Commentary for Genesis 43:18
וַיִּֽירְא֣וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֗ים כִּ֣י הֽוּבְאוּ֮ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵף֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ עַל־דְּבַ֤ר הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ הַשָּׁ֤ב בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מֽוּבָאִ֑ים לְהִתְגֹּלֵ֤ל עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ וּלְהִתְנַפֵּ֣ל עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְלָקַ֧חַת אֹתָ֛נוּ לַעֲבָדִ֖ים וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֵֽינוּ׃
And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said: ‘Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.’
Rashi on Genesis
וייראו האנשים AND THE MEN WERE AFRAID — The word ויראו is written with two yods and its translation in the Targum is ודחילו and they were afraid.
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Ramban on Genesis
THAT HE MAY DEVISE SOME PRETEXT (‘L’HITHGOLEIL’) AGAINST US. The word l’hithgoleil is of the same root as: And Amasa lay wallowing (‘mithgoleil’) in blood?187II Samuel 20:12. And every cloak rolled (‘m’golalah’) in blood.188Isaiah 9:4. [Its meaning is] as a man who turns from side to side upon his fellow.
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Radak on Genesis
להתגולל עלינו, the reason he brought us to his private palace was in order to subject us to accusations concerning the money we were supposed to have stolen, something which he will use as a pretext להתנפל עלנו, to attack us seeing that he had been ill disposed against us from the beginning, when he had treated us as suspected spies. Now he will use the trumped up charges in order to keep us as slaves, a traditional punishment for thieves. He probably also wants to confiscate our donkeys What other reason could possibly account for his taking us to his private residence!
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