Tree of Life Version
Genesis 43:11
11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and bring an offering down to the man—a little balsam and a little honey, gum and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
Genesis 43:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
- New International Version (NIV)Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.
Context of Genesis 43:11
9I myself will be his pledge. You can demand him back from my own hand. If I don’t bring him back to you and place him before you, then you can blame me all my days. 10If we had not delayed, we could have returned twice by now.” Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and bring an offering down to the man—a little balsam and a little honey, gum and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 12Also take in your hand a double portion of silver, and bring back in your hand the silver that had been returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13Take your brother too—now, get up, go back to the man!
Read all of Genesis 43Genesis 43:11 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אֲבִיהֶ֗ם אִם־כֵּ֣ן׀ אֵפוֹא֮ זֹ֣את עֲשׂוּ֒ קְח֞וּ מִזִּמְרַ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּ לָאִ֖ישׁ מִנְחָ֑ה מְעַ֤ט צֳרִי֙ וּמְעַ֣ט דְּבַ֔שׁ נְכֹ֣את וָלֹ֔ט בָּטְנִ֖ים וּשְׁקֵדִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And their fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- so nowאֵפוֹ'êphô 'êphô' · thenH645
- doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- this; takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- of the best fruitsזִמְרָהzimrâh · bestH2173
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- in your vesselsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
- and carry downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- a presentמִנְחָהminchâh · offering: giftH4503
- a littleמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
- balmצֳרִיtserîy tsŏrîy · balsamH6875
- honeyדְּבַשׁdebash · honeyH1706
- spicesנְכֹאתnek'ôth · tragacanth gumH5219
- and myrrhלֹטlôţ · myrrhH3910
- nutsבָּטְנִיםbôţen · pistachioH992
- and almondsשָׁקֵדshâqêd · almondH8247
Cross-references for Genesis 43:11
- Genesis 43:14May El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, so that he may release your other brother to you, along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
- Esther 4:16“Go! Gather together all the Jews who are in Shushan and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast in the same way. Afterwards, I will go in to the king, even though it is not according to the law. So if I perish, I perish!”
- Acts 21:14Since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, saying only, “May the Lord’s will be done.”
- Genesis 32:13You Yourself said, ‘I will most certainly do good with you, and will make your seed like the sand of the sea that cannot be counted because of its abundance.’”
- Genesis 33:10Yet Jacob said, “No, please! If I have found favor in your eyes, then you will take my offering from my hand. For this is the reason I’ve seen your face—it is like seeing the face of God—and you’ve accepted me!
- Genesis 37:25Then they sat down to eat bread. When they looked up, behold, there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balsam, and myrrh—going to bring them down to Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 33:14and with the bounty of the sun’s produce and the months’ yield,
- 1 Samuel 9:7Then said Saul to his servant, “But look, if we go, what would we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sacks, and there is nothing to bring to the man of God as a present. What do we have?”
- 1 Samuel 25:27Now let this blessing, which your maidservant has brought to my lord, be given to the young men who are accompanying my lord.
- 1 Kings 10:25They brought, each man his gift—vessels of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses and mules—so much year by year.
- 1 Kings 15:19“Let there be a treaty between me and you, as it was between my father and your father. I have just sent you a present of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with King Baasa of Israel, so that he may withdraw from me.”
- 2 Kings 8:8So the king said to Hazael, “Take an offering in your hand and go meet the man of God, and inquire of Adonai by him saying: ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
- 2 Kings 16:8Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the House of Adonai and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and sent them as a present to the king of Assyria.
- 2 Kings 20:12At that time Berodach-baladan, son of King Baladan of Babylon, sent a letter and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
- Psalms 68:29Your God commanded your strength. Strengthen, O God, You who have acted for us.
Commentaries on Genesis 43:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Carry down the man a present - From the very earliest times presents were used as means of introduction to great men. This is particularly noticed by Solomon: A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men, Proverbs 18:16. But what was the present brought to Joseph on this occasion? After all the labor of commentators, we are obliged to be contented with probabilities and conjecture. According to our translation, the gifts were balm…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
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-13Jacob provided everything he could to ensure a favorable reception from the Egyptian governor ("the man"; compare 32:13–21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. take of the best fruits ... a present--It is an Oriental practice never to approach a man of power without a present, and Jacob might remember how he pacified his brother (Pr 21:14)--balm, spices, and myrrh (see on Ge 37:25), honey--which some think was dibs, a syrup made from ripe dates [Bochart]; but others, the honey of Hebron, which is still valued as far superior to that of Egypt; nuts--pistachio nuts, of which Syria grows the best in the world…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 43:11
In the dictionaries
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
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