English Standard Version
Genesis 42:38
38But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."
Genesis 42:38 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
- New International Version (NIV)But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.”
Context of Genesis 42:38
36And Jacob their father said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin. All this has come against me." 37Then Reuben said to his father, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you." But he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."
Read all of Genesis 42Genesis 42:38 word by word
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹֽא־יֵרֵ֥ד בְּנִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אָחִ֨יו מֵ֜ת וְה֧וּא לְבַדּ֣וֹ נִשְׁאָ֗ר וּקְרָאָ֤הוּ אָסוֹן֙ בַּדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽלְכוּ־בָ֔הּ וְהוֹרַדְתֶּ֧ם אֶת־שֵׂיבָתִ֛י בְּיָג֖וֹן שְׁאֽוֹלָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- My sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- shall not go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- with you; for his brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- is deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- and he is leftשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
- alone: if mischiefאָסוֹן'âsôn · harmH611
- befallקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: chancedH7122
- him by the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
- in the which ye goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- my gray hairsשֵׂיבָהώêybâh · hoary headH7872
- with sorrowיָגוֹןyâgôn · sorrowH3015
- to the graveשְׁאוֹלshe'ôl she'ôl · hell: SheolH7585
Cross-references for Genesis 42:38
- Genesis 42:13And they said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."
- Genesis 30:22Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.
- Genesis 35:16Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor.
- Genesis 37:33And he identified it and said, "It is my son's robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces."
- Genesis 44:20And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.'
- Genesis 42:4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him.
- Genesis 44:29If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.'
- Genesis 37:35All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him.
- 1 Kings 2:6Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
- Psalms 71:18So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
- Psalms 90:10The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.
- Ecclesiastes 1:14I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
- Ecclesiastes 2:26For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
- Isaiah 38:10I said, In the middle of my days I must depart; I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years.
- Isaiah 46:4even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
Commentaries on Genesis 42:38
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38He is left alone - That is, Benjamin is the only remaining son of Rachel; for he supposed Joseph, who was the other son, to be dead. Shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow - Here he keeps up the idea of the oppressive burden mentioned Genesis 42:36, to which every occurrence was adding an additional weight, so that he felt it impossible to support it any longer. The following observations of Dr. Dodd on this verse are very appropriate and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-38Verses 1-38 - Joseph and Ten of His Brethren 1. שׁבר sheber “fragment, crumb, hence, grain.” בר bar “pure,” “winnowed,” hence, “corn” (grain). 6. שׁליט shallı̂yṭ “ruler, governor, hence,” Sultan. Not elsewhere found in the Pentateuch. 25. כלי kelı̂y “vessel,” here any portable article in which grain may be conveyed. שׂק śaq “sack,” the very word which remains in our language to this day. אמתחת 'amtachath “bag.” Twenty years, the period of Joseph‘s long…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 29-38Verses 29-38 Here is the report Jacob's sons made to their father. It troubled the good man. Even the bundles of money Joseph returned, in kindness, to his father, frightened him. He laid the fault upon his sons; knowing them, he feared they had provoked the Egyptians, and wrongfully brought home their money. Jacob plainly distrusted his sons, remembering that he never saw Joseph since he had been with them. It is bad with a family, when children behave…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 38Jacob continued to show special favor to Rachel’s only remaining son. He refused to let Benjamin go to Egypt, even if it meant that Simeon, Leah’s son, would not return. Jacob’s deep grief later weighed heavily on the brothers’ conscience (44:18–34).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-381. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt--learned from common rumor. It is evident from Jacob's language that his own and his sons' families had suffered greatly from the scarcity; and through the increasing severity of the scourge, those men, who had formerly shown both activity and spirit, were sinking into despondency. God would not interpose miraculously when natural means of preservation were within reach.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 42:38
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 42
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries