Genesis 44:3

Gen 44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

Ver. 3. The men were sent away.] This was no small courtesy to them, that were so willing of their way.

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.

Hebrew, the morning shone.

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

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away--They commenced their homeward journey at early dawn (see on Gen 18:2); and it may be readily supposed in high spirits, after so happy an issue from all their troubles and anxieties.

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

As soon as the morning was light,.... When it was break of day, before the sun rose:

the men were sent away, they and their asses; the men being refreshed with food, and their asses having provender given them, and saddled and loaded, they were handsomely and honourably dismissed.

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

Then as soon as it was light (אור, 3rd pers. perf. in o: Ges. 72, 1), they were sent away with their asses. But they were hardly outside the town, "not far off," when he directed his steward to follow the men, and as soon as he overtook them, to say, "Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is it not this from which my lord drinketh, and he is accustomed to prophesy from it? Ye have done an evil deed!" By these words they were accused of theft; the thing was taken for granted as well known to them all, and the goblet purloined was simply described as a very valuable possession of Joseph's. נחשׁ: lit., to whisper, to mumble out formularies, incantations, then to prophesy, divinare. According to this, the Egyptians at that time practised λεκανοσκοπίη or λεκανομαντεία and ὑδρομαντεία, the plate and water incantations, of which Jamblichus speaks (de myst. iii. 14), and which consisted in pouring clean water into a goblet, and then looking into the water for representations of future events; or in pouring water into a goblet or dish, dropping in pieces of gold and silver, also precious stones, and then observing and interpreting the appearances in the water (cf. Varro apud August. civ. Dei 7, 35; Plin. h. n. 37, 73; Strabo, xvi. p. 762). Traces of this have been continued even to our own day (see Norden's Journey through Egypt and Nubia). But we cannot infer with certainty from this, that Joseph actually adopted this superstitious practice. The intention of the statement may simply have been to represent the goblet as a sacred vessel, and Joseph as acquainted with the most secret things (Gen 44:15).

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.)

The morning dawned

"The morning light shown"

the men were sent away, they and their donkeys

This can be stated in active form. AT: "they sent the men away, along with their donkeys" (See: Active or Passive)

Why have you returned evil for good?

This question is used to scold the brothers. AT: "You have treated us badly, after we were good to you!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

Is this not the cup from which my master drinks, and the cup that he uses for divination?

This question is used to scold the brothers. AT: "You already know that this is the cup that my master uses for drinking and for fortune telling!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

You have done evil, this thing that you have done

This repeats "you have done" for emphasis. AT: "What you have done is very evil" (See: Parallelism)

translationWords

donkey

Joseph (OT)

manager

evil

good

lord

divination

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

הבקר אור, the word אור here is a verb in the active mode of the passive conjugation We encounter a similar construction in Samuel I 14,29, כי אורו עיני, “for my eyes have lit up.”

וחמוריהם, they were given a sendoff together with their fully loaded donkeys.

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.