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Genesis 44:16

in Genesis 44

“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And 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 bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.

KJV

And 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.

This verse in Genesis 44

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Ephrem the Syrian

COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 38:4 · Written before 373.

Then Judah said, "Before God the sins of your servants have been discovered"—not this one [of the cup] but the one for which we have been requited with these things.

This site's exposition

God has exposed the iniquity of your servants

on Genesis 44:16-17

Judah says nothing about the cup. What he confesses is the iniquity God has exposed, and Ephrem the Syrian read that as the pit and the sale of more than twenty years before. Joseph sets the terms himself, the man with the cup stays as his slave. The rest may return to their father in peace.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

8 ), and in this sense it is now at length fulfilled,; they own themselves his vassals. Since they did invidiously so understand it, so it shall be fulfilled in them.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens

And Judah said, what shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak?....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

What shall we say, etc. - No words can more strongly mark confusion and perturbation of mind. They, no doubt, all thought that Benjamin had actually stolen the cup; and the probability of this guilt might be heightened by the circumstance of his having that very cup to drink out of at dinner; for as he had the most honorable mess, so it is likely he had the most honorable cup to drink out of at the entertainment.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Joseph's behavior must not be viewed from any single point, or in separate parts, but as a whole--a well-thought, deep-laid, closely connected plan; and though some features of it do certainly exhibit an appearance of harshness, yet the pervading principle of his conduct was real, genuine, brotherly kindness.

The words behind it

24 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.

  • וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • יְהוּדָ֗הJudah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • מַה־what?

    mah-H4100 →752 times

  • נֹּאמַר֙will we say

    nomarH559 →5305 times

  • לַֽאדֹנִ֔יto lord my

    ladoniH113 →333 times

  • מַה־what?

    mah-H4100 →752 times

  • נְּדַבֵּ֖רwill we speak

    nedaberH1696 →1141 times

  • וּמַה־and what?

    umah-H4100 →752 times

  • נִּצְטַדָּ֑קwill we justify ourselves

    nitztadakH6663 →

  • הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים<the> God

    haelohimH430 →2601 times

  • מָצָא֙he has found

    matza'H4672 →455 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • עֲוֹ֣ן[the] guilt of

    ʾavonH5771 →233 times

  • עֲבָדֶ֔יךָservants your

    ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times

  • הִנֶּנּ֤וּhere we

    hinenuH2005 →316 times

  • עֲבָדִים֙[are] slaves

    ʾavadimH5650 →799 times

  • לַֽאדֹנִ֔יof lord my

    ladoniH113 →333 times

  • גַּם־both

    gam-H1571 →769 times

  • אֲנַ֕חְנוּwe

    ʾanachnuH587 →120 times

  • גַּ֛םas well as

    gamH1571 →769 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־[the one] who

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • נִמְצָ֥אit was found

    nimtza'H4672 →455 times

  • הַגָּבִ֖יעַthe cup

    hagavia'H1375 →14 times

  • בְּיָדֽוֹ׃in hand his

    beyadoH3027 →1618 times

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

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

    Luke 12:2

    There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

    it leads to

    • Mark 4:22

      For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.

    • Luke 8:17

      For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light.

    • 2 Corinthians 5:10

      For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

    • Ecclesiastes 12:14

      For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

    • Matthew 10:26–33

      So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

  • Through

    Numbers 32:23

    But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 59:12

      For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions are indeed with us, and we know our iniquities:

    • Proverbs 13:21

      Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

    • Psalms 90:8

      You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

About Genesis

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 38:4; Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Genesis; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.