Genesis 44:32
in Genesis 44Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.
KJV
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
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This verse in Genesis 44
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father
Judah quotes his own promise from 43:9 word for word, the one sentence of his own that he brings into the plea. The whole speech rests on that one word. Adam Clarke notes that the guarantee was given before Jacob would let the boy leave home.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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.
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father,.... Which is another argument used for the release of Benjamin, though he should be detained for him, which he offers to be: saying, if I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame unto my father for ever; See Gill on Gen 43:9.
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
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֙ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| עָרַ֣ב | ʾarav | he stood surety for | H6148 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנַּ֔עַר | hanaar | the young man | H5288 → | 239 times |
| מֵעִ֥ם | meim | from with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אָבִ֖י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֲבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ | ʾavienu | I will bring him | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלֶ֔יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְחָטָ֥אתִי | vechatati | and I will be culpable | H2398 → | 238 times |
| לְאָבִ֖י | leavi | to father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיָּמִֽים׃ | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
עַבְדְּךָ֙servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
עָרַ֣בhe stood surety for
ʾaravH6148 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַנַּ֔עַרthe young man
hanaarH5288 →239 times
מֵעִ֥םfrom with
meimH5973 →1050 times
אָבִ֖יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אֲבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙I will bring him
ʾavienuH935 →2568 times
אֵלֶ֔יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
וְחָטָ֥אתִיand I will be culpable
vechatatiH2398 →238 times
לְאָבִ֖יto father my
leaviH1 →1212 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַיָּמִֽים׃the days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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 43:16When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at…
it leads to
- Genesis 44:1
Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
- Genesis 43:19
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
- Genesis 39:4–5
Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.
- Genesis 31:54
Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
- Genesis 44:4
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?
- Genesis 44:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
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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) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament.