The Silver Cup
Genesis 44:1-34
Gen.44.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- על: PREP
- ביתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- מלא: ADJ,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אמתחת: NOUN,f,sg,construct
- האנשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- יוכלון: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- שאת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושים: VERB,qal,imperat,2,m,sg
- כסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בפי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,construct
- אמתחתו: NOUN,f,sg,suff
Parallels
- Gen.42:25 (verbal): Same action and near-verbatim wording: Joseph's steward previously placed the brothers' money back into their sacks after their first visit (money returned 'in the mouth of their sacks').
- Gen.42:26-28 (verbal): Immediate narrative parallel describing the filling of the sacks and the discovery/placement of the brothers' money—repeats the motif and language of returned money in sacks.
- Gen.44:2 (structural): Direct continuation of the same scene: after ordering the sacks filled and money returned, Joseph instructs that his silver cup be secreted in Benjamin's sack — the planting of evidence contrasts with the prior return of money.
- Gen.39:13-20 (thematic): The motif of planting or using physical evidence to incriminate someone: Potiphar's wife uses Joseph's garment as false evidence to accuse him, paralleling the later tactic of hiding the cup to frame Benjamin.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he commanded the one over his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
- And he commanded the one who was over his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
Gen.44.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- גביעי: NOUN,m,sg,suf
- גביע: NOUN,m,sg,const
- הכסף: NOUN,m,sg,def
- תשים: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בפי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,construct
- אמתחת: NOUN,f,sg,const
- הקטן: ADJ,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ
- כסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שברו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ויעש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.44.1 (structural): Immediate narrative precursor: Joseph gives the steward the command that leads directly to the action described in 44:2.
- Gen.44.4-5 (verbal): Immediate aftermath: the men’s sacks are searched and the silver cup is found in Benjamin’s sack, fulfilling the planted evidence mentioned in 44:2.
- Gen.42.25 (verbal): Earlier episode of money being returned in the men’s sacks; Genesis emphasizes money concealed/returned in sacks, a motif Joseph exploits in 44:2.
- Gen.37.28 (thematic): The brothers’ earlier sale of Joseph for silver establishes the recurrent motif of silver and fraternal betrayal that frames the planting of the silver cup.
- 1 Kgs.21:8-15 (thematic): Narrative parallel of manufactured evidence and false accusation (Naboth’s condemnation by contrived testimony) — similar tactic of framing to seize another’s rights/position.
Alternative generated candidates
- And my goblet—the silver goblet—you shall put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and the silver for his grain. And he did according to the word of Joseph which he spoke.
- And my cup—the silver cup—you shall put in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, and the silver for his grain. And he did according to the word of Joseph that he spoke.
Gen.44.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הבקר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והאנשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- שלחו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- המה: PRON,3,m,pl
- וחמריהם: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,suff:3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 42:25 (verbal): Earlier in the Joseph story the brothers are given food and sent away; both verses use the same basic action of sending the men off with their donkeys after provision is given.
- Genesis 43:16 (structural): Another scene in the same narrative where Joseph’s housekeeper/agent loads provisions and dispatches the brothers and their donkeys — a repeated narrative pattern of provisioning and sending them on their way.
- Genesis 45:21-23 (thematic): When Joseph later equips and sends his brothers back to Canaan, he again provides animals, provisions and an escorted departure — the same theme of morning/departure and sending with beasts of burden.
- Exodus 12:31-33 (thematic): The Egyptians' hurried sending out of the Israelites with their goods at the decisive morning departure echoes the motif of a people being sent away at dawn with their possessions/animals.
Alternative generated candidates
- The morning was light, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
- The morning became light, and the men were sent off, they and their donkeys.
Gen.44.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הם: PRON,personal,3,m,pl
- יצאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- הרחיקו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ויוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לאשר: CONJ
- על: PREP
- ביתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קום: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- רדף: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- אחרי: PREP
- האנשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- והשגתם: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- ואמרת: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אלהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- למה: ADV
- שלמתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- רעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תחת: PREP
- טובה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 17:13 (verbal): Expresses the same moral principle—recompensing good with evil is condemned ('Whoever returns evil for good...'), paralleling the steward's charge to the brothers.
- Psalm 35:12 (verbal): The psalmist complains of being repaid 'evil for good,' using language that closely matches the complaint voiced in Genesis 44:4.
- Romans 12:17-21 (thematic): New Testament ethical teaching counsels not to repay evil for evil but to overcome evil with good, thematically contrasting the act of pursuing and accusing those who have been 'repaid' unjustly.
- Genesis 50:20 (thematic): Joseph later reframes his brothers' harmful action as part of God's providential plan ('You meant evil against me; God meant it for good'), connecting to the broader themes of injustice, retribution, and ultimate reconciliation in the Joseph narrative.
Alternative generated candidates
- They had gone out from the city, not gone far, when Joseph said to the one over his house, Rise, pursue after the men, and overtake them, and say to them, Why have you repaid evil for good?
- They had gone out from the city; they had not gone far; and Joseph said to the one who was over his house, Get up, pursue after the men, and overtake them, and say to them, Why have you repaid evil for good?
Gen.44.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הלוא: PART
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ישתה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- נחש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ינחש: VERB,nip,impf,3,m,sg
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- הרעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשיתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 44:1 (structural): Sets up the incident — Joseph (disguised) directs his steward to place his silver cup in Benjamin's sack, the instructive precedent for the cup-as-evidence mentioned in v.5.
