Genesis 43:11
in Genesis 43Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And their father Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
KJV
And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
⋯
This verse in Genesis 43
Commentary
7 notes on this verseCarry down the man a present - From the very earliest times presents were used as means of introduction to great men. This is particularly noticed by Solomon: A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men, Pro 18:16. But what was the present brought to Joseph on this occasion? After all the labor of commentators, we are obliged to be contented with probabilities and conjecture. According to our translation, the gifts were balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds.
This site's exposition
the best products of the land
on Genesis 43:11-13
Israel sends balm and honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds down as a gift. The caravan that carried Joseph to Egypt in 37:25 was loaded with spices, balm and myrrh. The freight that took the son away is now the gift sent after him by a father who does not know it. He sends double the silver and calls it a mistake.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Chapter 43, Verse 11) And bring gifts to the man, some resin, and honey, incense, and resin, and turpentine, and nuts. Or, as Aquila and Symmachus translated, almonds. Therefore, we have included this chapter to know where in our codices the term 'incense' is found, in Hebrew it is 'Necotha' (), which Aquila translated as storax. From which the house of 'nechota,' which is read in Isaiah (39:21), is understood to be the most obvious cell for incense, or storax, as different fragrances are stored in it.
Nevertheless Benjamin, the youngest, was kept back and still stayed close to his loving father. The bonds of the law held him back, and ancestral custom. The famine was increasing because he was coming late. Two brothers, Reuben and Judah—that is, humility and confession—make intercession on his behalf. He has them as guarantees with his father; to them Benjamin is entrusted. One of them is the firstborn, the other restored to life. The firstborn represents the law; the one restored to life, the gospel.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Jacob had said ( ch. xlii. 38 ), My son shall not go down; but now he is over-persuaded to consent. Note, It is no fault, but our wisdom and duty, to alter our purposes and resolutions when there is a good reason for our so doing.
And their father said unto them,....
Jacob's sons were unjustly accused as spies, yet Jacob was willing to be at the expense of a present, to pacify the accuser. Sometimes we must not think it too much to buy peace even where we may justly demand it, and insist upon it as our right. Jacob's piety appearing in his prayer: God Almighty give you mercy before the man!
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Do according to the following counsel. 3 Zot (this) is feminine.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
If we had not hesitated until now, we could have been there and back twice.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵהֶ֜ם | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֲבִיהֶ֗ם | ʾavihem | father their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| כֵּ֣ן׀ | ken | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| אֵפוֹא֮ | ʾefo' | then | H645 → | 15 times |
| זֹ֣את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| עֲשׂוּ֒ | ʾasu | do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| קְח֞וּ | kechu | take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִזִּמְרַ֤ת | mizimrat | some of [the] best products of | H2173 → | |
| הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם | bikhleikhem | in vessels your | H3627 → | 325 times |
| וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּ | vehoridu | and take down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| לָאִ֖ישׁ | laish | to the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִנְחָ֑ה | minchah | a gift | H4503 → | 211 times |
| מְעַ֤ט | meat | a little of | H4592 → | 101 times |
| צֳרִי֙ | tzori | balm | H6875 → | |
| וּמְעַ֣ט | umeat | and a little of | H4592 → | 101 times |
| דְּבַ֔שׁ | devash | honey | H1706 → | |
| נְכֹ֣את | nekhot | spice | H5219 → | |
| וָלֹ֔ט | valot | and myrrh | H3910 → | |
| בָּטְנִ֖ים | batenim | pistachio nuts | H992 → | |
| וּשְׁקֵדִֽים׃ | ushekedim | and almonds | H8247 → |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵהֶ֜םto them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֲבִיהֶ֗םfather their
ʾavihemH1 →1212 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
כֵּ֣ן׀so
kenH3651 →771 times
אֵפוֹא֮then
ʾefo'H645 →15 times
זֹ֣אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
עֲשׂוּ֒do
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
קְח֞וּtake
kechuH3947 →966 times
מִזִּמְרַ֤תsome of [the] best products of
mizimratH2173 →
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙the land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔םin vessels your
bikhleikhemH3627 →325 times
וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּand take down
vehoriduH3381 →381 times
לָאִ֖ישׁto the man
laishH376 →1663 times
מִנְחָ֑הa gift
minchahH4503 →211 times
מְעַ֤טa little of
meatH4592 →101 times
צֳרִי֙balm
tzoriH6875 →
וּמְעַ֣טand a little of
umeatH4592 →101 times
דְּבַ֔שׁhoney
devashH1706 →
נְכֹ֣אתspice
nekhotH5219 →
וָלֹ֔טand myrrh
valotH3910 →
בָּטְנִ֖יםpistachio nuts
batenimH992 →
וּשְׁקֵדִֽים׃and almonds
ushekedimH8247 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 8:22Is there no balm in Gilead? Is no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?
it leads to
- Jeremiah 46:11
Go up to Gilead for balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you try many remedies, but for you there is no healing.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 37:25
And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to…
- Jeremiah 51:8
Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her; get her balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.
- Jeremiah 30:12–17
For this is what the LORD says: “Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous.
- Luke 8:43
including a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians, but no one was able to heal her.
- Jeremiah 46:11
Through
Proverbs 18:16A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:6
Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.
- Genesis 33:10
But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face…
- Proverbs 19:6
Through
1 Samuel 9:7“If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 8:8
So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
- 2 Kings 8:8
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Joseph the Patriarch; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.