Genesis 43:9 kjv
I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
Genesis 43:9 nkjv
I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
Genesis 43:9 niv
I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.
Genesis 43:9 esv
I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
Genesis 43:9 nlt
I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don't bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever.
Genesis 43 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 44:32-34 | "For your servant became surety for the boy to my father... now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord... for how can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me?" | Judah's fulfillment and powerful plea, offering himself in Benjamin's place. |
| Prov 6:1-5 | "My son, if you become surety for your friend, if you have ensnared yourself... Deliver yourself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler." | Warning against reckless suretyship and its entrapments. |
| Prov 11:15 | "Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but he who hates striking hands is secure." | Emphasizes the dangers and folly of assuming debt for others. |
| Heb 7:22 | "By so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant." | Jesus as the divine and ultimate Guarantor. |
| Isa 38:14 | "O Lord, I am oppressed; be my surety!" | Hezekiah's desperate prayer for a divine guarantor. |
| John 15:13 | "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." | Illustrates the depth of sacrificial love. |
| Rom 5:7-8 | "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die... But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." | God's demonstration of supreme sacrificial love. |
| 1 John 3:16 | "By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." | Calls believers to imitate Christ's self-giving love. |
| Gal 2:20 | "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live... I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." | The personal impact of Christ's love and sacrifice. |
| Num 14:34 | "...you shall bear your iniquities forty years, and you shall know My disapproval." | The concept of bearing responsibility for failure or sin. |
| Lev 5:17 | "If a person sins... then he shall bear his iniquity." | Incurring guilt for a transgression. |
| Isa 53:11-12 | "...My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion... because He poured out His soul unto death..." | Christ's redemptive work by bearing the guilt of humanity. |
| Deut 23:21 | "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you..." | The seriousness and expectation of fulfilling vows. |
| Ecc 5:4-5 | "When you vow a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed—better not to vow than to vow and not pay." | Emphasizes integrity in making and keeping promises. |
| Josh 9:20 | "...lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them." | Consequences of failing to uphold solemn agreements. |
| Heb 6:16-18 | "...men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath." | Highlights the binding and immutable nature of oaths. |
| Jam 5:12 | "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall under condemnation." | Calls for honesty and simplicity in communication, letting a plain word suffice. |
| Psa 15:4 | "...who swears to his own hurt and does not change." | Describes a righteous person's steadfastness in upholding difficult promises. |
| 1 Sam 1:11 | Hannah's profound vow to the LORD, committing her child Samuel to lifelong service. | An example of a personal and significant vow. |
| Phil 2:6-8 | Christ's humility, self-emptying, and obedience unto death to fulfill His divine purpose. | A theological reflection on supreme sacrifice. |
| Ezra 10:19 | "They gave their pledge that they would put away their wives, and being guilty, they presented a ram of the flock as a guilt offering for their trespass." | Example of pledging for a specific action with consequences for failure. |
| Prov 17:18 | "A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, and becomes surety for his friend." | Contrast showing Judah's deliberate, selfless understanding. |
Genesis 43 verses
Genesis 43 9 Meaning
Judah declares a solemn and profound personal vow to his father Jacob, taking full, lifelong responsibility for Benjamin's safe return from Egypt. He emphatically commits that if he fails to bring Benjamin back and present him to Jacob, then Jacob may perpetually hold him blameworthy and accountable for the loss. This extraordinary declaration showcases an unparalleled commitment from Judah, placing his own standing, honor, and future forever at risk for his brother.
Genesis 43 9 Context
Genesis 43 unfolds amidst a severe famine plaguing Canaan, compelling Jacob's family to return to Egypt for food. Crucially, the Egyptian viceroy had demanded that they bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, with them on their next visit. Jacob, deeply traumatized by the presumed death of Joseph and protective of Rachel's remaining son, vehemently refused to let Benjamin go. This emotional deadlock threatened the very survival of his family. It is at this critical juncture that Judah steps forward. Despite having suggested the selling of Joseph years prior (Gen 37), Judah now, moved by his family's desperation and understanding the absolute necessity of Benjamin's presence in Egypt, makes a dramatic and personal intervention. This verse is his solemn, unwavering pledge to Jacob, an act that fundamentally shifts the patriarch's decision, allowing the brothers to journey to Egypt, which ultimately leads to the grand revelation of Joseph and the family's reunification. Culturally, within the ancient Near East, suretyship ('ārav) was a formal, binding legal and social commitment, carrying significant implications for one's honor and personal liability, which makes Judah's pledge here particularly potent.
