypt, he, and his brothers, and everyone who went up with him to bury his father, after he buried his father. Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died, and they said: Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and will repay us for all the evil that we did to him” (Genesis 50:14-15). “Joseph returned to Egypt…” Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yitzḥak, said: It is because he did not invite them to the meal. 52 Joseph did not invite his brothers to dine with him as he had before Jacob’s death. This led the brothers to think that he harbored enmity towa”
Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 42:21: 42:21-23 Clearly we are being punished: The brothers sensed that having to bring Benjamin back to Egypt against their father’s wishes was God’s punishment for their having sold Joseph to the traders. The sense of divine retribution began to awaken feelings of remorse that Joseph’s cries for mercy and their father’s tears (37:34-35) had failed to arouse.”
Genesis (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 42:18: On the third day Joseph modified his severity. "This do and live," i.e., then ye shall live: "I fear God." One shall remain in prison, but let the rest of you take home "corn for the famine of your families," and fetch your youngest brother, that your words may be verified, and ye may not die, i.e., may not suffer the death that spies deserve. That he might not present the appearance of despotic caprice and tyranny by too great severity, and so render his brethren obdurate, Joseph stated as the reason for his new decision, that he feared God. From the fear of”
Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 42:17: And they said one to another,.... Before they went out of the prison, at least while in the presence of Joseph: we are verily guilty concerning our brother; meaning Joseph, whom they had sold for a slave, and who they supposed was dead through grief and hard servitude; and now being in trouble themselves, it brings to mind the sin they had been guilty of, which, though committed twenty two years ago, was still fresh in their memories, and lay heavy on their consciences; for length of time neither makes sin less, nor the conscience lighter, when it is revived and c”

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