God’s Word Translation
Genesis 44:18
18Then Judah went up to Joseph and said, “Please, sir, let me speak openly with you. Don’t be angry with me, although you are equal to Pharaoh.
Genesis 44:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Judah went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Judah went up to him and said, "Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh.
Context of Genesis 44:18
16“Sir, what can we say to you?” Judah asked. “How else can we explain it? How can we prove we’re innocent? God has uncovered our guilt. Now all of us are your slaves, including the one who had the cup.” 17But Joseph said, “I would never think of doing that! Only the man who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you can go back to your father in peace.” Then Judah went up to Joseph and said, “Please, sir, let me speak openly with you. Don’t be angry with me, although you are equal to Pharaoh. 19Sir, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20We answered, ‘We have a father who is old and a younger brother born to him when he was already old. The boy’s brother is dead, so he’s the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
Read all of Genesis 44Genesis 44:18 word by word
וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ אֵלָ֜יו יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיֹּאמֶר֮ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִי֒ יְדַבֶּר־נָ֨א עַבְדְּךָ֤ דָבָר֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י וְאַל־יִ֥חַר אַפְּךָ֖ בְּעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י כָמ֖וֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- came nearנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
- unto him, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Ohבִּיbîy · pleaseH994
- my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
- let thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- I pray thee, speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- a wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- earsאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
- and let not thine angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- burnחָרָהchârâh · to be incensedH2734
- even as Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
Cross-references for Genesis 44:18
- Genesis 18:30“Please don’t be angry if I speak again,” Abraham said. “What if 30 are found there?” He answered, “If I find 30 there, I will not do it.”
- 2 Samuel 14:12The woman said, “Please let me say something else to you.” “Speak,” he said.
- Job 33:31“Pay attention, Job! Listen to me! Keep quiet, and let me speak.
- Acts 2:29“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that our ancestor David died and was buried and that his tomb is here to this day.
- Exodus 32:22“Don’t be angry, sir,” Aaron answered. “You know that these people are evil.
- Esther 1:12But Queen Vashti refused the king’s command that the eunuchs delivered to her. As a result, the king became very angry, and his rage burned inside him.
- Psalms 79:5How long, O Lord? Will you remain angry forever? Will your fury continue to burn like fire?
- Genesis 41:40You will be in charge of my palace, and all my people will do what you say. I will be more important than you, only because I’m Pharaoh.”
- Proverbs 19:12The rage of a king is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
- Daniel 3:15When you hear the sound of the rams’ horns, flutes, lyres, harps, and three-stringed harps playing at the same time with all other kinds of instruments, will you bow down and worship the gold statue I made? If you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. What god can save you from my power then?”
- Daniel 5:19People from every province, nation, and language trembled and were terrified by him, because God gave him power. Nebuchadnezzar killed whomever he wanted to kill, and he kept alive whomever he wanted to keep alive. He promoted whomever he wanted to promote, and he demoted whomever he wanted to demote.
- John 5:22“The Father doesn’t judge anyone. He has entrusted judgment entirely to the Son
Commentaries on Genesis 44:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Thou art even as Pharaoh - As wise, as powerful, and as much to be dreaded as he. In the Asiatic countries, the reigning monarch is always considered to be the pattern of all perfection; and the highest honor that can be conferred on any person, is to resemble him to the monarch; as the monarch himself is likened, in the same complimentary way, to an angel of God. See 2 Samuel 14:17, 2 Samuel 14:18. Judah is the chief speaker here, because it was in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-34Verses 1-34 - 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-34Verses 18-34 Had Joseph been, as Judah supposed him, an utter stranger to the family, he could not but be wrought upon by his powerful reasonings. But neither Jacob nor Benjamin need an intercessor with Joseph; for he himself loved them. Judah's faithful cleaving to Benjamin, now, in his distress, was recompensed long afterwards by the tribe of Benjamin keeping with the tribe of Judah, when the other tribes deserted it. The apostle, when discoursing of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-34Judah kept his promise to make sure Benjamin was safe (43:8–10). His lengthy plea to take Benjamin's place in prison is one of the most sincere examples of intercession in the Bible (44:33). It showed Judah's care for their father and his willingness to sacrifice everything for his brother. With this integrity, Judah proved himself a true leader, worthy of the firstborn's blessing (see John 15:13). Through him, Israel's kings would emerge (see Genesis…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-3416-34. Judah said, What shall we say?--This address needs no comment--consisting at first of short, broken sentences, as if, under the overwhelming force of the speaker's emotions, his utterance were choked, it becomes more free and copious by the effort of speaking, as he proceeds. Every word finds its way to the heart; and it may well be imagined that Benjamin, who stood there speechless like a victim about to be laid on the altar, when he heard the…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 44:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 44
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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