Genesis 42:38

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.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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."
• 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.”

Context of Genesis 42:38

36And their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons: Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.” 37Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.” But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Genesis 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

• Jacob saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• My sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• shall not goיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• is deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and he aloneבַּדbad · aloneH905
• is leftשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
• If harmאָסוֹן'âsôn · harmH611
• should happenקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: chancedH7122
• to him on the journeyדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• you are takingהָלַךְhâlak · to go: continueH1980
• my grayשֵׂיבָהώêybâh · hoary headH7872
• to Sheolשְׁאוֹלshe'ôl she'ôl · hell: SheolH7585
• in sorrowיָגוֹןyâgôn · sorrowH3015

Cross-references for Genesis 42:38

• Genesis 42:13But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.”
• Genesis 30:22Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.
• Genesis 35:16Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor.
• Genesis 37:33Then he examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A vicious animal has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
• Genesis 44:20And we said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little boy born in our father’s old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’
• Genesis 42:4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may happen to him.”
• Genesis 44:29If you also take this one from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’
• Genesis 37:35Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
• 1 Kings 2:6So act as your wisdom dictates, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace.
• Psalms 71:18And even when I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.
• Psalms 90:10As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is only trouble and tragedy; For it quickly passes, and we disappear.
• Ecclesiastes 1:14I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind.
• Ecclesiastes 2:26For to a person who is good in His sight, He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is futility and striving after wind.
• Isaiah 38:10I said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I have been deprived of the rest of my years.”
• Isaiah 46:4Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will carry you! I have done it, and I will bear you; And I will carry you and I will save you.

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

• Hell
• Parents

In the dictionaries

• Bereave
• Espy
• Famine
• Fear
• Hades
• Hell
• Joseph
• Lade
• Lord
• Nakedness

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