- Genesis 44:12-13 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: the steward searches the sacks, finds the cup in Benjamin's, and thus enforces the accusation spoken in v.5.
- Genesis 42:25-28 (thematic): Earlier episode in Joseph's testing of his brothers: their sacks are filled with food and money is later discovered in them. Both scenes use hidden/returned objects to test and accuse the brothers.
- Genesis 37:26-28 (thematic): The brothers' original wrongdoing — conspiring to sell Joseph — provides the moral and narrative background for Joseph's later accusations ('you have done wrong') and themes of guilt, deception, and retribution.
Alternative generated candidates
- Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and by which indeed he divines? You have done evil in doing this.
- Is not this the one my lord drinks from, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in what you have done.
Gen.44.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישגם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- וידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אלהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- הדברים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- האלה: DEM,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 44:1-5 (structural): Immediate literary parallel: these verses record Joseph's command to the steward to fill the men's sacks and to place the silver cup in Benjamin's sack — the action that the steward executes and then follows up on in 44:6 (he overtakes them and speaks).
- Genesis 42:25 (thematic): Earlier scene with Joseph's steward opening the brothers' sacks and returning their money; parallels the steward's role as household official who inspects and manipulates the men's provisions/money (same motif of steward handling sacks/money).
- Genesis 42:27-28 (thematic): When the brothers first discover the money in their sacks they are seized with fear and speak among themselves; parallels the emotional and communicative aftermath in 44:6–when the steward's action and words provoke a crisis and dialogue among the brothers.
- Genesis 44:12-17 (verbal): The immediate continuation of the episode in which the steward confronts the men, finds the cup, and the brothers protest; parallels 44:6 in content and tone — the steward's pursuit/speech leads directly into the formal accusation and Judah's subsequent plea.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he overtook them and spoke to them these words.
- And he overtook them and spoke to them these words.
Gen.44.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,pl
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- למה: ADV
- ידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- כדברים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- האלה: DEM,pl
- חלילה: INTJ
- לעבדיך: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,2,ms
- מעשות: VERB,qal,inf
- כדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.44.9 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same scene — the brothers explicitly protest their innocence and explain finding the money, using the same defensive formula as in v.7.
- Gen.42.21-22 (thematic): Earlier in the narrative the brothers admit guilt about Joseph (confession of responsibility), creating a sharp contrast with their vehement denial here of stealing the cup.
- Gen.39.9 (verbal): Both verses feature a strong repudiation of wrongdoing formulated as moral impossibility ('how then can I do this great wickedness?' / 'far be it from your servants'), expressing shock and protest at the charge.
- Ps.35:11 (thematic): Psalmist complains of false witnesses accusing him of things he did not know — parallels the theme of unjust accusation and the speaker's protestation of innocence.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they said to him, Why does my lord speak according to such words? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.
- And they said to him, Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.
Gen.44.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הן: PART
- כסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- מצאנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,pl
- בפי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,construct
- אמתחתינו: NOUN,f,pl,suff
- השיבנו: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg
- אליך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- מארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כנען: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואיך: CONJ+ADV
- נגנב: VERB,nifal,perf,3,m,sg
- מבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדניך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- כסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- או: CONJ
- זהב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.42:27-28 (verbal): The brothers first discover the silver returned in their sacks and react with fear—this episode is the immediate narrative precedent to the claim in 44:8 that money was found in their packs.
- Gen.43:23 (verbal): The steward (or ‘the man’) tells the brothers that God has given them treasure in their sacks and explicitly notes he ‘had your money,’ paralleling the insistence in 44:8 that the silver was brought from Canaan and not stolen.
- Gen.31:32-35 (thematic): Laban’s accusation that Jacob’s household has stolen his household gods and Jacob’s defense echo the pattern of an employer/owner accusing retainers and the accused denying theft found in 44:8.
- Lev.6:2-5 (thematic): The law requiring confession and restitution when someone steals (including from a house of worship or neighbor) provides a legal/theological background for concerns about stolen silver and the obligation to return it, which underlies the brothers’ protest in 44:8.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, the silver which we found in the mouth of our sacks we returned to you from the land of Canaan; how could we steal from your lord’s house silver or gold?
- Look, the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; how then should we steal from your master’s house silver or gold?
Gen.44.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ימצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- מעבדיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,prsfx:2,m,sg,prep
- ומת: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- וגם: CONJ
- אנחנו: PRON,1,pl
- נהיה: VERB,niphal,impf,1,pl
- לאדני: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,m,poss1s
- לעבדים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 44:33-34 (verbal): Same scene and speaker (Judah) — a closely related, intensified pledge in which Judah formally offers himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place.
- Exodus 32:32 (thematic): Moses offers to be blotted out on behalf of the people — an act of intercessory self-substitution for others.
- Isaiah 53:4-6 (thematic): The Suffering Servant bears the iniquity of others; thematically parallels the idea of one person suffering or standing in for another.
- John 10:11,15 (thematic): Jesus’ declaration that he lays down his life for the sheep — New Testament instance of substitutionary self-giving similar to Judah’s offer.
Alternative generated candidates
- Whichever of your servants it is found with, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.
- Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.
