the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Revised Standard Version
Genesis 44:7
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- InternationalParallel Translations
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!
And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:
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!
But the brothers said to the servant, "Why do you say these things? We would not do anything like that!
They answered him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak these things? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!
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!
And they answered him, Wherefore sayeth my lorde such wordes? God forbid that thy seruants should do such a thing.
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.
But they replied, "Sir, why do you say such things? We would never do anything like that!
They replied, "Why does my lord speak this way? Heaven forbid that we should do such a thing!
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!
But the brothers said to the servant, "Why does the governor say these things? We wouldn't do anything like that!
They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!
They said to him, Let not our lord speak such words. Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing;
They answered him, "What do you mean, sir, by talking like this? We swear that we have done no such thing.
They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
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.
They answered him: Wherfore saieth my lorde soch wordes? God forbyd, that thy seruauntes shulde do eny soch thinge?
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.
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:
And they aunswered him: wherfore sayeth my Lorde suche wordes? God forbid that thy seruauntes should do so.
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.
And they said vnto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy seruants should doe according to this thing.
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.
And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? God forbid that thy servants should do such a thing.
"Why does my lord say these things?" they asked. "Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
Whiche answeriden, Whi spekith oure lord so, that thi seruauntis han do so greet trespas?
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;
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.
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:
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!
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.
"What are you talking about?" the brothers responded. "We are your servants and would never do such a thing!
And they said to him, "Why does my lord say these things? Your servants would never do such a thing.
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!
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!
And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?
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."
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
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
While Israel dwelt in that land Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
And Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord's slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found."
Then Judah went up to him and said, "O my lord, let your servant, I pray you, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant; for you are like Pharaoh himself.
We said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'
And when our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food,'
If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.'
when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.
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 in the sight of my father all my life.'
Jo'ab answered, "Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy!
And Haz'ael said, "What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Eli'sha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you are to be king over Syria."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And they said unto him, wherefore saith my lord these words?.... One of them, in the name of the rest, perhaps Judah, made answer, as astonished at the charge laid against them, suggesting that there was not the least foundation for it, and were quite surprised to hear anything of this kind alleged against them:
God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing; expressing the utmost detestation of such a fact, as being what they could never be guilty of.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- The Ten Brothers Were Tested
Joseph has had the satisfaction of seeing his brother Benjamin safe and well. He has heard his brothers acknowledging their guilt concerning himself. He resolves to put their attachment to Benjamin, and the genuineness of their change of disposition, to a test that will at the same time expose Benjamin to no hazard.
Genesis 44:1-5
And my cup. - Besides returning each man’s money as before, a silver cup of Joseph’s is put in Benjamin’s bag, after which, when daylight comes, they are dismissed. They are scarcely out of the town when Joseph’s steward is ordered to overtake them, and charge them with stealing the cup. “And whereby indeed he divineth.” Divining by cups, we learn from this, was a common custom in Egypt (Herodotus ii. 83). It is here mentioned to enhance the value of the cup. Whether Joseph really practised any sort of divination cannot be determined from this passage.
Genesis 44:6-12
The cup is found in Benjamin’s bag. “Spake unto them these words.” The words of Joseph, supplying of course the mention of the cup which is expressed in the text only by the pronoun this. “We brought back to thee.” Silver that we might have retained, and to which you made no claim when we tendered it, we brought back. How or why should we therefore, steal silver? “Now also according to your words let it be.” He adopts their terms with a mitigation. He with whom the cup is found shall become a slave for life, and the rest be acquitted. The steward searches from the oldest to the youngest. The cup is found where it was put.
Genesis 44:13-17
“They rent their garments;” the natural token of a sorrow that knows no remedy. “And Judah went.” He had pledged himself for the safety of Benjamin to his father. And he was yet there; awaiting no doubt the result which he anticipated. “They fell before him on the earth.” It is no longer a bending of the head or bowing of the body, but the posture of deepest humiliation. How deeply that early dream penetrated into the stern reality! “Wot ye not that such a man as I doth certainly divine?” Joseph keeps up the show of resentment for a little longer, and brings out from Judah the most pathetic plea of its kind that ever was uttered. “The God,” the great and only God, “hath found out the iniquity of thy servants;” in our dark and treacherous dealing with our brother. “Behold, we are servants to my lord.” He resigns himself and all to perpetual bondage, as the doom of a just God upon their still-remembered crime. “He shall be my servant; and ye, go up in peace to your father.” Now is the test applied with the nicest adjustment. Now is the moment of agony and suspense to Joseph. Will my brothers prove true? says he within himself. Will Judah prove adequate to the occasion? say we. His pleading with his father augured well.
Verse 18-34
“And Judah came near unto him.” He is going to surrender himself as a slave for life, that Benjamin may go home with his brothers, who are permitted to depart. “Let thy servant now speak a word in the ears of my lord.” There is nothing here but respectful calmness of demeanor. “And let not thine anger burn against thy servant.” He intuitively feels that the grand vizier is a man of like feelings with himself. He will surmount the distinction of rank, and stand with him on the ground of a common humanity. “For so art thou as Pharaoh.” Thou hast power to grant or withhold my request. This forms, the exordium of the speech. Then follows the plea. This consists in a simple statement of the facts, which Judah expects to have its native effect upon a rightly-constituted heart. We will not touch this statement, except to explain two or three expressions. A young lad - a comparative youth. “Let me set mine eyes upon him” - regard him with favor and kindness. “He shall leave his father and he shall die.” If he were to leave his father, his father would die. Such is the natural interpretation of these words, as the paternal affection is generally stronger than the filial. “And now let thy servant now abide instead of the lad a servant to my lord.” Such is the humble and earnest petition of Judah. He calmly and firmly sacrifices home, family, and birthright, rather than see an aged father die of a broken heart.
