Genesis 43 · Verse 34

Genesis 43:34

And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Genesis 43:34, King James Version

Genesis 43:34 in other translations

BSB	When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
WEB	He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.
ASV	And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
YLT	and he lifteth up gifts from before him unto them, and the gift of Benjamin is five hands more than the gifts of all of them; and they drink, yea, they drink abundantly with him.
DARBY	And he had portions carried to them from before him. And Benjamin's portion was five times greater than the portions of them all. And they drank, and made merry with him.
BBE	And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.
Webster	And he took and sent messes to them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

What does Genesis 43:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

34. took and sent messes ... Benjamin's mess was five times--In Egypt, as in other Oriental countries, there were, and are, two modes of paying attention to a guest whom the host wishes to honor--either by giving a choice piece from his own hand, or ordering it to be taken to the stranger. The degree of respect shown consists in the quantity, and while the ordinary rule of distinction is a double mess, it must have appeared a very distinguished mark of favor bestowed on Benjamin to have no less than five times any of his brethren. they drank, and were merry with him--Hebrew, "drank freely" (same as So 5:1; Joh 2:10). In all these cases the idea of intemperance is excluded. The painful anxieties and cares of Joseph's brethren were dispelled, and they were at ease.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 34 Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs - Sir John Chardin observes that "in Persia, Arabia, and the Indies, there are several houses where they place several plates in large salvers, and set one of these before each person, or before two or three, according to the magnificence of each house. This is the method among the Hindoos; the dishes are not placed on the table, but messes are sent to each individual by the master of the feast or by his substitute. The great men of the state are always served by themselves, in the feasts that are made for them; and with greater profusion, their part of each kind of provision being always Double, Treble, or a Larger proportion of each kind of meat." The circumstance of Benjamin's having a mess Five times as large as any of his brethren, shows the peculiar honor which Joseph designed to confer upon him. See several useful observations on this subject in Harmer's Observ., vol. ii., p. 101, etc., Edit. 1808. 1. The scarcity in Canaan was not absolute; though they had no corn, they had honey, nuts, almonds, etc. In the midst of judgment, God remembers mercy. If there was scarcity in Canaan, there was plenty in Egypt; and though his providence had denied one country corn, and accumulated it in the other, his bounty had placed in the former money enough to procure it from the latter. How true is the saying, "It is never ill with any but it might be worse!" Let us be deeply thankful to God that we have any thing, seeing we deserve no good at his hands. 2. If we examine our circumstances closely, and call to remembrance the dealings of God's providence towards us, we shall find that we can sing much both of mercy and of judgment. For one day of absolute unavoidable want, we shall find we had three hundred and sixty-four, if not of fullness, yet of a competency. Famines, though rarely happening, are everywhere recorded; innumerable years of abundance are scarcely ever registered! Such is the perverseness and ingratitude of man!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 43:26-34

Observe the great respect Joseph's brethren paid to him. Thus were Joseph's dreams more and more fulfilled. Joseph showed great kindness to them. He treated them nobly; but see here the early distance between Jews and gentiles. In a day of famine, it is enough to be fed; but they were feasted. Their cares and fears were now over, and they ate their bread with joy, reckoning they were upon good terms with the lord of…

Read the full comment on Genesis 43:26-34 →

Genesis 43:34 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשָּׂ֨אvai.yi.Sa'and someone tookH5375

מַשְׂאֹ֜תmas.'OtportionsH4864

מֵאֵ֣תme.'Etfrom withH854

פָּנָיו֮pa.Navface hisH6440

אֲלֵהֶם֒'a.le.Hemto themH413

וַתֵּ֜רֶבva.Te.revand it was greatH7235

מַשְׂאַ֧תmas.'At[the] portion ofH4864

בִּנְיָמִ֛ןbin.ya.MinBenjaminH1144

מִמַּשְׂאֹ֥תmi.mas.'Otmore than [the] portions ofH4864

כֻּלָּ֖םku.Lamall of themH3605

חָמֵ֣שׁcha.MeshfiveH2568

יָד֑וֹתya.DothandsH3027

וַיִּשְׁתּ֥וּvai.yish.Tuand they drankH8354

וַֽיִּשְׁכְּר֖וּvai.yish.ke.Ruand they became drunkH7937

עִמּֽוֹ\׃i.Mowith himH5973

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 43:34

Genesis 45:22
To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
1 Samuel 1:5
But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
2 Samuel 11:8
And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
John 2:10
And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
Ecclesiastes 10:19
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
Proverbs 31:6
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
Ecclesiastes 9:7
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Matthew 11:19
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
Song of Solomon 5:1
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
1 Samuel 9:22-24
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
Habakkuk 1:6
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

messes.
2Sa 11:8
was five times.Sir John Chardin observes, that "in Persia, Arabia, and the Indies, there are some houses where they place several plates in large salvers, and set one of these before each person, or before two or three, according to the magnificence of each house. The great men of the state are always served by themselves, in the feasts that are made for them; and with great profusion, their part of each kind of provision being always double, treble, or a larger proportion of each kind of meat."
45:22; 1Sa 1:5; 9:22-24
were merry. Heb. drank largely.
Pr 31:6; Ec 9:7; 10:19; So 5:1; Hab 1:6; Mt 11:19; Joh 2:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Genesis 43:33
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
Genesis 43:34
And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Read all of Genesis 43

Genesis 43:34 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y él tomó viandas de delante de sí para ellos; mas la porción de Benjamín era cinco veces como cualquiera de las de ellos. Y bebieron, y alegráronse con él.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il leur fit porter des mets de devant lui; et la portion de Benjamin était cinq fois plus grande que les portions d’eux tous; et ils burent, et firent bonne chère avec lui.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und man trug Ehrengerichte von ihm zu ihnen; und das Ehrengericht Benjamins war fünfmal größer als die Ehrengerichte von ihnen allen. Und sie tranken und tranken sich fröhlich mit ihm.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	sumptis partibus quas ab eo acceperant: majorque pars venit Benjamin, ita ut quinque partibus excederet. Biberuntque et inebriati sunt cum eo.