Genesis 43:12

Gen 43:12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry [it] again in your hand; peradventure it [was] an oversight:

Ver. 12. And take double money.] Invaluerat enim fames, {Gen 43:1} ideoque annonae pretium auctum erat, saith Junius. It went hard with the inhabitants of Samaria, when an ass’s head was worth four pounds.

Peradventure it was an oversight.] Which called for restitution; we must buy and sell by that standard, {Mat 7:12} "Whatever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye the same to them." Now no man would be cheated. Woe be to him that cries Caveat emptor; He that cannot lie, cannot live, {a} &c. "God is the avenger of all such." {1Th 4:6}

{a} Qui nescit dissimulare, nescit vivere.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 43:12. Take double money — As much again as they took the time before, upon supposition that the price of corn might be risen, or that, if it should be insisted upon, they might pay a ransom for Simeon: And he sent a present of such things as the land afforded, and were scarce in Egypt, the commodities that Canaan exported.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When we are in necessity or danger, God forbiddeth not to use all honest means to better our estate and condition.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

take double money--the first sum to be returned, and another sum for a new supply. The restored money in the sacks' mouth was a perplexing circumstance. But it might have been done inadvertently by one of the servants--so Jacob persuaded himself--and happy it was for his own peace and the encouragement of the travellers that he took this view. Besides the duty of restoring it, honesty in their case was clearly the best, the safest policy.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 12. Double money] What was returned in their sacks, and what was farther necessary to buy another load.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(12) Double money.—So Rashi; but others render it literally, second money, that is, a second sum of money. This agrees with the phrase “other money” in Gen_43:22.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. double money] Jacob recommends a double restitution (Exo_22:4) for the money that had been mysteriously returned, on the improbable supposition that the affair had been an “oversight.” LXX ἀγνόημα = “accidental error.” Cf. the sin done “unwittingly” in Lev_4:13; Lev_4:22; Num_22:24.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Take also your brother,.... Their brother Benjamin, committing him into their hands and to their care, hereby declaring his consent and willingness that he should go with them:

and arise, go again to the man; the governor of Egypt, to buy corn of him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And take double money (literally, money of a second, i.e. of the same, amount; not twice as much as the first time, but simply as much as the first time) in your hand; and the money that was brought again (or returned) in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight (literally, a something caused to wander, a mistake, from a root signifying to go astray).

Vers. 13, 14. Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: and God Almighty El Shaddai, the covenant God of Abraham, (Gen_17:1) and of Jacob himself (Gen_35:11) give you mercy (literally, bowels, hence very tender affection, the inward parts being regarded as the seat of the emotions) before the man, that he may send away literally, and he shall send with you (Kalisch), or for you (Keil)your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved literally, and if I am bereaved, I am bereaved, an expression of the patriarch"s acquiescence in the Divine will (cf. 2Ki_7:4; Est_4:16)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Take double money - As much again as they took the time before, upon supposition that the price of corn might be risen, or that, if it should be insisted upon, they might pay a ransom for Simeon. And he sent a present of such things as the land afforded, and were scarce in Egypt, the commodities that Canaan exported.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

"And take second (i.e., more) money (משׁנה כּסף is different from משׁנה־כּסף doubling of the money = double money, Gen 43:15) in your hand; and the money that returned in your sacks take with you again; perhaps it is a mistake," i.e., was put in your sacks by mistake.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

וכסף משנה AND DOUBLE MONEY — twice as much as at first.

קחו בידכם TAKE IN YOUR HAND to buy food: perhaps the market-price has risen (Genesis Rabbah 91:11).

אולי משגה הוא PERADVENTURE IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT — perhaps the man in charge of the house forgot it inadvertently).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

וכסף משנה, and a second amount of money. The word משנה occurs in the same sense as here in Jeremiah 17,18 ומשנה שברון, “and shatter them with double destruction.” The vowel segol instead of tzeyreh in שני, indicates that the word is not in a construct mode.

אולי משגה הוא, perhaps one of the people selling the grain and filling the sacks of the buyers had mistakenly and temporarily put a bag of coins in the bag of the brothers forgetting about it and had not retrieved it. At the time when they counted the money to tally it with the quantity of grain sold, it had already been mixed up in the grain and there was no knowing where it had disappeared to. When you now bring it back, you will establish your reputation as being trustworthy by doing this.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.