And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
They set out the food separately - one table for Joseph by himself, one table for his brothers, and another table for the Egyptians who were eating with them. This was because Egyptians would not eat meals with Hebrews, since they considered it disgusting and offensive.
This verse shows how the Egyptians had such strong cultural prejudices against Hebrews that they refused to eat at the same table with them.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place when Joseph's brothers came to Egypt during the famine, not yet knowing that their brother Joseph had become a powerful Egyptian official. Ancient Egyptians considered themselves culturally superior and had strict social customs about eating with foreigners, especially nomadic peoples like the Hebrews. Joseph had to maintain his Egyptian identity and follow these customs to protect his position and his secret.
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