Genesis 44

Genesis · Chapter 44

Genesis 44:31

1And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.4And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?5Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.6And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.7And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?9With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.10And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.11Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.12And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?16And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.17And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.18Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?20And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.22And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.25And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.26And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:29And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;31It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.32For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.33Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.34For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
31It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and it will beוְהָיָ֗הve-ha-YAHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

when sees heכִּרְאוֹת֛וֹkir-'o-TOH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

thatכִּי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

there notאֵ֥ין'einH0369
nothing

אַ֫יִן (a.yin) 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of

[is] the young manהַנַּ֖עַרha-NA-'arH5288
youth

נַ֫עַר (na.ar) 1) a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer 1a) boy, lad, youth 1b) servant, retainer

and he will dieוָמֵ֑תva-METH4191
to die

מוּת (mut) 1) to die, kill, have one executed 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to die 1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death 1a3) to die, perish (of a nation) 1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct) 1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch 1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death 1d) (Hophal) 1d1) to be killed, be put to death 1d1a) to die prematurely

and they will bring downוְהוֹרִ֨ידוּve-ho-RI-duH3381
to go down

יָרַד (ya.rad) 1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come down 1a2) to sink 1a3) to be prostrated 1a4) to come down (of revelation) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to bring down 1b2) to send down 1b3) to take down 1b4) to lay prostrate 1b5) to let down 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought down 1c2) to be taken down

servants yourעֲבָדֶ֜יךָ'a-va-DEI-khaH5650
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

[the] gray hair ofשֵׂיבַ֨תsei-VATH7872
greyheaded

שֵׂיבָה (se.vah) 1) age, gray hair, hoary head, old age 1a) gray hair, hoary head 1b) old age

servant yourעַבְדְּךָ֥'av-de-KHAH5650
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

father ourאָבִ֛ינוּ'a-VI-nuH0001G
father

אָב (av) 1) father of an individual 2) of God as father of his people 3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan 4) ancestor 4a) grandfather, forefathers - of person 4b) of people 5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art 6) of producer, generator (fig.) 7) of benevolence and protection (fig.) 8) term of respect and honour 9) ruler or chief (spec.) Also means: av (אַב "father" H0002)

in sorrowבְּיָג֖וֹןbe-ya-GONH3015
sorrow

יָגוֹן (ya.gon) grief, sorrow, anguish

Sheol towardsשְׁאֹֽלָה׃she-'O-lahH7585
hell: Sheol

שְׁאוֹל (she.ol) Sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit 1a) the underworld 1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead 1b1) place of no return 1b2) without praise of God 1b3) wicked sent there for punishment 1b4) righteous not abandoned to it 1b5) of the place of exile (fig) 1b6) of extreme degradation in sin

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.