형제들의 인격과 정직함을 시험한 요셉(창세기 44장)

세상에서 제일 싫어하는 게 떠보고 시험하는 것인데 성경에는 이런 에피소드가 종종 등장하는 것 같습니다. 믿음을 구하는 경전이니 가스라이팅 수단으로 쓰이는 게 이해도 가지만요. 아무튼, 요셉은 형제들에게 당했던 경험이 있으니 한번 속지 두 번 속나 하는 심정으로 형제들을 시험한 것 같습니다. 

 

 

 

뭔가 응징의 음모가 도사리고 있는 느낌

 

창세기 43장편 보기

 

1. Then he commanded the steward of his house, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry , and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack,

2. and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph told him.

 

 

 

 3. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys.

4. They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?

5. Is it not from this theat my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this."

 

창세기 44장은 요셉이 부하들을 시켜 형들과 아우들에게 곡식 자루에 곡식은 물론, 막내에게는 자루에 은잔과 돈까지 넣어서 돌려보냅니다. 그러더니만 그들이 떠나자마자 요셉이 사람을 시켜 그들을 잡아 추궁하게 만든 구절입니다.

 

도둑 잡기

 

6. When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words.

7. They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

8. Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

9. Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants."

10. He said, "Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent."

11. Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12. And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13. Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

 

요셉의 부하들과, 요셉도 있었는지 어쨌는지 이들에게 물건을 훔쳐갔다고 추궁하고 억울하기 짝이 없는 형제들은 그럴 리가 없다고 정색합니다. 그러자 만일 자루에서 은잔이 나오면 그 은잔을 훔친 자는 종으로 삼고 나머지는 돌려주겠다고 합니다. 그래서 맏이부터 자루를 뒤졌는데 막내 자루에서 은잔이 나옵니다.  13절은 그들이 옷을 찢고 도시로 돌아갔다고 나오는데요. 다음 구절이 몹시 궁금해지네요.

 

 

 형제들의 의리

 

14. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. There fell before him to the ground.

15. Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?"

16. And Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found."

17. But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whouse hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father."

 

일단 요셉의 계략으로 은잔이 들어있던 막내만 노예로 삼겠다고 하니 형들이 이번에는 정신을 차렸는지 자기네들도 같이 노예가 되겠다고 하였네요. 

 

 막내를 데려가겠다며 막무가내

 

18. Then Judah went up to him and said, "Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.

19. My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father, or a brother?'

20. And we said to my lord, 'we have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's childdren, and his father loves him.'

 

21. Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.'

22.We said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

23. Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your toungest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my fae again.'

 

 

 

24. "When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25. And when our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food, '

26. we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

27. Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.

28. One left me, and I said, "Surely he has been torn to pieces." and I have never seen him since.

29. If you take this one also from me, and harm hapens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.'

 

30. Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life, 

31. as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

32. For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.'

33. Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father."

 

 

형제 유다는 복에 받혀 막내를 데려가지 않으면 아버지가 제명에 못 살 거라는 등 막무가내를 부립니다. 당신은 아버지와 형제도 없느냐며. 형제 잃은 기분을 알 수 있겠냐며 막내를 데려가지 않으면 지옥으로 떨어질 거라고 절규 비슷한 느낌을 받았네요. 여기서 스올 sheol이 뭔가 했더니 히브리어로 저승을 의미한다고 합니다. 마치 영어 욕이 여기서 파생된 것은 아닌가 싶은 생각도 드네요. 에스올 as sheol이 더 천박한 단어 느낌으로 된 것 같지 않나요?

 

아무튼, 형제들은 아버지에게 확답도 해둔 상태에서 이번에 막내를 데리고 가지 않으면 자신들은 지옥불에 떨어지고 아버지도 돌아가실 것 같으니 아주 생떼를 쓰게 되고요. 당연히 요셉의 시험에 패스한 것 같죠?

 

 

 은잔의 의미

 

또한, 좀 기괴하다 싶은 것이 하나님을 섬기는 요셉은 왜 별도로 점을 치던 걸까요? 여기서 나오는 은잔은 요셉이 점을 칠 때 사용한 도구로 알려졌는데요. 마치 타로 카드에 나오는 은잔이 연상되네요. 성경 속 은잔은 판단, 정직, 회개와 같은 상징적인 의미가 있다고 하는데요. 은잔으로 어떻게 점을 봤다는 것인지 궁금즘을 자아냅니다.