Genesis 43:14
in Genesis 43May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
KJV
And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
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This verse in Genesis 43
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis verse may be literally translated thus: - “And God, the all-sufficient, shall give you tender mercies before the man, and send to you your other brother, and Benjamin; and I, as I shall be childless, so I shall be childless.” That is, I will submit to this privation, till God shall restore my children. It appears that this verse is spoken prophetically; and that God at this time gave Jacob a supernatural evidence that his children should be restored.
This site's exposition
May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man
God Almighty is El Shaddai, the covenant name given to Abraham at 17:1 and spoken over Jacob at Bethel in 35:11. He asks mercy before the man, that both sons come home. Then he lands on the flattest sentence in the chapter, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved. Adam Clarke takes the words as prophecy, an assurance that his sons would come back in safety.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Jacob had formerly turned an angry brother into a kind one with a present and a prayer; and here he betakes himself to the same tried method, and it sped well. Note, Those that would find mercy with men must seek it of God, who has all hearts in his hands, and turns them as he pleases.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And God Almighty give you mercy before the man,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
God Almighty give you mercy before the man--Jacob is here committing them all to the care of God and, resigned to what appears a heavy trial, prays that it may be overruled for good.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
In line with the literal interpretation of Scripture, it would seem that Simeon was not a favorite of his father because of the Shechem affair. 177 Above,:25-30.
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
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֵ֣ל | veel | and God | H410 → | 241 times |
| שַׁדַּ֗י | shadai | Almighty | H7706 → | 48 times |
| יִתֵּ֨ן | yiten | may he give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָכֶ֤ם | lakhem | to you | ||
| רַחֲמִים֙ | rachamim | compassion<s> | H7356 → | 45 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָאִ֔ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וְשִׁלַּ֥ח | veshilach | and he will let go | H7971 → | 845 times |
| לָכֶ֛ם | lakhem | to you | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲחִיכֶ֥ם | ʾachikhem | brother your | H251 → | 630 times |
| אַחֵ֖ר | ʾacher | other | H312 → | 166 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּנְיָמִ֑ין | binyamin | Benjamin | H1144 → | 166 times |
| וַאֲנִ֕י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר | kaasher | just when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי | shakholeti | I have been bereaved | H7921 → | 23 times |
| שָׁכָֽלְתִּי׃ | shakhalti | I have been bereaved | H7921 → | 23 times |
וְאֵ֣לand God
veelH410 →241 times
שַׁדַּ֗יAlmighty
shadaiH7706 →48 times
יִתֵּ֨ןmay he give
yitenH5414 →2011 times
לָכֶ֤םto you
lakhem
רַחֲמִים֙compassion<s>
rachamimH7356 →45 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הָאִ֔ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
וְשִׁלַּ֥חand he will let go
veshilachH7971 →845 times
לָכֶ֛םto you
lakhem
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲחִיכֶ֥םbrother your
ʾachikhemH251 →630 times
אַחֵ֖רother
ʾacherH312 →166 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בִּנְיָמִ֑יןBenjamin
binyaminH1144 →166 times
וַאֲנִ֕יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רjust when
kaasherH834 →5497 times
שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּיI have been bereaved
shakholetiH7921 →23 times
שָׁכָֽלְתִּי׃I have been bereaved
shakhaltiH7921 →23 times
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
Proverbs 16:7When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- 1 John 3:22
and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
- 2 Chronicles 17:10
And the dread of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.
- Colossians 1:10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
- Romans 8:31
Through
Genesis 17:1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
- Luke 1:6
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
- Genesis 18:14
Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
- Philippians 4:13
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.