Gen.44.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- גם: ADV
- עתה: ADV
- כדבריכם: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,2,m,pl
- כן: ADV
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ימצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ואתם: CONJ+PRON,2,pl
- תהיו: VERB,qal,imf,2,pl
- נקים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 44:9 (verbal): Almost identical wording appears elsewhere in the same episode—an official declares the same condition: the man in whose sack the cup is found will be my servant and you shall be blameless.
- Genesis 44:33–34 (thematic): Judah's subsequent offer to become a slave in Benjamin's stead directly responds to and thematically inverts the steward's pronouncement (vicarious substitution on behalf of the guilty).
- Isaiah 42:1 (allusion): Uses the key label 'my servant' for one who stands in a special relationship to the master; echoes the servant language and the idea of one placed under another's authority.
- Isaiah 53:4–6 (thematic): Presents the servant as vicarious substitute who bears others' guilt and suffering—a broader theological parallel to the narrative motif of one person becoming a servant/substitute for others.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he said, Even now, according to your words, so it is: he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you will be clear.
- And he said, Even now, according to your words, so it is: the one with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be innocent.
Gen.44.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וימהרו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ויורדו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- אמתחתו: NOUN,f,sg,suff
- ארצה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויפתחו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמתחתו: NOUN,f,sg,suff
Parallels
- Gen.42:25-27 (verbal): Same action earlier in the Joseph narrative — the brothers ‘let down their sacks’/opened them and found the money in each man's sack.
- Gen.44:1-5 (structural): The steward’s prior instructions to return the brothers’ money and to place Joseph’s cup in Benjamin’s sack create the situation that makes the opening of the sacks decisive.
- Gen.42:35 (thematic): The brothers’ astonishment and recognition of an unusual divine act when money appears in their sacks — highlights the themes of testing, providence, and fear that recur when the sacks are opened.
- Gen.44:12 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: the discovery on opening the sacks leads to the steward’s enquiry and the accusation against whoever has the cup, showing the intended outcome of the planted cup.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then they hurried and each brought down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.
- And they hurried and each lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.
Gen.44.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויחפש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בגדול: PREP+ADJ,m,sg,def
- החל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ובקטן: CONJ+PREP+ADJ,m,sg,def
- כלה: ADV
- וימצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- הגביע: NOUN,m,sg,def
- באמתחת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בנימן: NOUN,m,sg,proper
Parallels
- Gen.44.1-5 (structural): Immediate narrative setup: Joseph orders the steward to fill the brothers' sacks and secretly place his silver cup in Benjamin's sack — explains the planted evidence that is discovered when the steward searches the sacks.
- Gen.42.25 (verbal): Earlier in the Joseph story Joseph had commanded that each man's money be put back into his sack; both passages feature money/objects found in the brothers' sacks and the shock that attends such discoveries.
- Gen.43.23 (verbal): The steward's later words to the brothers ('Peace to you...your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I have your money') echo the motif of valuables being found in their sacks and the steward's role in accounting for them.
- Gen.31.19-35 (thematic): Laban's thorough search of Jacob's household and Rachel's hiding of the household gods in her baggage provides a parallel motif of searching personal/household belongings, concealment in a sack/tent, and the tensions and accusations that follow such discoveries.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he searched, beginning with the eldest and finishing with the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin’s sack.
- And he searched—he began with the eldest and finished with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Gen.44.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקרעו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- שמלתם: NOUN,f,sg,abs+3,m,pl
- ויעמס: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- חמרו: NOUN,m,sg,poss3ms
- וישבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- העירה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.37.34 (verbal): Jacob rends his garments on hearing Joseph is (apparently) dead — same verb/action (tearing clothes) as an expression of grief over a perceived loss.
- Job 1:20 (thematic): Job tears his robe and shaves his head upon severe personal calamity — parallels the use of garment-tearing as ritualized mourning and shock.
- 2 Sam.13:19 (thematic): Tamar rends her garments after being violated — another instance where tearing garments signals distress, shame, and rupture of social order.
- Josh.7:6 (verbal): Joshua and the elders tear their clothes after the defeat at Ai — a comparable ritual response (renting garments) to national/civic disaster or crisis.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then they tore their garments, and each loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
- Then they tore their garments, and each loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.
Gen.44.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- ואחיו: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:3,m,sg
- ביתה: NOUN,m,sg,suff-3,f,sg
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- עודנו: ADV
- שם: ADV
- ויפלו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- לפניו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ארצה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 37:9 (allusion): Joseph's dream in which his brothers (and parents) bow to him—this earlier motif of bowing anticipates and is fulfilled by the narrative scene of the brothers falling before Joseph.
- Genesis 42:6 (verbal): On their first journey to Egypt the brothers 'bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth'—language and action closely parallel Gen 44:14's account of Judah and his brothers falling before Joseph.
- Genesis 43:26 (verbal): At their second visit the brothers again 'fell down before him on their faces'—a repeated narrative formula echoing Gen 44:14 and emphasizing submissive posture before Joseph.
- Genesis 50:18 (thematic): After Jacob's death the brothers 'fell down before him' and wept—echoes the theme of contrition, submission, and reconciliation expressed by the physical act of bowing to Joseph.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him to the ground.
- And Judah and his brothers came into Joseph’s house, and he was still there, and they fell before him to the ground.
