Judah explained the whole story. He did not try to hide or excuse the brothers" guilt. This is the longest speech in Genesis. Key words are "servant" (10 times), "my lord" (7 times), and "father" (13times). [source][source][source]
"No orator ever pronounced a more moving oration." [1][source]
"I would give very much to be able to pray before our Lord God as well as Judah prays here before Joseph. For this is a perfect pattern of prayer, yes, of the true feeling which should be in a prayer." [2][source]
Jacob had not changed in that he still doted on his youngest son. However the brothers had changed; they now loved their father and Benjamin. Note Judah"s appeal to Jacob"s old age and Benjamin"s youth ( Genesis 44:20), descriptions designed to stress each one"s vulnerability and so elicit Joseph"s pity. Judah manifested concern for Jacob as well as Benjamin ( Genesis 44:31). Rather than hating their father for favoring Joseph and then Benjamin, the brothers were now working for his welfare. The supreme proof of Judah"s repentance, and the moral high point of his career, was his willingness to trade places with Benjamin and remain in Egypt as a slave ( Genesis 44:33-34; cf. John 15:13). This is the first instance of human substitution in Scripture (cf. Genesis 22:13). [source][source][source]
"A spiritual metamorphosis for the better has certainly taken place in Judah.... He who once callously engineered the selling of Joseph to strangers out of envy and anger is now willing to become Joseph"s slave so that the rest of his brothers, and especially Benjamin [3], may be freed and allowed to return to Canaan to rejoin their father." [4][source]
Jesus Christ, Judah"s descendant, demonstrated the same attitude. [source][source][source]
"Jacob will crown Judah with kingship [5] because he demonstrates that he has become fit to rule according to God"s ideal of kingship that the king serves the people, not vice versa. Judah is transformed from one who sells his brother as a slave to one who is willing to be the slave for his brother. With that offer he exemplifies Israel"s ideal kingship." [6][source]
God teaches His people to be loyal to one another by convicting them of previous disloyalty to get them to love one another unselfishly. Such self-sacrificing love is essential for the leaders of God"s people. [source][source][source]