Genesis 44:16

Genesis 44:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.
• New International Version (NIV)“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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 servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”

Context of Genesis 44:16

14Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. 15“What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?” Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.” 17“No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.” 18Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

Genesis 44:16 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה מַה־נֹּאמַר֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י מַה־נְּדַבֵּ֖ר וּמַה־נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים מָצָא֙ אֶת־עֲוֹ֣ן עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ הִנֶּנּ֤וּ עֲבָדִים֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י גַּם־אֲנַ֕חְנוּ גַּ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־נִמְצָ֥א הַגָּבִ֖יעַ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto my lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• what shall we speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• or how shall we clear ourselvesצָדֵקtsâdaq · to justifyH6663
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• hath found outמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• the iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: guiltH5771
• of thy servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• alsoגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• with whomיָדyâd · handH3027
• with whomאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• the cupגָּבִיעַgebîya‛ · cupH1375

Cross-references for Genesis 44:16

• Genesis 44:32My lord, I guaranteed to my father that I would take care of the boy. I told him, ‘If I don’t bring him back to you, I will bear the blame forever.’
• Genesis 43:8Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and our little ones.
• Deuteronomy 25:1“Suppose two people take a dispute to court, and the judges declare that one is right and the other is wrong.
• Ezra 9:10“And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands!
• Job 40:4“I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand.
• Proverbs 17:15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the Lord.
• Isaiah 5:3Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard.
• Daniel 9:7“Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you.
• Acts 2:37Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
• Genesis 37:18When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him.
• Genesis 42:21Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”
• Numbers 32:23But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.
• Joshua 7:1But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
• Judges 1:7Adoni-bezek said, “I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
• Proverbs 28:17A murderer’s tormented conscience will drive him into the grave. Don’t protect him!
• Matthew 7:2For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Commentaries on Genesis 44:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16What shall we say, etc. - No words can more strongly mark confusion and perturbation of mind. They, no doubt, all thought that Benjamin had actually stolen the cup; and the probability of this guilt might be heightened by the circumstance of his having that very cup to drink out of at dinner; for as he had the most honorable mess, so it is likely he had the most honorable cup to drink out of at the entertainment.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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16Judah again spoke for the group. God has exposed the iniquity of your servants: God was completing the work of repentance in their hearts. Judah again proposed that they all be punished. Benjamin was seemingly guilty of this theft, but all of the others were guilty of sin against Joseph. They preferred not returning to Jacob at all versus seeing his grief at the loss of Benjamin (44:34).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 44:16

• Conscience
• Conviction
• Integrity
• Judah

In the dictionaries

• God
• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Bowl
• Couch
• Cruel
• Cup
• Earing

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