Gen.44.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- יוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מה: PRON,int
- המעשה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשיתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- הלוא: PART
- ידעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- נחש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ינחש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- כמני: PREP,1,sg
Parallels
- Gen.42:7-8 (structural): Same narrative cycle: Joseph recognizes his brothers while they do not recognize him and conceals his identity—parallels Genesis 44:15's reliance on Joseph's covert knowledge and testing of the brothers.
- Gen.41:15-16 (thematic): Joseph speaks of interpretation/knowledge as deriving from God (‘it is not in me; God shall give Pharaoh an answer’). Connects to 44:15’s theme of a single man’s ability to discern hidden facts (the cup theft) as mediated by insight/authority beyond ordinary perception.
- Dan.2:27-28 (thematic): Daniel explains that mysteries are revealed by God rather than human skill. Parallels the underlying theological claim in Joseph’s assertion that a man like him can 'divine' or discern hidden matters—knowledge traced to divine disclosure.
- John 2:24-25 (thematic): Of Jesus it is said he 'knew what was in man' and perceived motives. This New Testament motif of an individual discerning inner truth parallels Joseph’s confident exposure of the brothers’ deed in Gen 44:15.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Joseph said to them, What is this deed that you have done? Did you not know that a man such as I indeed divines?
- And Joseph said to them, What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that a man such as I surely divines?
Gen.44.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- מה: PRON,int
- נאמר: VERB,niphal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לאדני: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,m,poss1s
- מה: PRON,int
- נדבר: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,c,pl
- ומה: CONJ+PRON,int
- נצטדק: VERB,hitpael,imperfect,1,c,pl
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- עון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עבדיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2ms
- הננו: PRON,1,c,pl
- עבדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לאדני: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,m,poss1s
- גם: ADV
- אנחנו: PRON,1,pl
- גם: ADV
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נמצא: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- הגביע: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בידו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 42:21–22 (verbal): The brothers earlier admit their guilt about Joseph ('we are indeed guilty'), echoing the same conscience-stricken language and recognition of wrongdoing that appears in Judah’s plea.
- Genesis 43:8–9 (verbal): Judah’s prior speech to Jacob ('What shall we say to my lord? How shall we clear ourselves?') uses nearly identical rhetorical questions and pleading vocabulary found here, forming an internal verbal parallel within the Joseph narrative.
- Exodus 32:32–33 (thematic): Moses offers himself as intercessor/substitute for a guilty people and appeals to God’s judgment; thematically parallels Judah’s willingness to substitute himself and accept responsibility for the accused brother.
- Psalm 51:4 (thematic): David’s confession acknowledges that God knows and adjudicates sin ('against you, you only, have I sinned'), resonating with Judah’s statement that God has discovered the servants’ iniquity and the need to be accounted for before God.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak, and how shall we be justified? God has found out the guilt of your servants. Here we are, slaves to my lord, both we and also the one in whose hand the goblet was found.
- And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak, and how shall we be justified? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Here we are, slaves to my lord—both we and also the one in whose hand the cup was found.
Gen.44.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- חלילה: PART
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- מעשות: VERB,qal,inf
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נמצא: VERB,nip,perf,3,m,sg
- הגביע: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בידו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ואתם: CONJ+PRON,2,pl
- עלו: PREP+3ms_suff
- לשלום: PREP
- אל: NEG
- אביכם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,mp
Parallels
- Genesis 44:33–34 (thematic): Later in the same scene Judah moves from proposing that the man found with the cup be kept to offering himself as slave in Benjamin’s place — a direct development of the substitute/surety theme in v.17.
- Genesis 43:8–9 (verbal): Earlier Judah twice offers to be surety for Benjamin (‘I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him’), showing the same language of guarantee and readiness to bear responsibility that appears in 44:17–34.
- Genesis 37:26–27 (thematic): When Joseph was young Judah proposed selling him to the Ishmaelites. The contrast with his willingness in Genesis 44 to accept servitude (or substitute himself) highlights Judah’s moral development.
- Genesis 31:34–35 (verbal): Laban’s interrogation over the household gods (‘With whom hast thou found them?’) reflects the legal/social presumption that possession implies responsibility — the same assumption behind seizing the man in whose hand the cup was found.
Alternative generated candidates
- But he said, Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose hand the goblet was found, he shall be my slave; but you—go up in peace to your father.
- And he said, Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave; but you, go up in peace to your father.
Gen.44.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויגש: VERB,qal,wayy,3,m,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- ידבר: VERB,qal,juss,3,m,sg
- נא: PART
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- באזני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,cstr
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- יחר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אפך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- בעבדך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg+PRON,2,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- כמוך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- כפרעה: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 43:26-30 (structural): The brothers again bow before Joseph and address him with deferential language ('my lord'), presenting themselves and their gifts before him—same courtly setting and formal petitioning that frames Judah's speech in 44:18–34.
- Genesis 44:33-34 (thematic): Later in the same speech Judah pleads for mercy and offers himself in place of Benjamin. This is the immediate thematic continuation of his opening plea in 44:18 (fear of the ruler's anger and an appeal for clemency).
- Genesis 50:17-21 (thematic): Joseph's later reassurance to his brothers ('do not be afraid') responds to the very fear of anger that Judah expresses in 44:18; the passage provides the narrative resolution to the plea for mercy.
