Genesis 44:30

New Century Version

Now what will happen if we go home to our father without our youngest brother? He is so important in our father's life that

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy's life;

King James Version
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

Lexham English Bible
So now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us—now his life is bound up with his life—

New English Translation
"So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us—his very life is bound up in his son's life.

Amplified Bible
"Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the young man is not with us, since his life is bound up in the young man's life,

New American Standard Bible
"So now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us—since our father's life is so attached to the boy's life—

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe therefore, when I come to thy seruant my father, & the childe be not wt vs (seeing that his life dependeth on the childes life)

Legacy Standard Bible
So now, when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us—and his life is bound up in the boy's life—

Contemporary English Version
That's why Benjamin must be with us when I go back to my father. He loves him so much

Complete Jewish Bible
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 —

Darby Translation
And now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us,—seeing that his life is bound up with his life,

Easy-to-Read Version
Now, imagine what will happen when we go home without our youngest brother—he is the most important thing in our father's life!

English Standard Version
"Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life,

George Lamsa Translation
Now therefore when we come to your servant our father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is dear to him like his own life;

Good News Translation
"And now, sir," Judah continued, "if I go back to my father without the boy, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with me, he will die. His life is wrapped up with the life of the boy, and he is so old that the sorrow we would cause him would kill him.

Christian Standard Bible®
“So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life—

Literal Translation
And now when I come to your servant, my father, and the youth is not with us and his soul being bound to his soul,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf I now come home vnto my father, & the lad be not with me (seynge his soule hangeth by the soule of this)

American Standard Version
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

Bible in Basic English
If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nowe therefore when I come to thy seruaunt my father, and the lad be not with vs (seing that his life hangeth by the laddes life.)

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;

King James Version (1611)
Now therefore when I come to thy seruant my father, and the lad bee not with vs; (seeing that his life is bound vp in the lads life.)

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now then, if I should go in to they servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this lad’s life)

English Revised Version
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

Berean Standard Bible
So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, my father-his life is wrapped up in the boy's life-

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor if Y entre to thi seruaunt, oure fadir, and the child faile, sithen his lijf hangith of the lijf of the child,

Young's Literal Translation
`And now, at my coming in unto thy servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul),

Update Bible Version
Now therefore when I come to your slave my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

Webster's Bible Translation
Now therefore, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; (seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life)

World English Bible
Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy's life;

New King James Version
"Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life,

New Living Translation
"And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father's life is bound up in the boy's life.

New Life Bible
My father's life and the boy's life are one. If I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us,

New Revised Standard
Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, therefore, as surely as I go in unto thy servant my father, and, the lad, is not with us, - seeing that his soul is bound up with the lads soul,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore, if I shall go to thy servant, our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him,)

Revised Standard Version
Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the lad's life,

THE MESSAGE
"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, 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. 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.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad's life,

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ Then Judah went to Joseph and said, "Master, please let me speak plainly to you, and please don't be angry with me. I know that you are as powerful as the king of Egypt himself. ¹⁹ When we were here before, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?' ²⁰ And we answered you, ‘We have an old father. And we have a younger brother, who was born when our father was old. This youngest son's brother is dead, so he is the only one of his mother's children left alive, and our father loves him very much.' ²¹ Then you said to us, ‘Bring that brother to me. I want to see him.' ²² And we said to you, ‘That young boy cannot leave his father, because if he leaves him, his father would die.' ²³ But you said to us, ‘If you don't bring your youngest brother, you will not be allowed to see me again.' ²⁴ So we went back to our father and told him what you had said. ²⁵ "Later, our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little more food.' ²⁶ We said to our father, ‘We cannot go without our youngest brother. Without our youngest brother, we will not be allowed to see the governor.' ²⁷ Then my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife Rachel gave me two sons.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

When I: Genesis 44:17, Genesis 44:31, Genesis 44:34

his life: 1 Samuel 18:1, 1 Samuel 25:29, 2 Samuel 18:33

Reciprocal: Genesis 44:22 - his father would die Deuteronomy 24:6 - life 1 Samuel 23:15 - life Lamentations 4:20 - breath

Cross-References

Genesis 44:17
But Joseph said, "I will not make you all slaves! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back safely to your father."

