^43:3But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned² us, ‘You will not see my face³ unless your brother is with you.’ ^43:4If you send⁴ our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy food for you. ^43:5But if you will not send him, we won’t go down there because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”

^43:6Israel said, “Why did you bring this trouble⁵ on me by telling⁶ the man you had one more brother?”

^43:7They replied, “The man questioned us⁷ thoroughly⁸ about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’⁹ So we answered him in this way.¹⁰ How could we possibly know¹¹ that he would say,¹² ‘Bring your brother down’?”

^43:8Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will go immediately.¹³ Then we will live¹⁴ and not die—we and you and our little ones. ^43:9I myself pledge security¹⁵ for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.¹⁶^43:10But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back¹⁷ twice by now!”

^43:11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. ^43:12Take double the money with you;¹⁸ you must take back¹⁹ the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks—perhaps it was an oversight. ^43:13Take your brother too, and go right away²⁰ to the man.²¹^43:14May the sovereign God²² grant you mercy before the man so that he may release²³ your other brother²⁴ and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.”²⁵

^43:15So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt²⁶ and stood before Joseph.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

2 The infinitive absolute with the finite verb stresses the point. The primary meaning of the verb is “to witness; to testify.” It alludes to Joseph’s oath, which was tantamount to a threat or warning.
3 The idiom “see my face” means “have an audience with me.”
4 Heb “if there is you sending,” that is, “if you send.”
5 The verb may even have a moral connotation here, “Why did you do evil to me?”
6 The infinitive construct here explains how they brought trouble on Jacob.
7 The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
8 The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.
9 The report given here concerning Joseph’s interrogation does not exactly match the previous account where they supplied the information to clear themselves (see 42:13). This section may reflect how they remembered the impact of his interrogation, whether he asked the specific questions or not. That may be twisting the truth to protect themselves, not wanting to admit that they volunteered the information. (They admitted as much in 42:31, but now they seem to be qualifying that comment.) On the other hand, when speaking to Joseph later (see 44:19), Judah claims that Joseph asked for the information about their family, making it possible that 42:13 leaves out some of the details of their first encounter.
10 Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”
11 The infinitive absolute emphasizes the imperfect verbal form, which here is a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of a past time).
12 Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).
13 Heb “and we will rise up and we will go.” The first verb is adverbial and gives the expression the sense of “we will go immediately.”
14 After the preceding cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form (either imperfect or cohortative) with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or result.
15 The pronoun before the first person verbal form draws attention to the subject and emphasizes Judah’s willingness to be personally responsible for the boy.
16 I will bear the blame before you all my life. It is not clear how this would work out if Benjamin did not come back. But Judah is offering his life for Benjamin’s if Benjamin does not return.
17 Heb “we could have returned.”
18 Heb “in your hand.”
19 Heb “take back in your hand.” The imperfect verbal form probably has an injunctive or obligatory force here, since Jacob is instructing his sons.
20 Heb “arise, return,” meaning “get up and go back,” or “go back immediately.”
21 The man refers to the Egyptian official, whom the reader or hearer of the narrative knows is Joseph. In this context both the sons and Jacob refer to him simply as “the man” (see vv. 3–7).
22 Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in .
23 Heb “release to you.” After the jussive this perfect verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) probably indicates logical consequence, as well as temporal sequence.
24 Several Jewish commentators suggest that the expression your other brother refers to Joseph. This would mean that Jacob prophesied unwittingly. However, it is much more likely that Simeon is the referent of the phrase “your other brother” (see Gen 42:24).
25 Heb “if I am bereaved I am bereaved.” With this fatalistic sounding statement Jacob resolves himself to the possibility of losing both Benjamin and Simeon.
26 Heb “they arose and went down to Egypt.” The first verb has an adverbial function and emphasizes that they departed right away.