Bible Strands
Genesis 45:22
He gave new garments to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joseph, elevated to Egyptian viceroy, addresses his brothers who have just completed a grain purchase, distributing wagons and supplies for their return journey to Canaan. He hands out personal gifts to each brother before they depart with their father.
The words — The narrative uses נָתַן (na.Tan, "he gave") twice to mark the transfer of חֲלִפֹת שְׂמָלֹת (cha.li.Fot se.ma.Lot, "changes of clothes") to every brother. To Benjamin specifically, the text records the giving of three hundred shekels of silver and five additional sets of garments.
The thread — This unequal distribution mirrors Genesis 43:34, where Joseph serves Benjamin a portion five times larger than his brothers' and secretly fills his sack with grain. The motif of strategic material transfers marking covenantal or relational shifts also appears in 2 Kings 5:5 and Judges 14:12.
Why it lands — The text first establishes a concrete pattern of preferential gifting before revealing its narrative function as a mechanism for testing loyalty and preparing family restoration. It requires the reader to track how specific, calculated distributions of wealth and clothing operate as instruments of divine providence rather than simple generosity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
Cross-references
- Genesis 43:34 When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
- 2 Kings 5:5 “Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
- Judges 14:12 “Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
- 2 Kings 5:22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi replied. “My master has sent me to say, ‘Look, two young men from the sons of the prophets have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’”
- Judges 14:19 Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house,
- Revelation 6:11 Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.