Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Genesis 43:14 and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 43:14 and may God Almighty grant you compassion and favor before the man, so that he will release to you your other brother [Simeon] and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children [Joseph, Simeon, and Benjamin], I am bereaved." |
Bible Question:
"...your other brother..." This expression sounds odd to me. Israel (Jacob) seemed unloving to Simeon. He did not address his name. The translation of my Chinese Bible even convey a sense of distance (no intimacy) like "that brother of yours". [This is just like when I had a fight with my husband about our daughter, I would say "your daughter..."...:-)] Was it because he (Jacob) was still angry with his sons for the lost of Joseph? Thanks for your input. Shalom Azure |
Bible Answer: Greetings Azure! When Jacob says "Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; and may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." (Genesis 43:13-14, NASB) When I read Jacob describing Simeon as "..your other brother..", I read a serious amount of grief and resignation on the part of Jacob, hearkening back to Genesis 42:36 when Jacob is clearly in a state of grief: "You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me." In 42:36, Jacob clearly calls Simeon by name. I believe that Jacob is resigned to the fact that he has indeed lost Simeon like he lost Joseph and simply can't bring himself to even speak Simeon's name in 43:14 because it, along with the prospect of losing Benjamin also, would kill him with sorrow (42:38, 44:22,29-34). He says "if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." Genesis 43:14 proves his love for Simeon since he includes Simeon as one who for whom he is bereaved, and after what happened with Joseph, he is resigning himself to accept that he has perhaps lost Simeon now in the same way, and just cannot fathom or bring himself to think of how he might handle losing Benjamin in the same way - he would die because of his grief. When Jacob finally comes before Pharaoh in Genesis 47:9, he describes his life as "unpleasant" perhaps mainly due to the grief that came to him because of the sorrow and worry that he went through because of his sons. Blessings to you, Makarios |
Up | View Branch | ID# 218224 | ||
Questions and/or Subjects for Gen 43:14 | Author | ||
|
azurelaw | ||
|
Makarios |