Genesis 44:22
in Genesis 44So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
KJV
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
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This verse in Genesis 44
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself
on Genesis 44:21-23
Judah quotes the lord's own demand back to him, that the boy be brought down so the man could see him. John Gill points out that the threat of verse 23 stands nowhere in the account of the first meeting in chapter 42. Chapter 43 already showed that Jacob's sons had carried the threat home to their father. The speech fills in what the story left out.
This site's exposition
The boy cannot leave his father
In Hebrew the verse says that if he leaves his father he will die, and the pronoun could point to either man. The Berean reads it of the father, the sense Judah makes plain in verse 31. This exchange stands only in Judah's retelling.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): " If he should leave his father, his father would die; much more if now he be left behind, never more to return to him." This the old man, of whom they spoke, had pleaded against his going down: If mischief befal him, you shall bring down my gray hairs, that crown of glory, with sorrow to the grave,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And for which he would search thoroughly - So it may be rendered. God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants - Referring to the injury they had formerly done to Joseph, for which they thought God was now reckoning with them. Even in those afflictions wherein we apprehend ourselves wronged by men, yet we must own that God is righteous, and finds out our iniquity.
And we said unto my lord, the lad cannot leave his father,.... That is, his father will not be willing to part with him: for if he should leave his father, his father would die; with grief and trouble, fearing some evil was befallen him, and he should see him no more.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַנֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vanomer | and we said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֔י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יוּכַ֥ל | yukhal | he will be able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| הַנַּ֖עַר | hanaar | the young man | H5288 → | 239 times |
| לַעֲזֹ֣ב | laazo | to leave | H5800 → | 215 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָבִ֑יו | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְעָזַ֥ב | veazav | and he will leave | H5800 → | 215 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָבִ֖יו | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וָמֵֽת׃ | vamet | and he will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
וַנֹּ֙אמֶר֙and we said
vanomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲדֹנִ֔יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יוּכַ֥לhe will be able
yukhalH3201 →194 times
הַנַּ֖עַרthe young man
hanaarH5288 →239 times
לַעֲזֹ֣בto leave
laazoH5800 →215 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָבִ֑יוfather his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
וְעָזַ֥בand he will leave
veazavH5800 →215 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָבִ֖יוfather his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
וָמֵֽת׃and he will die
vametH4191 →839 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
Genesis 42:38But 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…
it leads to
- Genesis 37:35
All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
- Genesis 37:33
His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
- Genesis 42:4
But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
- Genesis 42:13
But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
- Genesis 35:16–18
Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.
- Genesis 37:35
Through
Genesis 44:30So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 18:1
After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
- Genesis 44:17
But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”
- 1 Samuel 25:29
And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling…
- 1 Samuel 18:1
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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.