Genesis 43 9 Word analysis
- אֲנִי (I):
’ănî(emphatic personal pronoun, I). The singular and emphatic "I" underscores that this is Judah's personal, resolute commitment. It marks a dramatic shift from his past actions and positions him as the responsible and self-sacrificial leader in the family. - אֶעֶרְבֶנּוּ֙ (will be surety for him): Derived from
עָרַב('ārav), meaning "to mix, pledge, give security." Judah is not merely promising, but formally binding himself as guarantor for Benjamin's safe return. This is a profound commitment, making himself personally liable and placing his entire honor and future at stake. - מִיָּדִ֖י (from my hand):
miyāḏî(from my hand). The "hand" (yāḏ) metaphorically represents power, authority, and accountability. "From my hand" means Jacob would have the direct right to hold Judah responsible for Benjamin; Judah himself becomes the specific person from whom Benjamin could be reclaimed. - תְבַקְשֶׁנּוּ (you shall require him): From
בָּקַשׁ(bāqaš), meaning "to seek, demand, require" (in the Piel intensive form). This indicates that Jacob's demand would be insistent, formal, and carry legal-like weight. Jacob would be fully entitled to retrieve Benjamin, or accountability for him, from Judah. - אִם־לֹא֙ הֲבִיאֹתִ֤יו (If I do not bring him back):
’im-lō’ hăvî’ōṯîw(If not I cause him to come). The Hiphil (causative) form ofבּוֹא(to come) means "to cause to come" or "to bring." This specifies Judah's active responsibility for Benjamin's return; his pledge is to personally ensure his arrival and safe passage. - וְהִצַּגְתִּיו֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ (and set him before you): From
נָצַג(to stand), in Hiphil meaning "to cause to stand" or "to present." This is a formal and literal presentation, indicating Benjamin must be returned directly into Jacob's presence, signifying his complete and successful restoration to his father's care. - וְחָטָ֙אתִי֙ (then I shall bear the blame/be a sinner): From
חָטָא(ḥāṭā’), which means "to miss the mark, sin, incur guilt, bear the blame." In this context, it implies incurring perpetual guilt and debt, becoming perpetually reproached or discredited in his father's eyes. It denotes a lasting moral and relational failure. - לְךָ֖ (to you): This preposition specifies Jacob as the aggrieved party. Judah is committing to bear this blame specifically in relation to his father, meaning Jacob would hold this unfulfilled promise against him indefinitely.
- כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים (forever / all the days):
kāl-hayyāmîm(all the days). This phrase underscores the permanence of the consequence. It means Judah would face an unending reproach, a lifelong stain on his honor and standing, indicating a total and irrevocable forfeiture should he fail.
Words-group analysis
- "I will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him.": This two-part phrase defines the absolute nature of Judah's pledge. He legally (
’e‘erḇennū) transfers Benjamin's security to his own accountability, making it Jacob's absolute right to demand (təvaqqəšenū) Benjamin directly from Judah's personal care (miyāḏî). This establishes a profound covenant of personal liability. - "If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you...": This clear conditional clause details the specific failure that would trigger Judah's lifelong blame. The precision of "bring him back" (implying active leading) and "set him before you" (implying formal presentation to Jacob's full view) leaves no room for ambiguity regarding the successful completion of his solemn vow.
- "...then I shall bear the blame forever.": This phrase describes the ultimate and dire consequence of Judah's potential failure. The terms
חָטָא(bear the blame/sin) and "forever" (kāl-hayyāmîm) reveal that Judah is willing to accept a state of permanent reproach, unredeemable guilt, and disgrace in his father's eyes, a deeply impactful pledge within a collectivist and honor-shame cultural context.
Genesis 43 9 Bonus section
The concept of עָרַב ('arav' - suretyship) as used by Judah, though warned against in Proverbs in a purely financial context, takes on a distinct ethical and theological significance here due to its context of familial love and necessary intercession. Judah's commitment moves beyond mere financial liability; it enters the realm of profound personal responsibility, willingly incurring a lasting stain on his honor and lineage for his brother. This pledge underscores the deep societal values placed on reputation and accountability in the ancient world. Judah’s act thus becomes not an act of foolishness but a supreme demonstration of relational covenant, highlighting his moral elevation within the patriarchal narrative, aligning his lineage to the Messianic promise. His willingness to self-curse ("bear the blame forever") signifies the deepest level of his personal bond, a covenantal echo.
Genesis 43 9 Commentary
Genesis 43:9 marks a dramatic and redemptive turning point for Judah. This is no mere promise but a binding, self-sacrificial oath demonstrating profound maturity and a transformed heart, a stark contrast to his earlier complicity in Joseph's enslavement. Judah's willingness to incur perpetual guilt in his father's eyes for Benjamin's sake foreshadows his powerful appeal in Genesis 44, where he fully articulates his commitment by offering himself as a bondservant in Benjamin's stead. This act solidifies Judah's emerging leadership, a necessary character development for the one from whom the royal line, including King David and ultimately the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would descend (Gen 49:10).
Theologically, Judah's suretyship here beautifully prefigures Christ, the ultimate Surety (Heb 7:22), who indeed bore our blame and penalty "forever" (Isa 53:11-12) to restore us to fellowship with the Father. Judah's costly, self-incriminating oath, designed to bridge Jacob's fear and the family's survival, mirrors Christ's unique sacrifice that bridges humanity's sin with God's perfect justice and mercy. This verse is a testament to the transformative power of divine grace, enabling one to move from grievous fault to exemplary self-giving love.
- Practical Examples:
- The Weight of Our Word: This verse teaches the serious implication of promises, especially those given for the well-being of others, emphasizing that our integrity and accountability are paramount.
- Sacrificial Intercession: It models interceding for others not just with words, but with a willingness to absorb their consequences, truly embodying another's need.
- Transformation: Judah's journey illustrates that God can work in and through flawed individuals, transforming their character to achieve His divine purposes, from complicity to courage.