- 1 Samuel 24:8-11 (thematic): David speaks respectfully to Saul, pleading that Saul not be angry and appealing to Saul's position and honor—a similar posture of deference and an appeal to a powerful ruler's mercy.
- Esther 5:2-3 (thematic): Esther approaches the king with cautious deference and petitions him on behalf of her people, fearing royal displeasure—parallel in form and tone to Judah's careful address and plea to Joseph.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Judah drew near to him and said, Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.
- Then Judah approached him and said, Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.
Gen.44.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- שאל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- היש: PART,exist
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- אב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- או: CONJ
- אח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.44:18-21 (verbal): Immediate literary parallel — Judah's speech reproduces the steward/Joseph's exact questions ('Have you a father? Or a brother?') as part of his plea; same words and episode retold within the same scene.
- Gen.42:7-17 (thematic): Earlier confrontation when Joseph first meets his brothers in Egypt: Joseph questions them about their origins and family and detains Simeon. Shares the motif of interrogation, testing, and concealment of identity that culminates in Gen 44.
- 2 Sam.9:1-8 (thematic): David inquires about surviving members of Saul's house to show kindness to Jonathan's lineage. The passage parallels Gen 44.19 in its focus on family ties and the practice of questioning after kinship to determine legal/merciful action.
- Ruth 4:1-10 (structural): The city-gate scene where Boaz and the nearer kinsman question who is next of kin and whether he will redeem the land/marry Ruth. Structurally similar: family identity is established through questioning and determines the persons' fate and obligations.
Alternative generated candidates
- My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?
- My lord asked his servants, saying, Do you have a father or a brother?
Gen.44.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונאמר: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- אב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זקן: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- וילד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זקנים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- קטן: ADJ,m,sg
- ואחיו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3ms
- מת: ADJ,m,sg
- ויותר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- לבדו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- לאמו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,suff,3,m
- ואביו: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRONSUF,3,m,sg
- אהבו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg,3ms.obj
Parallels
- Genesis 37:3 (verbal): Uses the same language of a favored child as “the son of his old age” and states that the father loved him more — the verbal motif echoed in Gen 44:20 about the young brother whom the father loves.
- Genesis 37:34-35 (thematic): Jacob’s intense mourning for the (apparently) lost son Joseph — “he refused to be comforted” — parallels the theme of a father’s unique attachment and grief at the loss/endangerment of a beloved son (as with Benjamin in Gen 44:20).
- Genesis 43:8–10 (structural): Judah’s plea that Benjamin be allowed to accompany the brothers because their father will not be comforted without him (and loves him dearly) is part of the same narrative logic and directly parallels the explanation given in Gen 44:20.
- Luke 15:20 (thematic): The father’s compassionate, affectionate response to a returning/ beloved son in the Prodigal Son parable echoes the broader biblical motif of a father’s special love for a favored child, which underlies the concern for Benjamin in Gen 44:20.
Alternative generated candidates
- And we said to my lord, We have an aged father and a child of his old age, the youngest; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left to his mother, and his father loves him.
- And we said to my lord, We have an aged father and a young son of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone remains to his mother, and his father loves him.
Gen.44.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- אל: NEG
- עבדיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2ms
- הורדהו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ואשימה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- עיני: NOUN,f,pl,cons+1s
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 44:12 (structural): Same scene earlier in the chapter: Joseph orders his steward to place the silver cup in Benjamin’s sack as part of the contrivance that leads to the command to ‘bring him down’—both verses are elements of Joseph’s deliberate test/entrapment.
- Genesis 44:5 (structural): An immediate parallel in the chapter where Joseph instructs his household steward to fill the brothers’ sacks and manipulate their provisions—this series of commands frames the action in 44:21, showing Joseph’s control over the situation and his use of servants.
- Genesis 42:7–18 (thematic): Earlier in the Joseph narrative Joseph confronts his brothers, speaks harshly, and imprisons them (e.g., 42:7,18); both passages show Joseph exercising authority to detain and test his brothers while concealing his identity.
- Deuteronomy 19:16–19 (thematic): The motif of ‘bringing’ an accused or a witness before an authority for judgment/testing echoes here: Genesis 44:21’s command to bring Benjamin so he may be examined parallels legal procedures for summoning persons to be proved or condemned.
- Matthew 26:59–61 (allusion): The Gospel scene where Jesus is brought before authorities and false witnesses are produced shares the theme of entrapment and staged accusation—Genesis 44:21 likewise portrays a staged bringing of an accused into the presence of one who will judge or test him.
Alternative generated candidates
- And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.
- And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eye on him.
Gen.44.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונאמר: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- יוכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,ms
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לעזב: VERB,qal,inf
- את: PRT,acc
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ועזב: VERB,qal,perf,3,ms
- את: PRT,acc
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ומת: VERB,qal,perf,3,ms
Parallels
- Gen.43:8-9 (verbal): Judah's earlier plea to Jacob uses almost the same wording — 'the lad cannot leave his father; if he leave him, his father will die' — a near-verbatim repetition of the concern for Benjamin.
- Gen.44:30-31 (structural): In Judah's fuller speech later he repeats the idea that Jacob's life is bound up with Benjamin and that if the lad is not returned Jacob will die — the same motif reiterated within the chapter.
