Genesis 44:34

For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad [be] not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

For how {H349} shall I go up {H5927} to my father {H1}, and the lad {H5288} be not with me? lest peradventure I see {H7200} the evil {H7451} that shall come on {H4672} my father {H1}.

For how can I go up to my father if the boy isn't with me? I couldn't bear to see my father so overwhelmed by anguish."

For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”

For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Commentary

Context

Genesis chapter 44 details the final test Joseph puts his brothers through before revealing his identity. After planting his silver cup in Benjamin's sack, the brothers are pursued and brought back to Joseph. Judah, acting as the spokesman and having previously vouched for Benjamin's safety to their father Jacob (see Genesis 43:9), delivers a powerful and moving plea on behalf of Benjamin and their aged father. This verse is the emotional climax of Judah's speech, expressing his profound concern for Jacob's potential grief.

Key Themes

  • Filial Devotion: Judah's deep love and concern for his father Jacob are evident. He foresees the devastating impact Benjamin's absence would have.
  • Protection of Family: Judah's willingness to confront the powerful Egyptian ruler (Joseph) and plead so passionately highlights his commitment to protecting his family, especially Benjamin and Jacob.
  • Consequences of Actions: The brothers' earlier sin against Joseph (selling him into slavery) hangs over them, and Judah's concern here is partly fueled by the desire to prevent further grief for Jacob, perhaps seeing this as a consequence of their past wrongs.
  • Anticipation of Grief: The phrase "see the evil that shall come on my father" expresses a stark and certain expectation of Jacob's sorrow unto death if Benjamin does not return.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father" uses the KJV's somewhat archaic "peradventure" (meaning 'perhaps' or 'it may be'), but in this context, combined with "lest," it strongly conveys Judah's fear and near certainty of the dreadful outcome for Jacob. The Hebrew word for "evil" (Χ¨ΦΈΧ’ - ra') here means calamity, misery, or affliction, specifically the profound sorrow and possibly death that Jacob would experience upon losing Benjamin.

Significance and Application

Judah's plea is a pivotal moment in the Genesis narrative, demonstrating a remarkable transformation from the brother who suggested selling Joseph (see Genesis 37:26-27). His willingness to sacrifice himself for Benjamin, expressed powerfully in the preceding verse (Genesis 44:33), foreshadows themes of substitution and redemption found throughout scripture. This verse reminds us of the profound impact our relationships and decisions have on our loved ones and the importance of protecting and caring for family, even to the point of personal sacrifice.

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Cross-References

  • Esther 8:6 (3 votes)

    For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

  • 2 Chronicles 34:28 (2 votes)

    Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.

  • Psalms 119:143 (2 votes)

    ΒΆ Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: [yet] thy commandments [are] my delights.

  • Job 31:29 (2 votes)

    If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

  • Jeremiah 52:10 (2 votes)

    And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

  • Jeremiah 52:11 (2 votes)

    Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

  • Exodus 18:8 (2 votes)

    And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, [and] all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and [how] the LORD delivered them.