“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He said, “Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”
- KJV And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.
- NKJV And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.”
- NASB So he said, “Now let it indeed be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be considered innocent.”
- NLT “That’s fair,” the man replied. “But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The steward accepts a milder version: only the guilty man becomes a slave, the rest go free. This narrows the test to Benjamin alone.
Overview
Following Joseph's plan, the steward reduces the penalty so that only the one with the cup is enslaved. By isolating the consequence to Benjamin, the test is sharpened: will the brothers abandon Rachel's remaining son to save themselves? The mercy in the lighter sentence is part of Joseph's design to draw out their true character.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Gen 44:17But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”
- Matt 18:24–25As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.
- Exod 22:3But if it happens after sunrise, there is guilt for his bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution; if he has nothing, he himself shall be sold for his theft.
- Gen 44:33Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 44:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.