- Gen.37:34-35 (thematic): Jacob's extreme mourning over Joseph's apparent death ('I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning') reflects the same paternal bond and fear of losing a son that underlies the statement about Benjamin.
- Gen.42:38 (thematic): Jacob's reluctance to send Benjamin (he says he would go down to the grave mourning if he lost another son) expresses the same anxiety about a son's absence leading to the father's death.
Alternative generated candidates
- And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; if he were to leave his father, he would die.
- And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; for if he leaves his father, his father will die.
Gen.44.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- אל: NEG
- עבדיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2ms
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- ירד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אחיכם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2,m,pl
- הקטן: ADJ,m,sg,def
- אתכם: PRT+PRON,2,m,pl
- לא: PART_NEG
- תספון: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- לראות: VERB,qal,inf
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
Parallels
- Gen.43:8-9 (thematic): Judah offers himself as guarantor for Benjamin's safe return—both passages focus on the necessity that the youngest brother accompany the brothers and on a pledge to ensure his safety.
- Gen.42:36-38 (thematic): Jacob's refusal to send Benjamin because he would die if Benjamin were taken reflects the same family anxiety and the centrality of the youngest son's presence in the household.
- Gen.44:34 (structural): Judah's later offer to become a slave in Benjamin's stead parallels and resolves the earlier demand that Benjamin must accompany them; both texts foreground substitutionary pledges to secure the boy's safety.
- Gen.44:22 (verbal): An immediate report of the same demand appears earlier in the chapter—this verse recounts how the steward said that unless the youngest came down they would not be allowed to see his face, showing verbal repetition and narrative framing.
Alternative generated candidates
- And you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you shall not again see my face.
- And you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you shall not see my face again.
Gen.44.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- עלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- אל: NEG
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ונגד: CONJ+PREP
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
Parallels
- Gen.37:31-33 (verbal): The brothers present evidence to their father about Joseph (showing his coat) and report what happened — a direct verbal parallel to ‘we related unto him the words of my lord,’ i.e., the act of reporting to their father.
- Gen.42:21-22 (thematic): The brothers’ guilty discussion and their recounting of events about Joseph highlights the recurring theme of confessing/relating actions to family authorities, connecting with the reporting to their father in 44:24.
- Gen.45:25-27 (structural): After Joseph reveals himself, the brothers return to Jacob and ‘told him all the words of Joseph’—a structural mirror of 44:24 in which the brothers convey to their father the words they received in Egypt.
- Gen.44:25 (verbal): Immediate continuation of the same exchange: the brothers explicitly recount how they relayed Joseph’s words to their father, repeating and reinforcing the phrase and action found in 44:24.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.
- And it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.
Gen.44.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אבינו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prsuf1pl
- שבו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- שברו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- מעט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.42:1-2 (verbal): Jacob first instructs his sons to go to Egypt to buy grain because of the famine — the same motive and wording (go buy us a little food) that explains why they return in ch.44.
- Gen.43:2 (verbal): The brothers again invoke their father’s command to go and buy food when preparing a second trip to Egypt; repeats the practical reason for their journey (to purchase food).
- Gen.41:56-57 (thematic): Describes the severe famine and how people came to Egypt to buy grain — provides the broader context that makes Jacob’s instruction to ‘‘buy a little food’’ necessary.
- Gen.45:18 (thematic): After Joseph reveals himself he tells them to bring their father to Egypt to live and eat — a resolution to the food/hunger motive that drove the earlier commands to go buy food.
Alternative generated candidates
- And our father said, Return, buy for us a little food.
- And our father said, Return, buy for us a little food.
Gen.44.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונאמר: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- נוכל: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- לרדת: VERB,qal,inf
- אם: CONJ
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אחינו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:1pl
- הקטן: ADJ,m,sg,def
- אתנו: PRON,1,pl
- וירדנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,pl
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- נוכל: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- לראות: VERB,qal,inf
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואחינו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1,pl
- הקטן: ADJ,m,sg,def
- איננו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl,neg
- אתנו: PRON,1,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 43:6-7 (verbal): Almost identical wording and situation: the brothers say they cannot go down or face the man unless their youngest brother is with them — the same refusal repeated earlier in the narrative.
- Genesis 42:38 (thematic): Jacob's earlier injunction that they must bring Benjamin home — introduces the recurring concern for the youngest son's safety and the family's insistence on his presence.
- Genesis 44:33-34 (structural): Judah's later plea to remain as a substitute for Benjamin and to spare their father echoes the brothers' insistence on Benjamin's presence and highlights the narrative role of Benjamin as central to the crisis.
- Genesis 37:34-35 (thematic): Jacob's bitter mourning over Joseph and his fear of losing another son (’all these things are against me’) parallels the parental anxiety and stakes behind the brothers' refusal to present Joseph's ruler without Benjamin.
Alternative generated candidates
- And we said, We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.
- And we said, We cannot go down; but if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.
Gen.44.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- ידעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ילדה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- אשתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1s
Parallels
- Genesis 30:22–24 (verbal): Narrative of Rachel bearing Joseph — supports Judah’s claim that his (their) mother bore two sons (Joseph and later Benjamin).
- Genesis 35:16–18 (verbal): Account of Rachel bearing Benjamin (and dying in childbirth) — directly corroborates the statement that the same wife bore two sons.
