Joseph's brothers were apprehensive when they arrived in Egypt the second time. Would the official who was holding Simeon in custody accuse them of being thieves as well as spies? What further things would they suffer for their treatment of Joseph 22 years before?
The Egyptian official treated them kindly, hosting a special dinner for them. At the dinner, he seated them according to their birth order. How did he know so much about them? (One midrash proposes that Joseph pretended to use his special divining cup to determine the seating arrangement, as a way to explain his knowledge of their ages and heighten their awe of the powerful official.)
Things went surprisingly well for the brothers, and they headed home with more grain. Then disaster struck. The Egyptian official's steward stopped them and accused them of stealing the official's silver divining cup.
This situation may have reminded the brothers of a traumatic episode from their childhood. When their family was escaping from their great uncle Laban, Laban had pursued them, accusing them of stealing his household gods (Gen 31:25-30). An ugly argument ensued, with their father asserting his innocence and promising death for the thief. (Jacob had not realized at the time that Rachel had stolen the items---vv 31-32).
This time it was the brothers who insisted on their innocence and said that whoever had the cup should die (Gen 44:9). Then the cup was found in the sack of Benjamin (v 12). When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothes as their father had when he had seen Joseph's bloody coat (v 13; Gen 37:34).
The Egyptian official did not suggest the death penalty for Benjamin. He proposed that Benjamin become his slave and the others go free. Here was a final test for the brothers. Would they abandon Benjamin as they had Joseph?
Judah, the one who had proposed years earlier that Joseph be sold (Gen 37:25-28), took the lead in negotiating with the Egyptian official. The stage was set for the climax of the Joseph narrative.
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