Genesis 43

Read Genesis 43 here or at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph:

41:1-44:17 {s} …

Gen 43:1-15 makes a Chiastic Structure:

The central axis of the structure highlights Judah’s offer to be surety for Benjamin.

Original Hebrew for SURETY

Strong’s H6148, arab, a primitive root meaning “to braid,” i.e., to intermix, to weave, to exchange, to become surety. The Lexicons show the pictographs of the root to be an ayin + resh + bet. The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon reveals that the original ancient pictograph in this root in the place of the ayin was a ghah, a letter which existed in paleo Hebrew and other Semitic languages, but which has been absorbed into the ayin in modern Hebrew.

ghah § = rope, thus twisted, goat, dark, negative
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
bet ב = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within

The parable the ancient pictographs are telling is that rope (ghah) is braided by bringing the top strand (resh) within (bet). The verb form of arab means to braid, to intermix, or to exchange, thus to barter, to engage in commerce, as commerce entails the exchanging of one thing for something else. The concrete noun is a marketplace, the place one goes to barter, or a pledge, an item used in bartering. The abstract concept, then, is surety, as someone exchanges himself for another. According to Webster’s, surety is a formal engagement given for the fulfillment of an undertaking, as a guarantee; a basis of confidence or security; or one who has become legally liable for the debt, default, or failure in duty of another.

I believe Judah made himself surety for Benjamin, because he saw an opportunity to right his original wrong. Not that he ever thought he would see Joseph again, but as he was responsible for Joseph being sold as a slave in Egypt, he would be responsible for seeing Benjamin safely home. When Judah made himself surety for Benjamin, Israel relented and allowed Benjamin to go with his brothers to Egypt.

If there are questions, these are good resources:

The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon – Dr. Jeff Benner
The Index of Hebrew Roots – Christine Miller