Genesis 43 · Verse 7

Genesis 43:7

And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
Genesis 43:7, King James Version

Genesis 43:7 in other translations

BSBThey replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
WEBThey said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
ASVAnd they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
YLTand they say, ‘The man asked diligently concerning us, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? and we declare to him according to the tenor of these things; do we certainly know that he will say, Bring down your brother?'
DARBYAnd they said, The man asked very closely after us, and after our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we at all know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
BBEAnd they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?
WebsterAnd they said, The man asked us strictly concerning our state, and our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: Could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

What does Genesis 43:7 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 43:1-14

Jacob urges his sons to go and buy a little food; now, in time of dearth, a little must suffice. Judah urges that Benjamin should go with them. It is not against the honour and duty children owe their parents, humbly to advise them, and when needful, to reason with them. Jacob saw the necessity of the case, and yielded. His prudence and justice appeared in three things. 1. He sent back the money they had found in…

Read the full comment on Genesis 43:1-14 →

Genesis 43:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּאמְר֡וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
שָׁא֣וֹלsha.'olcarefully <to ask>H7592
שָֽׁאַל\־sha.'al-he askedH7592
הָ֠אִישׁHa.'ishthe manH376
לָ֣נוּLa.nuof us
וּלְמֽוֹלַדְתֵּ֜נוּu.le.mo.lad.Te.nuand of kindred ourH4138
לֵאמֹ֗רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
הַע֨וֹדha.'od¿ stillH5750
אֲבִיכֶ֥ם'a.vi.Khem[is] father yourH1
חַי֙chailivingH2416
הֲיֵ֣שׁha.Yesh¿ [does] thereH3426
לָכֶ֣םla.Khem[belong] to you
אָ֔ח'Acha brotherH251
וַנַ֨גֶּד\־va.Na.ged-and we toldH5046
ל֔וֹloto him
עַל\־'al-onH5921
פִּ֖יpi[the] mouth ofH6310
הַדְּבָרִ֣יםha.de.va.Rimthe wordsH1697
הָאֵ֑לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
הֲיָד֣וֹעַha.ya.Do.a'¿ really <to know>H3045
נֵדַ֔עne.Da'did we knowH3045
כִּ֣יkithatH3588
יֹאמַ֔רyo.Marhe will sayH559
הוֹרִ֖ידוּho.Ri.dubring downH3381
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אֲחִיכֶֽם\׃'a.chi.Khembrother yourH251

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 43:7

  • Genesis 43:3

    And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

  • Genesis 42:13

    And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

  • Genesis 43:27

    And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
asked us straitly. Heb. asking asked us.
3; *marg:
tenor. Heb. mouth. could we certainly know. knowing couldwe know.
3; *marg:

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 43:6

    And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

  • Genesis 43:7

    And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

  • Genesis 43:8

    And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

Read all of Genesis 43

Genesis 43:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y ellos respondieron: Aquel varón nos preguntó expresamente por nosotros, y por nuestra parentela, diciendo: ¿Vive aún vuestro padre? ¿tenéis otro hermano? y declarámosle conforme á estas palabras. ¿Podíamos nosotros saber que había de decir: Haced venir á vuestro hermano?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et ils dirent: L’homme s’est soigneusement enquis de nous et de notre parenté, disant: Votre père vit-il encore? Avez-vous encore un frère? Et nous l’avons informé selon la teneur de ces paroles. Pouvions-nous donc savoir qu’il dirait: Faites descendre votre frère?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sie sprachen: Der Mann erkundigte sich genau nach uns und unserer Verwandtschaft und sprach: Lebt euer Vater noch? Habt ihr noch einen Bruder? und wir taten es ihm kund nach diesen Worten. Konnten wir denn wissen, daß er sagen würde: Bringet euren Bruder herab?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
At illi responderunt: Interrogavit nos homo per ordinem nostram progeniem: si pater viveret: si haberemus fratrem: et nos respondimus ei consequenter juxta id quod fuerat sciscitatus: numquid scire poteramus quod dicturus esset: Adducite fratrem vestrum vobiscum?