Genesis 44 · Verse 7

Genesis 44:7

And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:
Genesis 44:7, King James Version

Genesis 44:7 in other translations

BSB“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
WEBThey said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!
ASVAnd they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.
YLTand they say unto him, ‘Why doth my lord speak according to these words? far be it from thy servants to do according to this word;
DARBYAnd they said to him, Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from thy servants to do such a thing!
BBEAnd they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:
WebsterAnd they said to him, Why saith my lord these words? Far be it from us that thy servants should do according to this thing:

What does Genesis 44:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 44:6-7

6-7. he overtook them, and he spake ... these words--The steward's words must have come upon them like a thunderbolt, and one of their most predominant feelings must have been the humiliating and galling sense of being made so often objects of suspicion. Protesting their innocence, they invited a search. The challenge was accepted [Ge 44:10, 11]. Beginning with the eldest, every sack was examined, and the cup being…

Read the full comment on Genesis 44:6-7 →

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 44:7 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.

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אֵלָ֔יו'e.Lavto himH413
לָ֚מָּהLa.mah<to> why?H4100
יְדַבֵּ֣רye.da.Berdoes he speakH1696
אֲדֹנִ֔י'a.do.Nimaster myH113
כַּדְּבָרִ֖יםka.de.va.Rimaccording to the wordsH1697
הָאֵ֑לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
חָלִ֙ילָה֙cha.Li.lahfar be itH2486
לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָla.'a.va.Dei.khato servants yourH5650
מֵעֲשׂ֖וֹתme.'a.Sotfrom doingH6213
כַּדָּבָ֥רka.da.Varaccording to the mannerH1697
הַזֶּֽה\׃ha.Zeh<the> thisH2088

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

Cross references for Genesis 44:7

  • Genesis 38:16-18

    And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

  • Hebrews 13:18

    Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

  • Genesis 35:22

    And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

  • Genesis 34:25-31

    And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field, …

  • 2 Kings 8:13

    And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

  • Joshua 22:22-29

    The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the Lord, (save us not this day,) That we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it; And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the Lord: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord. …

  • 2 Samuel 20:20

    And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

  • Genesis 37:18-32

    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. …

  • Ecclesiastes 7:1

    A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

  • Proverbs 22:1

    A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
34:25-31; 35:22; 37:18-32; 38:16-18; Jos 22:22-29; 2Sa 20:20
2Ki 8:13; Pr 22:1; Ec 7:1; Heb 13:18

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

Context

  • Genesis 44:6

    And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.

  • Genesis 44:7

    And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:

  • Genesis 44:8

    Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?

Read all of Genesis 44

Genesis 44:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y ellos le respondieron: ¿Por qué dice mi señor tales cosas? Nunca tal hagan tus siervos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et ils lui dirent: Pourquoi mon seigneur parle-t-il ainsi? Loin de tes serviteurs de faire une telle chose!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sie sprachen zu ihm: Warum redet mein Herr solche Worte? Fern sei es von deinen Knechten, eine solche Sache zu tun!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Qui responderunt: Quare sic loquitur dominus noster, ut servi tui tantum flagitii commiserint?