Genesis 44:13

Amplified Bible

Then they tore their clothes [in grief]; and after each man had loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Then they tore their clothes, and loaded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.

King James Version
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

Lexham English Bible
Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and they returned to the city.

New Century Version
The brothers tore their clothes to show they were afraid. Then they put their sacks back on the donkeys and returned to the city.

New English Translation
They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

New American Standard Bible
Then they tore their clothes in grief, and when each man had loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then they rent their clothes, and laded euery man his asse, & went againe into the citie.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

Contemporary English Version
This upset the brothers so much that they began tearing their clothes in sorrow. Then they loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

Complete Jewish Bible
At this, they tore their clothes from grief. Then each man loaded up his donkey and returned to the city.

Darby Translation
Then they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his ass, and they returned to the city.

Easy-to-Read Version
The brothers were very sad. They tore their clothes to show their sadness. They put their sacks back on the donkeys and went back to the city.

English Standard Version
Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

George Lamsa Translation
And they tore their clothes, and loaded every man his ass, and returned to the town.

Good News Translation
The brothers tore their clothes in sorrow, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

Christian Standard Bible®
Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

Literal Translation
And they tore their clothes; and they each one loaded his ass and returned to the city.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then rente they their clothes, and euery man lade the burthen vpon his Asse, & wente agayne vnto the cite.

American Standard Version
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

Bible in Basic English
Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then they rent theyr clothes, and laded euery ma his asse, and went againe vnto the citie.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

King James Version (1611)
Then they rent their clothes, and laded euery man his asse, and returned to the citie.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they rent their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.

English Revised Version
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

Berean Standard Bible
Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne thei hadden `to-rent her clothis, and hadden chargid eft the assis, thei turneden ayen in to the citee.

Young's Literal Translation
and they rend their garments, and each ladeth his ass, and they turn back to the city.

Update Bible Version
Then they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

World English Bible
Then they tore their clothes, and loaded every man his donkey, and returned to the city.

New King James Version
Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

New Living Translation
When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.

New Life Bible
Then they tore their clothes. After each man loaded his donkey again, they returned to the city.

New Revised Standard
At this they tore their clothes. Then each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they rent their mantles, - and laded each man his ass, and returned to the city.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

Revised Standard Version
Then they rent their clothes, and every man loaded his ass, and they returned to the city.

THE MESSAGE
They ripped their clothes in despair, loaded up their donkeys, and went back to the city.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they tore their clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey, they returned to the city.

Contextual Overview

¹And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's [grain] money in the mouth of the sack. ²"Put my [personal] cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his grain money." And the steward did as Joseph had told him. ³As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. ⁴When they had left the city, and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, "Get up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil [to us] for good [paid to you]? ⁵'Is this not my lord's drinking cup and the one which he uses for divination? You have done [a great and unforgivable] wrong in doing this.'" ⁶So the steward overtook them and he said these words to them. ⁷They said to him, "Why does my lord speak these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! ⁸"Please remember, the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Is it likely then that we would steal silver or gold from your master's house? ⁹"With whomever of your servants your master's cup is found, let him die, and the rest of us will be my lord's slaves." ¹⁰And the steward said, "Now let it be as you say; he with whom the cup is found will be my slave, but the rest of you shall be blameless."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 37:29-34, Numbers 14:6, 2 Samuel 1:2, 2 Samuel 1:11, 2 Samuel 13:19

Cross-References

Genesis 44:29
'If you take this one also from me, and harm or an accident happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.'

Genesis 44:34
"How can I go up to my father if the young man is not with me—for fear that I would see the tragedy that would overtake my [elderly] father [if Benjamin does not return]?"

Numbers 14:6
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes [as a sign of grief],

2 Samuel 1:2
On the third day a man came [unexpectedly] from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as in mourning]. When he came to David, he bowed to the ground and lay himself face down [in an act of great respect and submission].

2 Samuel 1:11
Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them [in mourning]; so did all the men who were with him.

2 Samuel 13:19
So Tamar put dust on her head [in grief] and tore the long-sleeved robe which she had on, and she put her hand on her head and went away crying out [for help].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then they rent their clothes,.... In token of sorrow and distress, being at their wits' end, like distracted persons, not knowing what to do: this was usually done in the eastern countries when any evil befell, as did Jacob, Genesis 37:34; and as the Egyptians themselves did when mourning for their dead, as Diodorus Siculus q relates:

and laded every man his ass; put their sacks of corn on their asses again, having tied them up:

and returned to the city; to the metropolis, as Jarchi, which was either Tanis, that is, Zoan, or, as others think, Memphis: hither they returned to see how it would go with Benjamin, to plead his cause and get him released, that he might go with them, they being afraid to see their father's face without him; otherwise, could they have been content to have gone without him, they might have proceeded on in their journey, see Genesis 44:17.

q Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 65.

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.