Genesis 44:7

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

And they said unto him, Wherefore should my lord speak such words as these? Far be thy servants, from doing such a thing as this!

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

King James Version
And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

Lexham English Bible
And they said to him, "Why has my lord spoken according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

New Century Version
But the brothers said to the servant, "Why do you say these things? We would not do anything like that!

New English Translation
They answered him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

Amplified Bible
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

New American Standard Bible
And they said to him, "Why does my lord say such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they answered him, Wherefore sayeth my lorde such wordes? God forbid that thy seruants should do such a thing.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.

Contemporary English Version
But they replied, "Sir, why do you say such things? We would never do anything like that!

Complete Jewish Bible
They replied, "Why does my lord speak this way? Heaven forbid that we should do such a thing!

Darby Translation
And they said to him, Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from thy servants to do such a thing!

Easy-to-Read Version
But the brothers said to the servant, "Why does the governor say these things? We wouldn't do anything like that!

English Standard Version
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!

George Lamsa Translation
They said to him, Let not our lord speak such words. Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing;

Good News Translation
They answered him, "What do you mean, sir, by talking like this? We swear that we have done no such thing.

Christian Standard Bible®
They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.

Literal Translation
And they said to him, Why should my lord speak according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do according to this word.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They answered him: Wherfore saieth my lorde soch wordes? God forbyd, that thy seruauntes shulde do eny soch thinge?

American Standard Version
And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

Bible in Basic English
And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they aunswered him: wherfore sayeth my Lorde suche wordes? God forbid that thy seruauntes should do so.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they said unto him: 'Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

King James Version (1611)
And they said vnto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy seruants should doe according to this thing.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word.

English Revised Version
And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? God forbid that thy servants should do such a thing.

Berean Standard Bible
"Why does my lord say these things?" they asked. "Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas?

Young's Literal Translation
and they say unto him, `Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;

Update Bible Version
And they said to him, Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your slaves that they should do such a thing.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to him, Why saith my lord these words? Far be it from us that thy servants should do according to this thing:

World English Bible
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

New King James Version
And they said to him, "Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.

New Living Translation
"What are you talking about?" the brothers responded. "We are your servants and would never do such a thing!

New Life Bible
And they said to him, "Why does my lord say these things? Your servants would never do such a thing.

New Revised Standard
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

Revised Standard Version
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

THE MESSAGE
They said, "What is my master talking about? We would never do anything like that! Why, the money we found in our bags earlier, we brought back all the way from Canaan—do you think we'd turn right around and steal it back from your master? If that chalice is found on any of us, he'll die; and the rest of us will be your master's slaves."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.

Contextual Overview

¹ Then commanded he him who was over his house saying - Fill the sacks of the men, with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack; ² and my cup - the cup of silver, shalt thou put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his corn-silver. So he did, according to the word of Joseph, which he had spoken. ³ By the time, the morning, was light, the men, had been sent away, they, and their asses. ⁴ They themselves, had gone out of the city - they had not gone far, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Rise chase after the men, - so shalt thou overtake them and shalt say unto them, Wherefore have ye requited evil for good? ⁵ Is not this that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby, he himself, doth divine? Ye have done evil in what ye have done. ⁶ So he overtook them, - and spake unto them these words. ⁷ And they said unto him, Wherefore should my lord speak such words as these? Far be thy servants, from doing such a thing as this! ⁸ Lo! the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan, - how then could we steal out of the house of thy lord, silver or gold? ⁹ With whomsoever of thy servants it can be found, he shall die, - and, we also, will become my lord's servants. ¹⁰ And he said, Yea, now, according to your words, so, let it be, - he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, Ye, however, shall be clear.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 34:25-31, Genesis 35:22, Genesis 37:18-32, Genesis 38:16-18, Joshua 22:22-29, 2 Samuel 20:20, 2 Kings 8:13, Proverbs 22:1, Ecclesiastes 7:1, Hebrews 13:18

Reciprocal: Genesis 44:8 - how then Joshua 22:29 - God forbid 1 Samuel 20:2 - God forbid 1 Kings 21:3 - The Lord 2 Corinthians 7:11 - clearing

Cross-References

Genesis 35:22
And it came to pass while Israel inhabited that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. And so the Sons of Israel came to be Twelve.

Genesis 44:16
Then said Judah - What shall we say to my lord, how shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, - when, God himself, hath found out the iniquity of thy servants? Behold us! my lord's servants, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found.

Genesis 44:18
Then Judah drew near unto him, and said - Pardon my lord! Pray let thy servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let thine anger be kindled against thy servant, - for, thus, art, thou as Pharaoh!

Genesis 44:22
And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father, - as surely as he leaveth his father, so surely will he, die.

Genesis 44:25
Then said our father, - Go again buy us a little food,

Genesis 44:29
And I have never seen him since. As surely as ye take, this one also, away from before my face and there befall him any mischief, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs, with misfortune to hades.

Genesis 44:31
so surely shall it come to pass that when he sooth that the lad is not with us, then will he die. So shall thy servants bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father, with sorrow to hades.

Genesis 44:32
For thy servant, became surety for the lad, while away from my father saying, - If I bring him not unto thee, then will I count myself a sinner against my father all the days.

2 Samuel 20:20
Then answered Joab and said, - Far be it! far be it from me! I will neither swallow up nor lay waste.

2 Kings 8:13
And Hazael said, But what is thy servant - the dog - that he should do this great thing? And Elisha said, Yahweh hath shown thee unto me, as king over Syria.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said unto him, wherefore saith my lord these words?.... One of them, in the name of the rest, perhaps Judah, made answer, as astonished at the charge laid against them, suggesting that there was not the least foundation for it, and were quite surprised to hear anything of this kind alleged against them:

God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing; expressing the utmost detestation of such a fact, as being what they could never be guilty of.

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.