Theologische Nuggets IV (Genesis 34 - 44:26)

Genesis 44:5

Das ist doch der Becher, aus dem mein Herr trinkt und aus dem er wahrsagt! Ihr habt übel getan.

Wahrscheinlich hat der Knecht Josefs die Säcke aufgemacht und ihm Sack von Benjamin den Becher gefunden und somit hat er einen validen Anklagepunkt gegenüber Benjamin. Die Anklage geht jetzt aber gegen alle Brüder. Was passiert jetzt? Werden die Brüder Benjamin fallen lassen, ihn anklagen oder sich für sie einsetzen? Haben sie aus der Vergangenheit gelernt oder verfallen sie in das gleiche Muster wie sonst auch? 

The fact that the cup was in use for drinking would point to the folly of expecting the theft to be unnoticed, and if it were also used for divining it would be doubly precious.

Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, Bd. 1 of Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1967), 216.

Divination by cups, to ascertain the course of futurity, was one of the prevalent superstitions of ancient Egypt, as it is of Eastern countries still. It is not likely that Joseph, a pious believer in the true God, would have addicted himself to this superstitious practice. But he might have availed himself of that popular notion to carry out the successful execution of his stratagem for the last decisive trial of his brethren.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, und David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 44.

Divination by cups was practised by the ancient Egyptians. But no reason to suppose that Joseph actually used this art. It would have been inconsistent with his habitual faithfulness to God, and with the ascription to him alone of the power to reveal secrets (ch. 40:7–41:16). He was now acting a part. He spoke in the character of an Egyptian ruler, to whom the nation ascribed supernatural wisdom. We need not now inquire how far he was right in this. But his object was to try his brethren, whether, and how much, they loved their father and their young brother. He contrived that Benjamin should appear to have incurred the penalty of servitude. What would the rest do? Would they, as they had done to him, leave their brother in slavery? Would they go home and deceive their father by a false story of his death? Could they bear to renew his grief? Had they learned that God marked their actions, and ordained the things that happened to them? The cup hidden in Benjamin's sack was indeed that whereby he was divining their secret thoughts.

H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Hrsg., Genesis, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 492.