Genesis 44:20
in Genesis 44And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loveth him.
KJV
And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
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This verse in Genesis 44
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Do you have a father or a brother
on Genesis 44:19-20
Judah gives their old answer back in fuller words than chapter 42 recorded. Three things are new here, the child of his old age, the brother who is dead, and a father who loves the boy. The love is the fact Judah wants in front of the man holding Benjamin.
This site's exposition
the child of his old age
Joseph was the son born to Jacob in his old age at 37:3, and now that place in the father's heart belongs to Benjamin. Judah describes the favour calmly, without the envy of chapter 37. The man hearing it was its first object.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
); he was a little one, compared with the rest of them; the youngest, not acquainted with the world, nor ever inured to hardship, having always been brought up tenderly with his father. It made the case the more pitiable that he alone was left of his mother, and his brother was dead, namely, Joseph.
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, we have a father,....
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
18 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 |
| יֶשׁ־ | yesh- | there | H3426 → | 140 times |
| לָ֙נוּ֙ | lanu | [belongs] to us | ||
| אָ֣ב | ʾav | a father | H1 → | 1212 times |
| זָקֵ֔ן | zaken | old | H2205 → | 178 times |
| וְיֶ֥לֶד | veyeled | and a child of | H3206 → | 89 times |
| זְקֻנִ֖ים | zekunim | old age<s> | H2208 → | 4 times |
| קָטָ֑ן | katan | young | H6996 → | 101 times |
| וְאָחִ֨יו | veachiv | and brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| מֵ֜ת | met | he died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וַיִּוָּתֵ֨ר | vaiyivater | and he was left | H3498 → | 106 times |
| ה֧וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לְבַדּ֛וֹ | levado | to only him | H905 → | 200 times |
| לְאִמּ֖וֹ | leimo | to mother his | H517 → | 220 times |
| וְאָבִ֥יו | veaviv | and father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֲהֵבֽוֹ׃ | ʾahevo | he loves him | H157 → | 211 times |
וַנֹּ֙אמֶר֙and we said
vanomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲדֹנִ֔יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
יֶשׁ־there
yesh-H3426 →140 times
לָ֙נוּ֙[belongs] to us
lanu
אָ֣בa father
ʾavH1 →1212 times
זָקֵ֔ןold
zakenH2205 →178 times
וְיֶ֥לֶדand a child of
veyeledH3206 →89 times
זְקֻנִ֖יםold age<s>
zekunimH2208 →4 times
קָטָ֑ןyoung
katanH6996 →101 times
וְאָחִ֨יוand brother his
veachivH251 →630 times
מֵ֜תhe died
metH4191 →839 times
וַיִּוָּתֵ֨רand he was left
vaiyivaterH3498 →106 times
ה֧וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
לְבַדּ֛וֹto only him
levadoH905 →200 times
לְאִמּ֖וֹto mother his
leimoH517 →220 times
וְאָבִ֥יוand father his
veavivH1 →1212 times
אֲהֵבֽוֹ׃he loves him
ʾahevoH157 →211 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 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 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 42:13
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 37:35
Through
Genesis 49:8Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 5:2
And though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.
- Genesis 27:29
May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you…
- Hebrews 7:14
For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, a tribe as to which Moses said nothing about priests.
- 1 Chronicles 5:2
Through
Genesis 46:21The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 7:6–12
The three sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.
- 1 Chronicles 7:6–12
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
This page draws on 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.