Augustine of Hippo : ON JOSEPH'S OATH: "BY THE SALVATION OF PHARAOH." — How could Joseph, a man so prudent and so praised, not only by the testimony of the men among whom he lived, but by the affirmation of his own Scripture, so swear by the salvation of Pharaoh that his brothers would not depart from Egypt if their younger brother did not come with them? Is it true that even for a good and faithful man the salvation of Pharaoh was despicable, to whom was he faithful as before, in everything, as his master? And how much more should he keep to him who had placed him in such an important post, if he kept it to him who owned him as a servant who had bought! And if he did not care for Pharaoh's salvation, should he not have avoided perjury for the salvation of any man? Is it not perjury? He kept one of his brothers until Benjamin came and fulfilled what he had said: You will not leave here, unless your brother comes (Gen. 42:15). For these words of his could not refer to all his brothers, for how could Benjamin come if some had not come to bring him? But the words that come next pose an even greater problem, when he swears again, saying, Send one of you and bring your brother. In the meantime, the rest of you will remain here prisoners until your words are checked, to see if you speak the truth or not. If not, for the salvation of Pharaoh! that you are spies (Gen. 42:16), that is, if you do not tell the truth, you are spies. He ratified these words with an oath, for if they had not told the truth, they would be spies, that is, they would be liable to the punishment of the spies, those men who, in spite of everything, knew that they were telling the truth. In reality, one is not a perjurer if he says to someone, who knows that he is an absolutely chaste person; "If you have committed this adultery of which you are accused, God condemns you," adding an oath to these words. This individual swears a totally true thing, because there is given the condition that he used, saying: if you have done it, when you know perfectly well that he has not done it. But someone can say: it is true, because if he committed adultery, God condemns him. But how can this be true: if you do not tell the truth, you are spies, when, even if they lie, they would not be spies? Well, this is what it said in the Scripture: you are spies, as if you had said: you are worthy of the punishment of the spies, that is, you will be considered spies because of your lie. That the word you have been able to be used instead of "you will be held by" or "you will be considered as" is demonstrated by many other similar expressions, such as that of Elijah: He who hears in the fire, that will be God (I Kgs. 18:24). It does not mean that then it will be God, but then it will be had by such. [ — QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 138 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)