- Genesis 42:13 (thematic): Brothers’ earlier identification as “twelve brethren, the sons of one man” echoes the emphasis on family/sons born to the same father and the unity of the household Judah describes.
- Genesis 44:20–21 (structural): Immediate context in Judah’s speech reiterates the family situation (‘thy servant my father is an old man… the child is one of his sons’), forming the same argumentative unit that leads into verse 44:27.
Alternative generated candidates
- And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons.
- And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons.
Gen.44.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- האחד: PRON,indef,sg,m
- מאתי: PREP,1,sg
- ואמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אך: PART
- טרף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טרף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- ראיתיו: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,sg
- עד: PREP
- הנה: PART
Parallels
- Genesis 37:31–33 (thematic): Brothers report the disappearance of a brother by presenting evidence (Joseph’s coat) and giving a false account of his fate—parallels the motif of a missing brother and deceptive reporting in the Joseph cycle.
- Genesis 42:9–17 (structural): Earlier in the Joseph narrative Joseph (unknown to his brothers) accuses them of being spies and speaks harshly; the same pattern of accusation, interrogation and detention recurs in chapter 44.
- Genesis 44:4–5 (verbal): Immediate structural parallel within the same episode: Joseph’s steward is ordered to pursue the men, place money in the sacks and plant the cup, which directly leads to the accusation reported in 44:28.
- Exodus 23:1 (thematic): Prohibition against bearing or spreading a false report; thematically connected to episodes in Genesis where false accusations or misleading reports about a person’s status (death/theft/espionage) drive the plot.
Alternative generated candidates
- One went out from me, and I said, Surely he has been torn, torn; and I have not seen him until now.
- And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces, and I have not seen him until now.
Gen.44.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולקחתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- גם: ADV
- את: PRT,acc
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- מעם: PREP
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- וקרהו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אסון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והורדתם: VERB,hif,impf,2,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- שיבתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- ברעה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שאלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.37.34-35 (verbal): Jacob's response to Joseph's supposed death — he rends his garments, puts on sackcloth and says he will go down to Sheol to his son in mourning; language and motif (mourning leading to death/grave) parallel the phrase about bringing down gray hairs with sorrow.
- Gen.42.36-38 (verbal): Jacob's earlier complaint after the first visit to Egypt: he tells his sons that if Benjamin is taken he will be bereaved and they will 'bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave' — nearly identical wording and concern.
- Gen.44.30-34 (structural): Immediate narrative context: Judah's plea explaining the danger to their father's life if Benjamin is returned alone; these verses contain the fuller argument that includes the grief/gray-hair motif and complete the unit containing 44:29.
- 2 Sam.18.33 (thematic): David's intense parental grief at Absalom's death ('O my son Absalom... would God I had died for thee') — different context but parallels the theme of a parent's overwhelming sorrow at loss or threatened loss of a child.
Alternative generated candidates
- And you take this one also from before me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray head with sorrow to Sheol.
- And if you take this one also from before me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray head with sorrow to Sheol.
Gen.44.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועתה: CONJ
- כבאי: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- והנער: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
- איננו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl,neg
- אתנו: PRON,1,pl
- ונפשו: NOUN,f,sg,suff
- קשורה: ADJ,f,sg
- בנפשו: PREP,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 37:34-35 (thematic): Jacob’s deep mourning when he believes Joseph dead—parallel theme of a father’s soul/ties being devastated by the apparent loss of a favored son.
- Genesis 42:38 (thematic): Jacob’s refusal to send Benjamin because he has ‘lost’ one son and fears losing the other—same fear of bringing grief to the father if the younger does not return.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 (verbal): “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David” (Heb. the soul was bound/knit to the soul) — very close verbal imagery to ‘his soul is bound up with the lad’s soul.’
- 1 Samuel 20:17 (verbal): Jonathan’s declaration that he loved David ‘as his own soul’—similar language expressing intimate attachment and mutual dependence between persons.
Alternative generated candidates
- And now, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us—his life is bound up with the lad’s life—
- And now, when I come to your servant my father and the lad is not with us—his life is bound up with the lad’s life—
Gen.44.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- כראותו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- אין: PART,neg
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ומת: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- והורידו: CONJ+VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- עבדיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2ms
- את: PRT,acc
- שיבת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- אבינו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prsuf1pl
- ביגון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שאלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Gen.44:29-30 (quotation): Immediate parallel within the same scene — Jacob’s explicit words that if Benjamin is harmed they will 'bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave,' the same concern expressed in 44:31.
- Gen.42:36-38 (thematic): Earlier statement of the same fear: Jacob protests sending Benjamin because he is 'left alone' and says harm to him would be intolerable — same theme of an aged father fearing the loss of his last beloved son.
- Gen.37:34-35 (verbal): Jacob’s earlier reaction to Joseph’s presumed death — he rends his clothes and refuses comfort, saying he will go down to Sheol to his son in mourning. Parallels the intense paternal grief and expectation of death in 44:31.
- Gen.35:16-20 (allusion): Narrative background: Rachel’s death in childbirth and Benjamin’s birth explain Jacob’s special attachment to Benjamin as the only surviving son of Rachel, which underlies Jacob’s fear of losing him in 44:31.
Alternative generated candidates
- then it will be, when he sees that the lad is not, he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray head of your servant our father with grief to Sheol.
