Genesis 44:30

30 "And now, can't you see that if I show up before your servant, my father, without the boy, this son with whom his life is so bound up,

Genesis 44:30 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 44:30

Now therefore, when I come to thy servant my father
That is, should he return to him in the land of Canaan with the rest of his brethren: and the lad [be] not with us;
his brother Benjamin, so called here, and in the following verses, though thirty years of age and upwards, see ( Genesis 43:8 ) ; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;
he is as closely united to him in affection, and is as dear to him as his own soul; quite wrapped up in him, and cannot live without him; should he die, he must die too; see ( 1 Samuel 18:1 ) ; so it follows:

Genesis 44:30 In-Context

28 One turned up missing. I concluded that he'd been ripped to pieces. I've never seen him since.

29 If you now go and take this one and something bad happens to him, you'll put my old gray, grieving head in the grave for sure.'

30 "And now, can't you see that if I show up before your servant, my father, without the boy, this son with whom his life is so bound up,

31 the moment he realizes the boy is gone, he'll die on the spot. He'll die of grief and we, your servants who are standing here before you, will have killed him.

32 And that's not all. I got my father to release the boy to show him to you by promising, 'If I don't bring him back, I'll stand condemned before you, Father, all my life.'