Genesis 44:26
in Genesis 44But 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.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.
KJV
And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.
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This verse in Genesis 44
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Now when we returned to your servant my father
on Genesis 44:24-26
The return home is told, the words relayed, the food gone, and the father saying go back and buy. Judah lets the famine do the arguing, and hunger is what moved the old man to let Benjamin go. They could not go down unless the younger brother went with them.
This site's exposition
We cannot go down there
Judah tells the ruler of the argument in the family, sons refusing their father. The refusal was Judah's own at 43:5. Obeying the lord of Egypt had become the only way to feed their father.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 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.
And we said, we cannot go down,....
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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַנֹּ֕אמֶר | vanomer | and we said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נוּכַ֖ל | nukhal | we are able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לָרֶ֑דֶת | laredet | to go down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יֵשׁ֩ | yesh | there | H3426 → | 140 times |
| אָחִ֨ינוּ | ʾachinu | [is] brother our | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַקָּטֹ֤ן | hakaton | <the> young | H6996 → | 101 times |
| אִתָּ֙נוּ֙ | ʾitanu | with us | H854 → | 929 times |
| וְיָרַ֔דְנוּ | veyaradnu | and we will go down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נוּכַ֗ל | nukhal | we will be able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לִרְאוֹת֙ | lirot | to see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| פְּנֵ֣י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָאִ֔ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וְאָחִ֥ינוּ | veachinu | and brother our | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַקָּטֹ֖ן | hakaton | <the> young | H6996 → | 101 times |
| אֵינֶ֥נּוּ | ʾeinenu | not he | H369 → | 789 times |
| אִתָּֽנוּ׃ | ʾitanu | [is] with us | H854 → | 929 times |
וַנֹּ֕אמֶרand we said
vanomerH559 →5305 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
נוּכַ֖לwe are able
nukhalH3201 →194 times
לָרֶ֑דֶתto go down
laredetH3381 →381 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יֵשׁ֩there
yeshH3426 →140 times
אָחִ֨ינוּ[is] brother our
ʾachinuH251 →630 times
הַקָּטֹ֤ן<the> young
hakatonH6996 →101 times
אִתָּ֙נוּ֙with us
ʾitanuH854 →929 times
וְיָרַ֔דְנוּand we will go down
veyaradnuH3381 →381 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
נוּכַ֗לwe will be able
nukhalH3201 →194 times
לִרְאוֹת֙to see
lirotH7200 →1300 times
פְּנֵ֣י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הָאִ֔ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
וְאָחִ֥ינוּand brother our
veachinuH251 →630 times
הַקָּטֹ֖ן<the> young
hakatonH6996 →101 times
אֵינֶ֥נּוּnot he
ʾeinenuH369 →789 times
אִתָּֽנוּ׃[is] with us
ʾitanuH854 →929 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
4 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 11:7And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Do not bother me. My door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’
it leads to
- Matthew 25:10
But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.
- Luke 13:25
After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where…
- Luke 7:6
So Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends with the message: “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You…
- Galatians 6:17
From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
- Matthew 25:10
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.