Genesis 44:21-31

21 And thou saidest to thy servants, Bring ye him (down) to me, and I shall set mine eyes on him.

22 We made (the) suggestion to thee, my lord, the child may not forsake his father (that the youngest son cannot leave his father); for if he shall leave his father, his father shall die.

23 And thou saidest to thy servants, If your youngest brother shall not come (down) with you, ye shall no more see my face (ye shall not see my face again).

24 Therefore when we had gone up to thy servant, our father, we told to him all things which my lord spake to us;

25 and our father said, Turn ye again, and buy ye to you a little of wheat; (and later our father said to us, Return ye there, and buy ye some corn, or some grain, for us;)

26 to whom we said, We may not go; (only) if our least brother shall go down with us, we shall go forth together; else, if he is absent, we dare not see the lord's face (to whom we said, We cannot go down there; only if our youngest brother shall go down with us, then shall we go forth together; for if he is absent, we shall not be able to see our lord's face.)

27 To which things our father answered, Ye know that my wife childed two sons to me;

28 one went out (from me), and ye said, A beast [hath] devoured him (and it was said, A beast hath devoured him), and hitherto he appeareth not;

29 if ye take also this son, and anything befall to him in the way, ye shall lead forth mine hoar hairs with mourning to hells. (and now if ye take also this son from me, and if anything should befall him on the way, ye shall lead forth my hoar hairs in sorrow to the grave/unto Sheol.)

30 Therefore if I enter again to thy servant, our father, and the child fail (to come back with us), since his life hangeth of the life of the child, (And so if I return again to thy servant, our father, and his youngest son faileth to come back with us, since his life hangeth on the life of his youngest son,)

31 and he see that the child is not with us, he shall die, and thy servants shall lead forth his hoar hairs with sorrow to hells. (and he see that his youngest son is not with us, he shall die, and thy servants shall have led forth his hoar hairs in sorrow to the grave/unto Sheol.)

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.