John Gill Commentary Genesis 44:13

"Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city." — Genesis 44:13 (ASV)

Then they rent their clothes In token of sorrow and distress, being at their wits' end, like distracted persons, not knowing what to do: this was usually done in the eastern countries when any evil befell, as did Jacob, (Genesis 37:34) ; and as the Egyptians themselves did when mourning for their dead, as Diodorus Siculus ^F17 relates.

and loaded every man his ass ; put their sacks of corn on their asses again, having tied them up:

and returned to the city ; to the metropolis, as Jarchi, which was either Tanis, that is, Zoan, or, as others think, Memphis: hither they returned to see how it would go with Benjamin, to plead his cause and get him released, that he might go with them, they being afraid to see their father's face without him; otherwise, if they had been content to go without him, they might have proceeded on in their journey, see (Genesis 44:17) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F17: Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 65.