Genesis

Genesis 42:36–38

36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”

37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

38But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Read all of Genesis 42

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 42:36

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Their fatherאֲבִיהֶ֔ם’ă·ḇî·hemNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH1 father
Jacobיַעֲקֹ֣בya·‘ă·qōḇNoun - proper - masculine singularH3290 Jacob
saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
to themאֲלֵהֶם֙’ă·lê·hemPreposition; third person masculine pluralH413 motion to
You have deprived me of my sonsשִׁכַּלְתֶּ֑םšik·kal·temVerb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine pluralH7921 be bereaved
Josephיוֹסֵ֤ףyō·w·sêp̄Noun - proper - masculine singularH3130 Joseph
is goneאֵינֶ֙נּוּ֙’ê·nen·nūAdverb; third person masculine singularH369 nothing, nought
and Simeonוְשִׁמְע֣וֹןwə·šim·‘ō·wnConjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singularH8095 Shimon
is no moreאֵינֶ֔נּוּ’ê·nen·nūAdverb; third person masculine singularH369 nothing, nought
Now you want to takeתִּקָּ֔חוּtiq·qā·ḥūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH3947 take
Benjaminבִּנְיָמִ֣ןbin·yā·minNoun - proper - masculine singularH1144 Binjamin
Everythingכֻלָּֽנָה׃ḵul·lā·nāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine pluralH3605 the whole, all
is goingהָי֥וּhā·yūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
against meעָלַ֖י‘ā·layPreposition; first person common singularH5921 height

Genesis 42:37

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then Reubenרְאוּבֵן֙rə·’ū·ḇênNoun - proper - masculine singularH7205 Reuben
saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
his fatherאָבִ֣יו’ā·ḇîwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1 father
You may killתָּמִ֔יתtā·mîṯVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH4191 die
my twoשְׁנֵ֤יšə·nêNumber - masculine dual constructH8147 two
sonsבָנַי֙ḇā·nayNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH1121 son
ifאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
I failלֹ֥אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
to bring him backאֲבִיאֶ֖נּוּ’ă·ḇî·’en·nūVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
to youאֵלֶ֑יךָ’ê·le·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH413 motion to
Putתְּנָ֤הtə·nāhVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH5414 give, put, set
himאֹתוֹ֙’ō·ṯōwDirect object marker; third person masculine singularH853 mark of the accusative
inעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
my careיָדִ֔יyā·ḏîNoun - feminine singular construct; first person common singularH3027 hand
and Iוַאֲנִ֖יwa·’ă·nîConjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singularH589 I
will return himאֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ’ă·šî·ḇen·nūVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singularH7725 turn back, return

Genesis 42:38

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
But Jacob repliedוַיֹּ֕אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
My sonבְּנִ֖יbə·nîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH1121 son
will notלֹֽא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
go down thereיֵרֵ֥דyê·rêḏVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH3381 come or go down, descend
with youעִמָּכֶ֑ם‘im·mā·ḵemPreposition; second person masculine pluralH5973 with
forכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
his brotherאָחִ֨יו’ā·ḥîwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH251 brother
is deadמֵ֜תmêṯVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH4191 die
and heוְה֧וּאwə·hūConjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine singularH1931 he, she
aloneלְבַדּ֣וֹlə·ḇad·dōwPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH905 separation
is leftנִשְׁאָ֗רniš·’ārVerb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularH7604 remain, be left over
If any harm comesוּקְרָאָ֤הוּū·qə·rā·’ā·hūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singularH7122 encounter, befall
to him on yourאֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
journeyבַּדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙bad·de·reḵPreposition-b, Article; Noun - common singularH1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
my gray hairשֵׂיבָתִ֛יśê·ḇā·ṯîNoun - feminine singular construct; first person common singularH7872 hoary head, old age
downוְהוֹרַדְתֶּ֧םwə·hō·w·raḏ·temConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralH3381 come or go down, descend
to Sheolשְׁאֽוֹלָה׃šə·’ō·w·lāhNoun - common singular; third person feminine singularH7585 underworld
in sorrowבְּיָג֖וֹןbə·yā·ḡō·wnPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singularH3015 grief, sorrow

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 42:36 Genesis 43:14 · Romans 8:31 · Matthew 14:31 · Isaiah 38:10 · Romans 8:28 · Ecclesiastes 7:8 · Isaiah 27:9 · Isaiah 41:10 · 1 Samuel 27:1 · Isaiah 41:13–14 · Job 7:7

Genesis 42:37 Genesis 46:9 · Micah 6:7

Genesis 42:38 Genesis 37:35 · Genesis 42:4 · Genesis 37:33 · Genesis 42:13 · Genesis 35:16–18

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.