Genesis 44:6

THE MESSAGE

He caught up with them and repeated all this word for word.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

King James Version
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

Lexham English Bible
When he overtook them he spoke these words to them.

New Century Version
So the servant caught up with the brothers and said to them what Joseph had told him to say.

New English Translation
When the man overtook them, he spoke these words to them.

Amplified Bible
So the steward overtook them and he said these words to them.

New American Standard Bible
So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when he ouertooke them, he sayde those wordes vnto them.

Legacy Standard Bible
So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.

Contemporary English Version
When the servant caught up with them, he said exactly what Joseph had told him to say.

Complete Jewish Bible
So he caught up with them and said these words to them.

Darby Translation
And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

Easy-to-Read Version
So the servant obeyed. He rode out to the brothers and stopped them. The servant said to them what Joseph had told him to say.

English Standard Version
When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words.

George Lamsa Translation
And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

Good News Translation
When the servant caught up with them, he repeated these words.

Christian Standard Bible®
When he overtook them, he said these words to them.

Literal Translation
And he overtook them and spoke these words to them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan he had ouertaken them, he sayde the same wordes vnto them.

American Standard Version
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words.

Bible in Basic English
So he overtook them and said these words to them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when he ouertoke them, he sayd the same wordes vnto them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words.

King James Version (1611)
And he ouertooke them, and he spake vnto them these same words.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.

English Revised Version
And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these words.

Berean Standard Bible
When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He dide as Joseph comaundid, and whanne thei weren takun, he spak bi ordre.

Young's Literal Translation
And he overtaketh them, and speaketh unto them these words,

Update Bible Version
And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

World English Bible
He overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.

New King James Version
So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.

New Living Translation
When the palace manager caught up with the men, he spoke to them as he had been instructed.

New Life Bible
So he came to them and spoke these words to them.

New Revised Standard
When he overtook them, he repeated these words to them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he overtook them, - and spake unto them these words.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.

Revised Standard Version
When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So he overtook them and spoke these words to them.

Contextual Overview

¹Joseph ordered his house steward: "Fill the men's bags with food—all they can carry—and replace each one's money at the top of the bag. Then put my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along with the money for his food." He did as Joseph ordered. ³At break of day the men were sent off with their donkeys. They were barely out of the city when Joseph said to his house steward, "Run after them. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why did you pay me back evil for good? This is the chalice my master drinks from; he also uses it for divination. This is outrageous!'" ⁶ He caught up with them and repeated all this word for word. ⁷They 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." ¹⁰ The steward said, "Very well then, but we won't go that far. Whoever is found with the chalice will be my slave; the rest of you can go free." ¹¹They outdid each other in putting their bags on the ground and opening them up for inspection. The steward searched their bags, going from oldest to youngest. The chalice showed up in Benjamin's bag. ¹³ They ripped their clothes in despair, loaded up their donkeys, and went back to the city. ¹⁴ Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers got back. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him. ¹⁵ Joseph accused them: "How can you have done this? You have to know that a man in my position would have discovered this." ¹⁶ Judah as spokesman for the brothers said, "What can we say, master? What is there to say? How can we prove our innocence? God is behind this, exposing how bad we are. We stand guilty before you and ready to be your slaves—we're all in this together, the rest of us as guilty as the one with the chalice."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: 2 Corinthians 7:11 - clearing

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he overtook them,.... Their asses being laden with corn could not travel very fast, and he and his attendants being mounted on swift horses:

and he spake unto them these same words; that Joseph had ordered him to say, and so what follows particularly, Genesis 44:10.

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.