Genesis 44:21 kjv
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
Genesis 44:21 nkjv
Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.'
Genesis 44:21 niv
"Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.'
Genesis 44:21 esv
Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.'
Genesis 44:21 nlt
"And you said to us, 'Bring him here so I can see him with my own eyes.'
Genesis 44 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 33:10 | "Indeed, to see your face is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me with such favor." | Jacob sees Esau's face, a sign of reconciliation. |
| Gen 43:3-5 | Judah's earlier declaration of Joseph's demand for Benjamin's presence. | Immediate context of the required presence. |
| Gen 45:5 | "God sent me before you to preserve life." | Divine purpose in bringing Jacob's family before Joseph. |
| Exod 23:17 | "Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God." | Requirement to appear before God's presence. |
| Exod 33:20 | "You cannot see My face; for no man can see My face and live!" | God's absolute holiness contrasts with human seeing. |
| Deut 10:8 | Levites are chosen "to stand before the Lord to minister to Him." | Standing in the presence of authority (divine). |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | "The Lord looks on the heart and not on the outward appearance." | God's discerning gaze. |
| 1 Kings 10:8 | "Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you..." | Being continually in a king's presence brings blessing. |
| Ps 11:4 | "His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men." | God's active, testing gaze. |
| Ps 17:15 | "As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness." | Hope of believers to see God's face. |
| Ps 27:8 | "My heart says, 'Seek His face.'" | Spiritual desire for God's direct presence. |
| Ps 84:10 | "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere." | Desire to be in God's presence. |
| Isa 6:1 | "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up." | Prophetic vision of seeing God's presence. |
| Zech 1:3 | "Return to Me... and I will return to you." | Reciprocal action, similar to appearing/looking. |
| Mal 3:2 | "Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?" | Impending divine presence with a purifying effect. |
| Matt 5:8 | "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." | Spiritual prerequisite for seeing God. |
| Matt 25:31-32 | "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them." | Universal appearance before Christ's final judgment. |
| Luke 15:20 | "His father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him." | The father's welcoming gaze towards the prodigal son. |
| John 1:18 | "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." | Humanity's indirect knowledge of God before Christ. |
| Heb 4:13 | "All are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." | God's absolute knowledge and scrutinizing gaze. |
| Rev 22:4 | "They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads." | The ultimate blessing of the redeemed: direct communion with God. |
| Gen 46:30 | Jacob to Joseph: "Now let me die, since I have seen your face." | Jacob's satisfaction at seeing Joseph after long separation. |
Genesis 44 verses
Genesis 44 21 Meaning
In Genesis 44:21, Judah, pleading with Joseph for Benjamin's release, recounts Joseph's earlier instruction: "Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that my eyes may look on him.’" This verse expresses Joseph's absolute prerequisite for any further interaction or provision: the youngest brother, Benjamin, must be physically present before Joseph. It highlights Joseph's deep personal desire to see his only full brother and is a crucial part of his orchestrated test of his older brothers' character and love for their family.
Genesis 44 21 Context
Genesis 44:21 is spoken by Judah as he desperately pleads with Joseph, unaware that Joseph is his brother. Judah is in the midst of a powerful and emotional plea, offering himself as a substitute for Benjamin to save his father, Jacob, from unbearable grief. The verse specifically recalls Joseph's stern condition during their previous visit to Egypt: that the brothers must bring their youngest brother if they ever wished to "see my face" again and receive further grain. This condition, established earlier by Joseph (likely in Gen 43:3), served as a test to determine if his brothers had changed and if they now truly cared for Benjamin, Jacob, and each other, unlike their prior betrayal of Joseph. The context is filled with tension, guilt, and the impending revelation of Joseph's true identity, all meticulously orchestrated by Joseph's wise yet testing hand.
Genesis 44 21 Word analysis
- וַתֹּ֧אמֶר (vatomer – "Then you said" or "And you said"): This perfect verb with a waw consecutive indicates sequential action in the narrative. Judah directly quotes Joseph's earlier statement. The use of "you said" emphasizes Joseph's authority and Judah's careful recounting of the command, highlighting its demanding and absolute nature. It also subtly builds pathos by reminding Joseph of his own words.
- אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ (el-’avadeykha – "to your servants"): This phrase expresses the humble submission and acknowledged subservience of Joseph's brothers. They address him as "lord" (adoni) and refer to themselves as his "servants," reflecting the power imbalance and their desperate position. This humility is key to their reformed character.
- הוֹרִדֻ֖הוּ (horiduhu – "Bring him down"): This is an imperative verb in the Hiphil stem, emphasizing a causative command: "cause him to come down." It implies Joseph's full authority and insistence. The act of "bringing down" reflects the physical descent from Canaan to Egypt, a motif often linked with judgment, testing, or a change of status in biblical narratives. It denotes a deliberate, forced movement rather than a casual one.
- אֵלָ֑י (elay – "to me"): This pronoun further personalizes Joseph's command, making Benjamin's presence before him the singular condition. It highlights Joseph's emotional stake in the encounter.
- וְאָשִׁ֤יתָה עֵינִ֣י עָלָיו֙ (ve’ashitah ‘eyni ‘alav – "that my eyes may look on him," lit. "and I will set my eye upon him"): This is a crucial phrase. The Hebrew idiom שׁית עין על ("to set/place the eye upon") is more intense than a casual glance. It signifies deliberate observation, attentive scrutiny, focused intention, or deep personal concern. In this context, it implies:
- Verification: Joseph needed to confirm Benjamin's identity and perhaps assess his well-being.
- Emotional longing: He deeply missed his full brother and yearned to see him again after decades of separation.
- Test/Discernment: His "eyes" would assess Benjamin's character and the brothers' interaction with him, thereby completing his test of their integrity.
- Authority/Approval: It signifies a direct acknowledgment of Benjamin's personhood and a move toward approval or integration into his presence.The "eye" is frequently symbolic of knowledge, judgment, compassion, or favor in Scripture. Joseph’s intense gaze indicates the gravity of the reunion.
Genesis 44 21 Bonus section
- Dramatic Irony: Joseph, unknown to his brothers, is not merely a harsh Egyptian ruler, but their very own brother, and Benjamin's full brother. His stated desire to "look on him" is therefore filled with unexpressed love and years of longing, a depth of emotion completely hidden from those he speaks to.
- Thematic Foreshadowing: Joseph's demand foreshadows God's desire for a personal relationship with humanity, often expressed through concepts of "seeking His face" or appearing before Him. Just as Benjamin's presence was required for reconciliation and blessing from Joseph, so God often calls for repentance and drawing near to behold His presence and receive His favor.
- Judah's Rhetorical Skill: Judah's precise repetition of Joseph's words demonstrates his careful attention and obedience. This serves to strengthen his argument, presenting the brothers as innocent, cooperative, and merely trapped by the strictness of the governor's command and their father's refusal. His very words confirm his transformation from one who once saw his brother's sale to slavery as expedient (Gen 37:26-27) to one now willing to become a slave for his younger brother's sake.
Genesis 44 21 Commentary
Genesis 44:21 marks a pivotal moment in Judah's eloquent plea and, by extension, the entire narrative of Joseph and his brothers. Judah strategically repeats Joseph's own words, underscoring the brothers' diligent compliance and highlighting the formidable nature of Joseph's decree. Joseph's insistence on seeing Benjamin personally was not mere caprice but a calculated move driven by profound longing and a discerning desire to test his brothers. The phrase "that my eyes may look on him" carries deep emotional and psychological weight. It's a statement of longing from a brother separated by trauma and time, but also an exercise of authority from a powerful ruler. Joseph needs to confirm for himself the safety and character of Benjamin, the son of Rachel, before proceeding with any revelation or true reconciliation. This intense personal requirement demonstrates the depths of Joseph's orchestrations, designed not just for grain but for a fundamental restoration of his family, predicated on their genuine transformation and renewed fraternal love.