Genesis 44:23
in Genesis 44But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
KJV
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
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This verse in Genesis 44
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd thou saidst unto thy servants,.... In answer to the representation of things made by them, and notwithstanding that: except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more; which though not before related in the discourse, which passed between Joseph and his brethren, in express terms, yet might be justly inferred from what he said; nay, might be expressed in so many words, though not recorded, and as it seems plainly it was, as appears from Gen 43:3.
This 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
you will not see my face again
Judah quotes back the one sentence that put the whole family's bread in Benjamin's hands. He had quoted it to his father at 43:3, and now he quotes it to the man who said it. The speech holds the lord to his own words.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), all which intimated that he designed him some kindness; and must he be brought with so much difficulty to the preferment of a perpetual slavery? Was he not brought to Egypt, in obedience, purely in obedience, to the command of Joseph? and would he not show him some mercy?
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vatomer | and you said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ | ʾavadeikha | servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵרֵ֛ד | yered | he will come down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אֲחִיכֶ֥ם | ʾachikhem | brother your | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַקָּטֹ֖ן | hakaton | <the> young | H6996 → | 101 times |
| אִתְּכֶ֑ם | ʾitekhem | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֹסִפ֖וּן | tosifun | you will repeat ! | H3254 → | 212 times |
| לִרְא֥וֹת | lirot | to see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| פָּנָֽי׃ | panai | face my | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙and you said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עֲבָדֶ֔יךָservants your
ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵרֵ֛דhe will come down
yeredH3381 →381 times
אֲחִיכֶ֥םbrother your
ʾachikhemH251 →630 times
הַקָּטֹ֖ן<the> young
hakatonH6996 →101 times
אִתְּכֶ֑םwith you
ʾitekhemH854 →929 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תֹסִפ֖וּןyou will repeat !
tosifunH3254 →212 times
לִרְא֥וֹתto see
lirotH7200 →1300 times
פָּנָֽי׃face my
panaiH6440 →2123 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 43:3But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
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.’”
- 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…
- Genesis 42:33–34
Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of…
- 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.
- Acts 7:34
I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
- 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…
- 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.’
- Exodus 20:12
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 (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.