Genesis 43:18

Genesis 43:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
• New International Version (NIV)Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, "It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”

Context of Genesis 43:18

16Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them. So he said to his servant who took care of his house, ‘Take these men to my house. Kill an animal and prepare it for a meal. These men will eat with me at noon.’ 17The servant did as Joseph told him. He took the men to Joseph's house. The brothers were frightened when the servant took them to Joseph's house. They thought, ‘He has brought us here because of the money that we found in our bags last time. Someone put it there before we returned home. Now he wants to punish us. He will take us to be his slaves. He will take our donkeys too.’ 19So the brothers went to Joseph's servant. They spoke to him at the door of Joseph's house before they went in. 20They said, ‘Please sir. The first time we came here, we came to buy food.

Genesis 43:18 word by word

וַיִּֽירְא֣וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֗ים כִּ֣י הֽוּבְאוּ֮ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵף֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ עַל־דְּבַ֤ר הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ הַשָּׁ֤ב בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מֽוּבָאִ֑ים לְהִתְגֹּלֵ֤ל עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ וּלְהִתְנַפֵּ֣ל עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְלָקַ֧חַת אֹתָ֛נוּ לַעֲבָדִ֖ים וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• were afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• because they were broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• into Joseph’sיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• and they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Becauseדָּבָרdâbâr · word: becauseH1697
• of the moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• that was returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• in our sacksאַמְתַּ֫חַת'amtachath · sackH572
• at the first timeתְּחִלָּהtechillâh · beginningH8462
• that he may seek occasionגָּלַלgâlal · to rollH1556
• against us, and fallנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• upon us, and takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• us for bondmenעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• and our assesחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543

Cross-references for Genesis 43:18

• Genesis 42:21The brothers said to each other, ‘This punishment is happening to us because of what we did to Joseph. We saw how upset he was when he asked us not to kill him. But we refused to be kind to him. That is why we have all this trouble.’
• Judges 13:22He said to his wife, ‘We are sure to die! We have seen God!’
• Job 15:21He will hear things that frighten him. He may think that he is safe, but robbers will attack him.
• Psalms 53:5But now they are very afraid when there is nothing to be afraid of! God has completely won against his enemies, the people that attack you, his people. God has turned against them, so you are able to make them ashamed!
• Psalms 73:16When I thought about all this, it was so hard for me to understand.
• Isaiah 7:2People gave this news to Judah's royal family. They said, ‘The armies of Syria and Ephraim have joined together to attack you.’ When they heard this, Ahaz and his people were very afraid. They shook with fear, like trees in the forest shake in the wind.
• Matthew 14:26The disciples saw him walking on the water. They were very frightened. ‘It is a spirit,’ they said. They screamed loudly because they were afraid.
• Matthew 14:27But immediately Jesus said to them. ‘Be brave! It is I. Do not be afraid.’
• Mark 6:16But when someone told Herod, he said, ‘This man is surely John. I sent a soldier to cut off his head. But he has become alive again!’
• Deuteronomy 22:14He may then tell lies against her to say that she is bad. He may say, ‘I married this woman, and I had sex with her. Then I discovered that she had already had sex before I married her.’
• Judges 14:4Samson's parents did not realize that the Lord was causing this to happen. The Lord wanted to prepare a way for the Israelites to attack the Philistines, because the Philistines were ruling over Israel at that time.
• Job 30:14I cannot stop them when they attack me. They rush forward to knock me down.
• Romans 7:8But the command gave sin a chance to come into my thoughts. As a result, I started to want all kinds of wrong things. If there is no law to tell us what is wrong, then sin has no power to make us guilty.

Commentaries on Genesis 43:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18And the men were afraid - A guilty conscience needs no accuser. Every thing alarms them; they now feel that God is exacting retribution, and they know not what the degrees shall be, nor where it shall stop. Fall upon us - עלינו התגלל hithgolel alainu, roll himself upon us. A metaphor taken from wrestlers; when a man has overthrown his antagonist, he rolls himself upon him, in order to keep him down. And our asses - Which they probably had in great number…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-34Verses 1-34 - Joseph and His Eleven Brethren 11. דבשׁ debash “honey,” from the bee, or sirup from the juice of the grape. בטנים bôṭen “pistachio nuts.” שׁקד shâqêd “almond tree;” related: “awake.” The tree is also called לוּז lûz Some refer the former to the fruit, the latter to the tree. The eleven brothers are now to bow down before Joseph. Genesis 43:1-10 The famine was severe. The pressure began to be felt more and more. The twelve households had…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-25Verses 15-25 Jacob's sons went down the second time into Egypt to buy corn. If we should ever know what a famine of the word means, let us not think it much to travel as far for spiritual food, as they did for bodily food. Joseph's steward had orders from his master to take them to his house. Even this frightened them. Those that are guilty make the worst of every thing. But the steward encouraged them. It appears, from what he said, that by his good…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18the brothers were frightened: Compare 32:6–12. Their guilt stopped them from seeing that something good might happen.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. the men were afraid--Their feelings of awe on entering the stately mansion, unaccustomed as they were to houses at all, their anxiety at the reasons of their being taken there, their solicitude about the restored money, their honest simplicity in communicating their distress to the steward and his assurances of having received their money in "full weight," the offering of their fruit present, which would, as usual, be done with some parade, and the…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 43:18

• Integrity
• Money
• Servant
• Treasure

In the dictionaries

• Blame
• Chamber
• Famine
• Joseph
• Merry
• Yearn
• Antediluvian Patriarchs
• Bondman
• Genesis
• Jacob (1)

Commentaries on Genesis 43

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings