Genesis 43:3
in Genesis 43But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
KJV
And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
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This verse in Genesis 43
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd since Joseph so ardently desired the sight of his brother Benjamin, it is not surprising that he should have labored, in every possible way, to obtain it. It may also have happened that he had caused some notification or legal summons to be served, by which his brother was cited to make his appearance, as in judicial causes.
This site's exposition
The man solemnly warned us
on Genesis 43:3-5
Judah states the condition twice in three verses, that they will not see the man's face unless their brother is with them. John Calvin notes the firmness in Judah, who will go down on no other terms. The one thing the ruler wants is the son Jacob has kept at home. None of them knows who the man in Egypt is.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
) may be alluded to to show upon what terms we must draw nigh to God; unless we bring Christ along with us in the arms of our faith, we cannot see the face of God with comfort.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And Judah spake unto him,....
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֧אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֛יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוּדָ֖ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָעֵ֣ד | haed | certainly <to warn> | H5749 → | |
| הֵעִד֩ | heid | he warned | H5749 → | |
| בָּ֨נוּ | banu | <in> us | ||
| הָאִ֤ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לֵאמֹר֙ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִרְא֣וּ | tiru | you will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| פָנַ֔י | fanai | face my | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בִּלְתִּ֖י | bilti | except | H1115 → | 112 times |
| אֲחִיכֶ֥ם | ʾachikhem | brother your | H251 → | 630 times |
| אִתְּכֶֽם׃ | ʾitekhem | [is] with you | H854 → | 929 times |
וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֛יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
יְהוּדָ֖הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הָעֵ֣דcertainly <to warn>
haedH5749 →
הֵעִד֩he warned
heidH5749 →
בָּ֨נוּ<in> us
banu
הָאִ֤ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
לֵאמֹר֙<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִרְא֣וּyou will see
tiruH7200 →1300 times
פָנַ֔יface my
fanaiH6440 →2123 times
בִּלְתִּ֖יexcept
biltiH1115 →112 times
אֲחִיכֶ֥םbrother your
ʾachikhemH251 →630 times
אִתְּכֶֽם׃[is] with you
ʾitekhemH854 →929 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
2 Samuel 3:13“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to…
it leads to
- Genesis 44:26
But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 19:11–17
Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will…
- 1 Samuel 18:20–28
Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.
- Genesis 44:23
But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
- Genesis 44:26
Through
Genesis 44:23But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
it leads to
- Genesis 43:5
But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
- Genesis 42:15–20
And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
- Genesis 43:5
Through
Genesis 43:5But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
it leads to
- Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
- Genesis 42:38
But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring…
- Exodus 20:12
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on John Calvin, Commentaries; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.