Genesis 44:7

Good News Translation

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

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;

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!

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!

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 Joseph commanded the servant in charge of his house, "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's money in the top of his sack. ² Put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother's sack, together with the money for his grain." He did as he was told. ³ Early in the morning the brothers were sent on their way with their donkeys. ⁴ When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of his house, "Hurry after those men. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you paid back evil for good? ⁵ Why did you steal my master's silver cup? It is the one he drinks from, the one he uses for divination. You have committed a serious crime!'" ⁶ When the servant caught up with them, he repeated these words. ⁷ They answered him, "What do you mean, sir, by talking like this? We swear that we have done no such thing. ⁸ You know that we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in the top of our sacks. Why then should we steal silver or gold from your master's house? ⁹ Sir, if any one of us is found to have it, he will be put to death, and the rest of us will become your slaves." ¹⁰ He said, "I agree; but only the one who has taken the cup will become my slave, and the rest of you can go free."

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
While Jacob was living in that land, Reuben had sexual intercourse with Bilhah, one of his father's concubines; Jacob heard about it and was furious. Jacob had twelve sons.

Genesis 44:16
"What can we say to you, sir?" Judah answered. "How can we argue? How can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered our guilt. All of us are now your slaves and not just the one with whom the cup was found."

Genesis 44:18
Judah went up to Joseph and said, "Please, sir, allow me to speak with you freely. Don't be angry with me; you are like the king himself.

Genesis 44:22
and we answered that the boy could not leave his father; if he did, his father would die.

Genesis 44:25
Then he told us to return and buy a little food.

Genesis 44:29
If you take this one from me now and something happens to him, the sorrow you would cause me would kill me, as old as I am.'

Genesis 44:32
What is more, I pledged my life to my father for the boy. I told him that if I did not bring the boy back to him, I would bear the blame all my life.

2 Samuel 20:20
"Never!" Joab answered. "I will never ruin or destroy your city!

2 Kings 8:13
"How could I ever be that powerful?" Hazael asked. "I'm a nobody!" "The Lord has shown me that you will be king of Syria," Elisha replied.

Proverbs 22:1
If you have to choose between a good reputation and great wealth, choose a good reputation.

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.