Genesis 44:31
when our father sees the young boy is not with us, he will die. And it will be our fault. We will cause the great sorrow that kills our father.

Genesis 44:34
I cannot go back to my father if the boy is not with me. I couldn't stand to see my father that sad."

1 Samuel 18:1
When David finished talking with Saul, Jonathan felt very close to David. He loved David as much as he loved himself.

1 Samuel 25:29
Someone might chase you to kill you, but the Lord your God will keep you alive. He will throw away your enemies' lives as he would throw a stone from a sling.

2 Samuel 18:33
Then the king was very upset, and he went to the room over the city gate and cried. As he went, he cried out, "My son Absalom, my son Absalom! I wish I had died and not you. Absalom, my son, my son!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- The Ten Brothers Were Tested

Joseph has had the satisfaction of seeing his brother Benjamin safe and well. He has heard his brothers acknowledging their guilt concerning himself. He resolves to put their attachment to Benjamin, and the genuineness of their change of disposition, to a test that will at the same time expose Benjamin to no hazard.

Genesis 44:1-5

And my cup. - Besides returning each man’s money as before, a silver cup of Joseph’s is put in Benjamin’s bag, after which, when daylight comes, they are dismissed. They are scarcely out of the town when Joseph’s steward is ordered to overtake them, and charge them with stealing the cup. “And whereby indeed he divineth.” Divining by cups, we learn from this, was a common custom in Egypt (Herodotus ii. 83). It is here mentioned to enhance the value of the cup. Whether Joseph really practised any sort of divination cannot be determined from this passage.

Genesis 44:6-12

The cup is found in Benjamin’s bag. “Spake unto them these words.” The words of Joseph, supplying of course the mention of the cup which is expressed in the text only by the pronoun this. “We brought back to thee.” Silver that we might have retained, and to which you made no claim when we tendered it, we brought back. How or why should we therefore, steal silver? “Now also according to your words let it be.” He adopts their terms with a mitigation. He with whom the cup is found shall become a slave for life, and the rest be acquitted. The steward searches from the oldest to the youngest. The cup is found where it was put.

Genesis 44:13-17

“They rent their garments;” the natural token of a sorrow that knows no remedy. “And Judah went.” He had pledged himself for the safety of Benjamin to his father. And he was yet there; awaiting no doubt the result which he anticipated. “They fell before him on the earth.” It is no longer a bending of the head or bowing of the body, but the posture of deepest humiliation. How deeply that early dream penetrated into the stern reality! “Wot ye not that such a man as I doth certainly divine?” Joseph keeps up the show of resentment for a little longer, and brings out from Judah the most pathetic plea of its kind that ever was uttered. “The God,” the great and only God, “hath found out the iniquity of thy servants;” in our dark and treacherous dealing with our brother. “Behold, we are servants to my lord.” He resigns himself and all to perpetual bondage, as the doom of a just God upon their still-remembered crime. “He shall be my servant; and ye, go up in peace to your father.” Now is the test applied with the nicest adjustment. Now is the moment of agony and suspense to Joseph. Will my brothers prove true? says he within himself. Will Judah prove adequate to the occasion? say we. His pleading with his father augured well.

Verse 18-34

“And Judah came near unto him.” He is going to surrender himself as a slave for life, that Benjamin may go home with his brothers, who are permitted to depart. “Let thy servant now speak a word in the ears of my lord.” There is nothing here but respectful calmness of demeanor. “And let not thine anger burn against thy servant.” He intuitively feels that the grand vizier is a man of like feelings with himself. He will surmount the distinction of rank, and stand with him on the ground of a common humanity. “For so art thou as Pharaoh.” Thou hast power to grant or withhold my request. This forms, the exordium of the speech. Then follows the plea. This consists in a simple statement of the facts, which Judah expects to have its native effect upon a rightly-constituted heart. We will not touch this statement, except to explain two or three expressions. A young lad - a comparative youth. “Let me set mine eyes upon him” - regard him with favor and kindness. “He shall leave his father and he shall die.” If he were to leave his father, his father would die. Such is the natural interpretation of these words, as the paternal affection is generally stronger than the filial. “And now let thy servant now abide instead of the lad a servant to my lord.” Such is the humble and earnest petition of Judah. He calmly and firmly sacrifices home, family, and birthright, rather than see an aged father die of a broken heart.