Verse

Genesis 44:31

ESV as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.
NIV sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow.
NASB when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. So your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant, our father, down to Sheol in sorrow.
CSB when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow.
NLT If he sees that the boy is not with us, our father will die. We, your servants, will indeed be responsible for sending that grieving, white-haired man to his grave.
KJV It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
NKJV it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

What does Genesis 44:31 mean?

Judah has done his best to describe the consequences if he does not deliver his youngest brother, Benjamin, safely back to their father (Genesis 44:18–30). Jacob himself has said plainly that it will kill him to lose another son of Rachel (Genesis 42:38). Now Judah emphasizes that his father Jacob will hold his other sons responsible. When they arrive and Benjamin is not with them, their father will die of grief. And he will do so blaming Judah and his other sons for what has happened.

The first son of Rachel whom Jacob lost was Joseph (Genesis 35:24), believed to be dead (Genesis 37:31–33), but actually sold into slavery by Judah and the rest of the older brothers (Genesis 37:24–28). That very Joseph—unrecognized by his brothers—is the Egyptian ruler who now listens to Judah's desperate plea (Genesis 42:7–8). He has been testing his estranged brothers. What Judah says next will convince him that they truly have changed (Genesis 44:32–34).
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