(19) At the door of the house.--Alarmed at a thing so unexpected as being taken to the house of the governor, they can see nothing but danger, and will not enter until they receive the assurance of safety from the officer "who was over Joseph's house." (See Note on Genesis 43:25.)

Verses 19-22. - And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house (literally, the man who was over Joseph's house), and they communed (or spake) with him at the door of the house (i.e. before they entered), and said, O sir, - literally, Pray, my lord; δεόμεθαπύριε (LXX.) - we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: and it came to pass, when we came to the inn, - or halting-place (vide Genesis 42:27) - that we opened our sacks, - this was not strictly accurate, as only one sack had been opened at the wayside khan, while the others were not examined till they had reached home; though, as an explanation of the difficulty, it has been suggested (vide Keil's 'Introduction,' vol. 1. p. 109, note by Prof. Douglas) that all the sacks may have been, and probably were, opened at the inn, but that only one man found his money in his sack's mouth, as the next clause explains - and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, - literally, a man's money in the mouth of his sack, i.e. one of them found his money there, while the others discovered their money, which was not "in the sack's mouth," but "in the sack" (Genesis 42:35), only on emptying their sacks at home - our money in full weight (literally, according to its weight): and we have brought it again in our hand. And other money (i.e. the second silver of ver. 12) have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

43:15-25 Jacob's sons went down the second time into Egypt to buy corn. If we should ever know what a famine of the word means, let us not think it much to travel as far for spiritual food, as they did for bodily food. Joseph's steward had orders from his master to take them to his house. Even this frightened them. Those that are guilty make the worst of every thing. But the steward encouraged them. It appears, from what he said, that by his good master he was brought to the knowledge of the true God, the God of the Hebrews. Religious servants should take all fit occasions to speak of God and his providence, with reverence and seriousness.And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house,.... The same person before called the ruler of his house, under whose direction they were; just before they came to the house, as it seems by what follows, they made up to him as having something to say to him:

and they communed with him at the door of the house; before they went into it, being uneasy and eager to know what should be the meaning of their being brought thither, which was unusual.