Genesis 43:20

20 Lord, we pray, that thou hear us; we came down now before that we should buy meats; (and said, My lord, we pray thee, that thou hear us; we came down before so that we could buy some food;)

Genesis 43:20 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 43:20

And said, O sir
Or, "on me, my lord" ^F1, one said in the name of the rest, perhaps Judah, on me let the blame lie, if guilty of rudeness in making our address to thee; or as the Vulgate Latin version, "we pray, sir, that thou wouldest hear us"; and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra say the phrase is expressive of beseeching, entreating, and supplicating: we came indeed down at the first time to buy food;
not to spy the land but to buy corn, and not to get it by fraud or tricking but by paying for it the price that was required.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (ynda yb) "in me Domine mi", Montanus.

Genesis 43:20 In-Context

18 and there they were afeared, and they said together, We be brought in for the money which we bare again before in our sacks, that he put challenge against us, and make subject by violence to servage both us and our asses. (and they were afraid there, and they said together, We be brought in here for the money which we found put back in our sacks, and he shall soon challenge us about it, and by force make both us and our donkeys subject to servitude, or to slavery.)

19 Wherefore they nighed in the gates, and spake to the dispenser, (And so they went to the door, and spoke to the steward,)

20 Lord, we pray, that thou hear us; we came down now before that we should buy meats; (and said, My lord, we pray thee, that thou hear us; we came down before so that we could buy some food;)

21 (and) when those were bought, (and we headed home,) when we came to the inn, we opened our bags, and we found the money in the mouth(s) of our sacks, which money we have brought again now in the same weight (which money in the same amount we have now brought back);

22 but also we have brought other silver, (so) that we (can) buy those things that be needful to us; it is not in our knowing who put the money in our purses.