If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”
Parallel translations
- WEB With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
- KJV With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.
- NKJV With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
- NASB With whomever of your servants it is found, he shall die, and we also shall be my lord’s slaves.”
- NLT If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”
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
So sure of their innocence, the brothers rashly offer the death of the guilty one and slavery for the rest. Their overconfident vow nearly seals Benjamin's doom.
Overview
Echoing Jacob's earlier rash oath, the brothers pronounce a sentence far harsher than warranted, certain none of them is guilty. Their words recall the dangers of presumptuous vows seen elsewhere in Scripture. The steward will soften the terms, but the brothers' offer reveals how unaware they are of the trap closing around them.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Gen 31:32If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
- Acts 25:11If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
- Ps 7:3–5O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands,
- Gen 43:18But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
- Job 31:38–40if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
- Gen 44:16“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.”
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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 44:9 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
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