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.
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This verse in Genesis 44
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThen 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
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
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 & Brown1802–1910
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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוּדָ֗ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| נֹּאמַר֙ | nomar | will we say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לַֽאדֹנִ֔י | ladoni | to lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| נְּדַבֵּ֖ר | nedaber | will we speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| וּמַה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק | nitztadak | will we justify ourselves | H6663 → | |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מָצָא֙ | matza' | he has found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲוֹ֣ן | ʾavon | [the] guilt of | H5771 → | 233 times |
| עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ | ʾavadeikha | servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| הִנֶּנּ֤וּ | hinenu | here we | H2005 → | 316 times |
| עֲבָדִים֙ | ʾavadim | [are] slaves | H5650 → | 799 times |
| לַֽאדֹנִ֔י | ladoni | of lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | both | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֲנַ֕חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| גַּ֛ם | gam | as well as | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | [the one] who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִמְצָ֥א | nimtza' | it was found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| הַגָּבִ֖יעַ | hagavia' | the cup | H1375 → | 14 times |
| בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ | beyado | in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
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 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
Luke 12:2There 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.
- Mark 4:22
Through
Numbers 32:23But 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.
- Isaiah 59:12
About Genesis

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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.
