Verse

Genesis 44:8

ESV Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?
NIV We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
NASB Behold, the money which we found in the opening of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?
CSB We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
NLT Didn’t we return the money we found in our sacks? We brought it back all the way from the land of Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
KJV Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

What does Genesis 44:8 mean?

Eleven of Jacob's sons (Genesis 43:13–15) thought they had completed their recent mission in Egypt (Genesis 43:1–2). They still have not recognized their estranged brother Joseph as the Egyptian governor (Genesis 42:8). Joseph's steward has caught up to the men just as they began their journey back to Canaan (Genesis 44:1–3). Per Joseph's instructions, he has accused them returning his master's good with evil by stealing the Egyptian rulers own personal silver cup (Genesis 44:4–6).

The men continue their bewildered protest (Genesis 44:7). They just returned the very money they found in their sacks after their last trip to Egypt (Genesis 42:25–28)? That's not something thieves would do. Why would they steal silver or gold after bringing back treasure mistakenly added to their bags?

Of course, it was the steward himself who had put the money in their sacks the first time (Genesis 42:25). What he told them later was that God had given them that money (Genesis 43:23), not revealing it had been ordered returned to them by Joseph. The brothers don't yet know that Joseph and the steward have done something similar with the silver cup in Benjamin's sack.
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