Genesis 44:28
in Genesis 44When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since:
KJV
And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
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This verse in Genesis 44
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You know that my wife bore me two sons
on Genesis 44:27-28
Jacob counts two sons when he has twelve, and the ten men listening grew up under that arithmetic. John Gill notes that the wife he means is Rachel, whom he served fourteen years for. Judah then repeats his father's verdict on Joseph, surely he has been torn to pieces.
This site's exposition
Surely he has been torn to pieces
Torn to pieces doubles the Hebrew verb taraf, the same words Jacob cried over the robe at 37:33. The verb returns at 49:27, where Jacob calls Benjamin a ravenous wolf. Twenty years on, the grief still speaks in the present tense.
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.
And the one went out from, me,....
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
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּצֵ֤א | vaiyetze' | and he went out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| הָֽאֶחָד֙ | haechad | the one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מֵֽאִתִּ֔י | meiti | from with <the> me | H854 → | 929 times |
| וָאֹמַ֕ר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַ֖ךְ | ʾakh | surely | H389 → | 161 times |
| טָרֹ֣ף | tarof | certainly <to tear> | H2963 → | 25 times |
| טֹרָ֑ף | toraf | he has been torn to pieces | H2963 → | 25 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| רְאִיתִ֖יו | reitiv | I have seen him | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הֵֽנָּה׃ | henah | now | H2008 → | 49 times |
וַיֵּצֵ֤אand he went out
vaiyetze'H3318 →1067 times
הָֽאֶחָד֙the one
haechadH259 →971 times
מֵֽאִתִּ֔יfrom with <the> me
meitiH854 →929 times
וָאֹמַ֕רand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
אַ֖ךְsurely
ʾakhH389 →161 times
טָרֹ֣ףcertainly <to tear>
tarofH2963 →25 times
טֹרָ֑ףhe has been torn to pieces
torafH2963 →25 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
רְאִיתִ֖יוI have seen him
reitivH7200 →1300 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הֵֽנָּה׃now
henahH2008 →49 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 37:35
Through
Genesis 42:36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
it leads to
- Genesis 43:14
May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Isaiah 27:9
Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah…
- Genesis 43:14
Through
Genesis 37:33His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
it leads to
- Genesis 37:20
“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
- Genesis 37:20
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.