Genesis 44:21-31

21 But you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, so that I can see him.'

22 We answered my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father; if he were to leave his father, his father would die.'

23 You said to your servants, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'

24 We went up to your servant my father and told him what my lord had said;

25 but when our father said, 'Go again, and buy us some food,'

26 we answered, 'We can't go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go down, because we can't see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

27 Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons:

28 the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he has been torn to pieces," and I haven't seen him since.

29 Now if you take this one away from me too, and something happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sh'ol with grief.'

30 So now if I go to your servant my father, and the boy isn't with us - seeing how his heart is bound up with the boy's heart -

31 when he sees that the boy isn't with us, he will die; and your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sh'ol with grief.

Genesis 44:21-31 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 44

This chapter relates the policy of Joseph in making an experiment of his brethren's regard and affection for Benjamin; he ordered his steward to put every man's money into his sack, and his silver cup in Benjamin's, and when they were got out of the city, to follow after them, and charge them with the theft, as he did; and having searched their sacks, as they desired he would, found the cup with Benjamin, which threw them into the utmost distress, and obliged them to return to Joseph, Ge 44:1-14; who charged them with their ill behaviour towards him; they acknowledge it, and propose to be his servants; but he orders them to depart to their father, retaining Benjamin in servitude, Ge 44:15-17; upon which Judah addressed him in a very polite and affectionate manner, and relates the whole story, both of what passed between Joseph and them, concerning Benjamin, the first time they were in Egypt, and between their father and them upon the same subject, when he directed them to go a second time thither to buy corn, and how he became a surety to his father for him, and therefore proposed to be his bondman now, not being able to see his father's face without Benjamin, Ge 44:18-34.