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Genesis 43:16

in Genesis 43

When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon.

KJV

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

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This verse in Genesis 43

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Slay, and make ready - טבח טבח teboach tebach, slay a slaying, or make a great slaughter - let preparations be made for a great feast or entertainment. See a similar form of speech, Pro 9:2 (note); 1Sa 25:11 (note); and Gen 31:54 (note).

This site's exposition

So the men took these gifts

on Genesis 43:15-17

They carry down the three things Jacob named, the gift, the double silver, and Benjamin. Joseph's whole demand was the last of them, and the moment he sees Benjamin he tells his steward to slaughter an animal and prepare it. The brothers are to dine with him at noon. He speaks to the steward about them, and the chapter keeps him a stranger to them.

This site's exposition

he said to the steward of his house

The steward of his house holds the post Joseph once held for Potiphar at 39:4, overseer of a great man's household. Joseph gives his orders the moment he sees Benjamin. The feast is his first answer to the sight of Rachel's son.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

ruler of his house--In the houses of wealthy Egyptians one upper man servant was intrusted with the management of the house (compare Ge 39:5). slay, and make ready--Hebrew, "kill a killing"--implying preparations for a grand entertainment (compare Ge 31:54;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיַּ֨רְאand he saw

    vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times

  • יוֹסֵ֣ףJoseph

    yosefH3130 →213 times

  • אִתָּם֮with them

    ʾitamH854 →929 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • בִּנְיָמִין֒Benjamin

    binyaminH1144 →166 times

  • וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣רto [the one] who

    laasherH834 →5497 times

  • עַל־[was] over

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • בֵּית֔וֹhousehold his

    beitoH1004 →2046 times

  • הָבֵ֥אbring

    have'H935 →2568 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הָאֲנָשִׁ֖יםthe men

    haanashimH582 →566 times

  • הַבָּ֑יְתָהthe house towards

    habayetahH1004 →2046 times

  • וּטְבֹ֤חַand slaughter

    utevoachH2873 →

  • טֶ֙בַח֙a slaughter

    tevachH2874 →

  • וְהָכֵ֔ןand prepare [it]

    vehakhenH3559 →217 times

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • אִתִּ֛יwith me

    ʾitiH854 →929 times

  • יֹאכְל֥וּthey will eat

    yokheluH398 →810 times

  • הָאֲנָשִׁ֖יםthe men

    haanashimH582 →566 times

  • בַּֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃at <the> noon<s>

    batzohorayimH6672 →24 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

16 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Genesis 44:1Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.5 worksLuke 17:8Instead, won’t he tell him, ‘Prepare my meal and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’?5 worksGenesis 43:19So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.4 worksGenesis 39:4–5Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.2 worksGenesis 31:54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.2 worksGenesis 44:4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?2 works
The other 10 cross-references, with their words ▾
Proverbs 9:2She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.2 worksGenesis 26:30So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.2 worksGenesis 24:2–10So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,2 works1 Samuel 25:11Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give them to these men whose origin I do not know?”2 worksGenesis 21:8So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.2 worksGenesis 15:2But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”2 worksGenesis 43:25Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.2 worksGenesis 44:32Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’2 worksGenesis 44:14When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.2 worksGenesis 43:32They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Genesis 44:1

    Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 42:25

      Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,

  • Through

    Genesis 44:4

    They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

    it leads to

    • John 10:32

      But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”

    • Psalms 35:12

      They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.

  • Through

    Genesis 31:54

    Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

    it leads to

    • Exodus 18:12

      Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

    • 2 Samuel 3:20–21

      When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.

    • Genesis 26:30

      So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

    • Genesis 21:8

      So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.

    • 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…

About Genesis

The Tower of Babel, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563. Public domain.
The Tower of Babel, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563. Public domain.
Genesis: the study guide →Read Genesis 43 →

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 and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).

Read on in Genesis 43 →