- And it will be, when he sees that the lad is not, that he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray head of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.
Gen.44.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- ערב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מעם: PREP
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- אביאנו: VERB,qal,imf,1,m,sg,suf:3,m,pl
- אליך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- וחטאתי: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- לאבי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- כל: DET
- הימים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- Gen.43:8-9 (verbal): Earlier statement by Judah in the same narrative promising to be 'surety' for Benjamin with nearly identical wording—if he does not bring the boy back he will bear the blame before his father.
- Gen.44:33 (structural): Immediate continuation of Judah’s plea in which he offers himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place, intensifying the surety motif and personal assumption of responsibility found in 44:32.
- Prov.6:1-5 (thematic): A wisdom warning against becoming surety or putting up security for another (risk of personal liability); parallels the legal/financial danger and moral seriousness of Judah’s pledge.
- Prov.11:15 (thematic): States that one who puts up security for a stranger will suffer, while refusing to become surety is secure—echoes the theme of liability and consequence in Judah’s vow to guarantee Benjamin.
- Ruth 4:9-10 (thematic): Boaz’s action as kinsman‑redeemer who assumes obligation to preserve the relative’s line resonates with Judah’s voluntary assumption of responsibility for Benjamin within a family/kinship context.
Alternative generated candidates
- For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I shall have sinned against my father all the days.
- For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame to my father all my days.
Gen.44.33 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועתה: CONJ
- ישב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- נא: PART
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- תחת: PREP
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- לאדני: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,m,poss1s
- והנער: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
- יעל: VERB,qal,impf,juss,3,m,sg
- עם: PREP
- אחיו: NOUN,3,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 43:9 (verbal): Judah earlier offers himself as guarantor for Benjamin’s safe return (‘‘I will be a pledge for him’’), using similar language of standing in place of the younger brother.
- Genesis 42:38 (structural): Jacob’s refusal to let Benjamin go down to Egypt (‘‘My son shall not go down with you’’) provides the narrative background and motive for Judah’s later self‑substitution.
- Exodus 32:32 (thematic): Moses pleads to be blotted out if it will avert divine punishment from Israel — another instance of a leader offering himself on behalf of others (theme of vicarious self‑sacrifice).
- John 15:13 (thematic): ‘‘Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends’’ — New Testament expression of self‑sacrifice on behalf of others, thematically parallel to Judah’s offer to remain as servant in Benjamin’s place.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.
- And now, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.
Gen.44.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- איך: ADV
- אעלה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- אל: NEG
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- והנער: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,def
- איננו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl,neg
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- פן: CONJ
- אראה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- ברע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ימצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
Parallels
- Genesis 43:9 (verbal): Judah earlier tells Jacob that the lad must go down with them and offers to remain or be surety in his place — language and concern parallel his later plea not to return to their father without Benjamin.
- Genesis 37:31-35 (thematic): Jacob’s profound mourning over the presumed death of Joseph is the background Judah invokes — he fears causing the same grief to his father if Benjamin is absent.
- Genesis 44:33 (structural): The immediately preceding verse is part of the same speech: Judah offers himself as surety for Benjamin; 44:34 follows as the culmination of that offer and explanation.
- Genesis 45:25-28 (thematic): The later report that Joseph is alive and Jacob’s subsequent emotional collapse and recovery provide the resolution of Judah’s fear and show the outcome to which his plea in 44:34 points.
Alternative generated candidates
- For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—lest I see the evil that would find my father?
- For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me?—lest I see the evil that would befall my father.
And he commanded the one over his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. And my cup—the silver cup—you shall put in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and the silver for his grain. And he did according to Joseph’s word, which he had spoken.
The morning was light, and the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
They had gone out of the city, they had not gone far, and Joseph said to the one over his house, Rise, pursue after the men and overtake them, and say to them: Why have you repaid evil for good?
Is not this the cup that my lord drinks from? And indeed he divines by it. You have done evil in what you have done. And he overtook them and spoke to them these words. 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.
Behold, the silver that we found in the mouth of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; how then should we steal from your lord’s house silver or gold?
Whichever of your servants it is found with shall die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves. And he said, Even now, according to your words, so it is: he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be clear.
Then they hurried and each brought his sack down to the ground, and each opened his sack. And he searched, beginning with the eldest and finishing with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Then they tore their garments, and each loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him to the ground. And Joseph said to them, What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that a man such as I will indeed divine? And Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak, and how shall we justify ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants. Here we are, slaves to my lord, both we and the one in whose hand the cup was found. But he said, Far be it from me to do this; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave, and you—go up in peace to your father.
Then Judah approached him and said, Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not let your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother? And we said to my lord, We have an aged father and a youngest son, a child of his old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him. And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. And we said to my lord, The lad cannot leave his father; if he leaves his father, he would die. But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you shall not again see my face. And it was, when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, Return, buy for us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us. And your servant my father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two sons.
One went out from me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces, and I have not seen him until now. And you take this one also from before my face, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray head with sorrow to Sheol. And now, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us—his life is bound up with the lad’s life—
then it will be, when he sees that the lad is not, that he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray head of your servant our father with grief to Sheol.
For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you, then I will have sinned to my father all my days. Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.
For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—lest I see the evil that would befall my father?