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.”
Parallel translations
- 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.
- BSB “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.”
- 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 44:17He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
- Matt 18:24–25When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
- Exod 22:3If the sun has risen on him, guilt of bloodshed shall be for him; he shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
- Gen 44:33Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.
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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.