From the very beginning it had been very clear that Jacob loved Rachel (Genesis 29:18). In fact, had it not been for Laban’s trickery (Genesis 29:23), Jacob would never have married Leah, Rachel’s elder sister. Yet, he served Laban 14 years, so he could marry Rachel (Genesis 29:25, 27). Therefore, Jacob’s marriage began with a built-in rivalry between his two wives (Genesis 29:30). Leah felt unloved (Genesis 29:32, 34), and Rachel was jealous over Leah’s fertility, because she was barren (Genesis 30:1; cp. verse-8). Nevertheless, although it was no secret that Jacob served Laban 14 years for Rachel, Leah believed she, Rachel, had stolen away her, vis-à-vis Leah’s, husband (Genesis 30:15).
Such a thing couldn’t help but spill over into the hearts of the children, and, as the rivalry grew stronger between their mothers, so Leah’s children resented Joseph, as well.[1] In fact, their hatred of their brother, Joseph, culminated in their selling him as a slave to the Midianites, who in turn sold him to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s captain of the guard (Genesis 37:36).
This had been the way of life in Jacob’s family. The air between the sisters, and between their sons was so filled with resentment and rivalry, that it could be cut with a knife. But, after twenty-one years, was it over? Joseph’s mother, Rachel, was dead but did the brothers still hold resentment toward her children? Would they leave Benjamin to his fate in Egypt and return in safety to the Land of Canaan, or did all the jealousy and competition come to an end? Joseph’s test of his ten brothers proved the latter true. Judah drew near to him and begged that Joseph wouldn’t be angry, because to them, he was as Pharaoh, and they were in great fear of him (Genesis 44:18).
Judah continued, recalling how they told Joseph that Benjamin was beloved of their father and the only son of his mother (Rachel), because his elder brother (Joseph) was dead (Genesis 44:19-20). Thus, Judah mentioned further that they were commanded to bring Benjamin with them to Egypt on their next visit to buy grain, or they would not be accepted, neither would they be able to buy grain for their families (Genesis 44:21-23). Furthermore, the bond between their brother and their father was so strong that their father would die, if Benjamin was not with them, when they returned (Genesis 44:30-31). In fact, they were barely able to convince their father to release Benjamin to come with them to Egypt to buy grain for the survival of their families, fearing trouble would separate him from his son (Genesis 44:24-29).
Judah then confessed to Joseph that he made himself surety for his brother, Benjamin, telling his father that, if he didn’t bring him back upon their return from Egypt, that he, Judah, would take the blame for it all forever, until his death (Genesis 44:32). Therefore, he pleaded with Joseph to take himself, Judah, instead of Benjamin, and let his brother return to his father with his other brothers. Furthermore, he asked Joseph how could he (Judah) could face his father without Benjamin, and how could he witness the evil that would surely come upon his father once he realized he had lost his second son by Rachel along with the first (Genesis 44:33-34)?
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[1] Their resentment also included Benjamin in the beginning, and this is seen in Reuben’s behavior toward Bilhah, Rachel’s maid. By going in unto her after Rachel’s death, he insured that Jacob would have no more sons by Rachel, whose legal sons included the sons of her handmaid, Bilhah.
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