Theologische Nuggets IV (Genesis 34 - 44:26)

Genesis 44:16

 Juda sprach: Was sollen wir meinem Herrn sagen oder wie sollen wir reden und womit können wir uns rechtfertigen? Gott hat die Missetat deiner Knechte gefunden. Siehe, wir und der, bei dem der Becher gefunden ist, sind meines Herrn Sklaven.

Wir lesen hier warum es Juda war, der mit seinen Brüdern zu Josef geht, denn Juda ist auch derjenige, der das Gespräch anfängt und leitet. Juda akzeptiert die Beweislage und hinterfragt sie nicht und schiebt es sogar auf eine göttliche Erkenntnis hin. Juda sieht in der Missetat wahrscheinlich nicht nur den geklauten Becher, sondern alle Missetaten, die sie getan haben auch in Bezug auf Josef. 

Also will Juda sich und alle Brüder, inklusive Benjamin zum Sklavendasein befördern und die Strafe des Bruders mittragen. Hat er und haben sich die Brüder so sehr verändert? 

Judah resigns that they cannot clear their name. After all, the cup was discovered in their possession. "Prove our innocence" (hith. from ṣādaq) is not the first time that the word was in Judah's mind (v. 16). It is the same root word heard in his admission, "She [Tamar] is more righteous [ṣādaq] than I" (38:26). He admits their guilt, but he does not mean the charge of theft pending before them. For this allegation was not true. Rather, he has in mind the crime against their long-lost brother. For Judah this mistaken charge against them is recompense for the crime they had not atoned for. There was no human explanation for the peculiar circumstances of the cup. God must have "uncovered [māṣāʾ] your servant's guilt" (v. 16a). ... He accepts what appears to be the inevitable punishment that he himself had recommended. The language underscores the collective guilt of the ten brothers ("we ... we ourselves"), distinguishing themselves from Benjamin ("and the one ..."). Sadly, Benjamin is an innocent bystander caught up in the crime of his siblings.
K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, Bd. 1B of The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 802-803

This address needs no comment—consisting at first of short, broken sentences, as if, under the overwhelming force of the speaker's emotions, his utterance were choked, it becomes more free and copious by the effort of speaking, as he proceeds. Every word finds its way to the heart; and it may well be imagined that Benjamin, who stood there speechless like a victim about to be laid on the altar, when he heard the magnanimous offer of Judah to submit to slavery for his ransom, would be bound by a lifelong gratitude to his generous brother, a tie that seems to have become hereditary in his tribe. Joseph's behavior must not be viewed from any single point, or in separate parts, but as a whole—a well-thought, deep-laid, closely connected plan; and though some features of it do certainly exhibit an appearance of harshness, yet the pervading principle of his conduct was real, genuine, brotherly kindness. Read in this light, the narrative of the proceedings describes the continuous, though secret, pursuit of one end; and Joseph exhibits, in his management of the scheme, a very high order of intellect, a warm and susceptible heart, united to a judgment that exerted a complete control over his feelings—a happy invention in devising means towards the attainment of his ends and an inflexible adherence to the course, however painful, which prudence required.

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.

Judah takes the lead in their defense, as he had vowed to accept responsibility for Benjamin (43:9; see vv. 18, 33–34). His plea—the longest speech in the book of Genesis—is eloquent yet properly deferential. It reminds Joseph of the circumstances that led to their return with Benjamin—namely, the advanced age of their father. With this plea, the story climaxes as Judah requests to be enslaved in place of Benjamin. Ironically, the brother who suggested Joseph be sold into slavery (37:26–27) now unknowingly offers to become Joseph's slave.God has found the guilt of May refer to their collective guilt for stealing the divination cup or, more probably, to their heinous crime against Joseph long ago (as in 42:21–22, 28). They apparently harbor guilt for the way they mistreated their brother.

John D. Barry u. a., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Gen 44,16.