What does Genesis 44:27 mean?
Judah has just explained to an Egyptian ruler that he and his brothers told their elderly father that they could not return to buy any more grain unless they brought Benjamin with them. This was the ruler's demand (Genesis 42:19–20), and it was out of their control. This is part of Judah's desperate plea for mercy (Genesis 44:18–26). He does not realize that he's speaking to his own estranged brother, Joseph (Genesis 42:7–8), who was sold into slavery twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:24–28).Now Judah reports their father's response. This reveals the painful depths of Jacob's favoritism for Rachel and her two sons. Jacob said, "My wife bore me two sons." At least in that moment, Jacob thought nothing of Leah, his two servant wives, or his other ten sons as rising to the level of wife and sons in the same way.
Once again, the reader is given reasons to understand how Jacob's other sons came to resent Joseph (Genesis 37:3–4). How could they not? Judah, however, betrays no emotion at Jacob's statement. In fact, his whole speech to Joseph is about trying to save Benjamin for the sake of his father. He has clearly matured in his character.
Genesis 44:14–34 explains how Joseph's brothers reacted to another test of character. The youngest, Benjamin, was discovered to have Joseph's own silver cup in his bags. This was secretly put there on Joseph's orders—and the brothers still do not know his identity. Joseph's intent seems to be a test of his brothers' growth: are they still as cruel and selfish as when they sold Joseph, himself, into Egyptian slavery? Benjamin's sentence is to become Joseph's slave while the rest are free to go. Instead, Judah offers to take Benjamin's place in order save his youngest brother and their old father, who will surely die of grief if Benjamin is lost.
Eleven of Jacob's sons enjoyed a meal as honored guests of an Egyptian governor. They are sent off the next morning with full sacks of grain. All seems well until the governor's house steward overtakes them on the road and accuses them of stealing the ruler's personal and valuable silver cup. The brothers don't know this governor is Joseph, their long-lost brother. Nor do they know he ordered the steward to place the cup in Benjamin's sack. This is part of Joseph's final test of his brothers and their moral growth. Seeking to rescue Benjamin from slavery, Judah makes a powerful speech to Joseph, offering to take Benjamin's place as a slave to save the boy and avoid grieving their father, Jacob.
