Genesis 44 · Verse 16

Genesis 44:16

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.
Genesis 44:16, King James Version

Genesis 44:16 in other translations

BSB“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”
WEBJudah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”
ASVAnd 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 bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.
YLTAnd Judah saith, ‘What do we say to my lord? what do we speak? and what--do we justify ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; lo, we are servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup hath been found;'
DARBYAnd Judah said, What shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak, and how justify ourselves?God has found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he in whose hand the cup has been found.
BBEAnd Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.
WebsterAnd Judah said, What shall we say to 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.

What does Genesis 44:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 44:16-34
16-34. 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 magnanimous offer of Judah to submit to slavery for his ransom, would be bound by a lifelong gratitude to his generous brother, a tie that seems to have become hereditary in his tribe. Joseph's behavior must not be viewed from any single point, or in separate parts, but as a whole--a well-thought, deep-laid, closely connected plan; and though some features of it do certainly exhibit an appearance of harshness, yet the pervading principle of his conduct was real, genuine, brotherly kindness. Read in this light, the narrative of the proceedings describes the continuous, though secret, pursuit of one end; and Joseph exhibits, in his management of the scheme, a very high order of intellect, a warm and susceptible heart, united to a judgment that exerted a complete control over his feelings--a happy invention in devising means towards the attainment of his ends and an inflexible adherence to the course, however painful, which prudence required.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 What 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 44:1-17

Joseph tried how his brethren felt towards Benjamin. Had they envied and hated the other son of Rachel as they had hated him, and if they had the same want of feeling towards their father Jacob as heretofore, they would now have shown it. When the cup was found upon Benjamin, they would have a pretext for leaving him to be a slave. But we cannot judge what men are now, by what they have been formerly; nor what they…

Read the full comment on Genesis 44:1-17 →

Genesis 44:16 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.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוּדָ֗הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
נֹּאמַר֙no.Marwill we sayH559
לַֽאדֹנִ֔יla.do.Nito lord myH113
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
נְּדַבֵּ֖רne.da.Berwill we speakH1696
וּמַה\־u.mah-and what?H4100
נִּצְטַדָּ֑קnitz.ta.Dakwill we justify ourselvesH6663
הָאֱלֹהִ֗יםha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430
מָצָא֙ma.Tza'he has foundH4672
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עֲוֹ֣ן'a.Von[the] guilt ofH5771
עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ'a.va.Dei.khaservants yourH5650
הִנֶּנּ֤וּhi.ne.Nuhere weH2005
עֲבָדִים֙'a.va.Dim[are] slavesH5650
לַֽאדֹנִ֔יla.do.Niof lord myH113
גַּם\־gam-bothH1571
אֲנַ֕חְנוּ'a.Nach.nuweH587
גַּ֛םgamas well asH1571
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[the one] whoH834
נִמְצָ֥אnim.Tza'it was foundH4672
הַגָּבִ֖יעַha.ga.Vi.a'the cupH1375
בְּיָדֽוֹ\׃be.ya.Doin hand hisH3027

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

Cross references for Genesis 44:16

  • Genesis 44:9

    With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.

  • Daniel 9:7

    O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

  • Numbers 32:23

    But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.

  • Luke 12:2

    For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

  • Joshua 7:18

    And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

  • Job 40:4

    Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

  • Genesis 37:18-28

    And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. …

  • Ezra 9:15

    O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

  • Proverbs 28:17

    A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

  • Isaiah 5:3

    And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

  • Genesis 43:8-9

    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. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

  • Acts 2:37

    Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Judah.
32; 43:8,9
What shall we say.
De 25:1; Ezr 9:10,15; Job 40:4; Pr 17:15; Isa 5:3; Da 9:7; Ac 2:37
God hath.
37:18-28; 42:21,22; Nu 32:23; Jos 7:1,18; Jud 1:7; Pr 28:17; Mt 7:2
Lu 12:2
iniquity.
43:9; Isa 27:9; Da 9:7
behold.
9; 37:7,9

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

Context

  • Genesis 44:15

    And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

  • Genesis 44:16

    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.

  • Genesis 44:17

    And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

Read all of Genesis 44

Genesis 44:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces dijo Judá: ¿Qué diremos á mi señor? ¿qué hablaremos? ¿ó con qué nos justificaremos? Dios ha hallado la maldad de tus siervos: he aquí, nosotros somos siervos de mi señor, nosotros, y también aquél en cuyo poder fué hallada la copa.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Juda dit: Que dirons-nous à mon seigneur? Comment parlerons-nous, et comment nous justifierons-nous? Dieu a trouvé l’iniquité de tes serviteurs. Voici, nous sommes serviteurs de mon seigneur, tant nous que celui dans la main duquel la coupe a été trouvée.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Juda sprach: Was sollen wir meinem Herrn sagen? Was sollen wir reden und wie uns rechtfertigen? Gott hat die Missetat deiner Knechte gefunden; siehe, wir sind die Knechte meines Herrn, sowohl wir als auch der, in dessen Hand der Kelch gefunden worden ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cui Judas: Quid respondebimus, inquit, domino meo? vel quid loquemur, aut juste poterimus obtendere? Deus invenit iniquitatem servorum tuorum: en omnes servi sumus domini mei, et nos, et apud quem inventus est scyphus.