And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’
Parallel translations
- WEB Our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food.’
- KJV And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
- BSB Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
- NASB And our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’
- NLT Later, when he said, ‘Go back again and buy us more food,’
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
Their father simply told them to go back and buy a little more food. Jacob's request seems unaware of the cost it would demand.
Overview
Judah recalls Jacob's matter-of-fact instruction to return for provisions. The simplicity of the request contrasts with the impossible condition attached to it. This prepares the listener for the brothers' explanation of why they could not go without Benjamin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
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 44:25 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.