Genesis 44:28 kjv
And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
Genesis 44:28 nkjv
and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn to pieces"; and I have not seen him since.
Genesis 44:28 niv
One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since.
Genesis 44:28 esv
One left me, and I said, "Surely he has been torn to pieces," and I have never seen him since.
Genesis 44:28 nlt
and one of them went away and never returned. Doubtless he was torn to pieces by some wild animal. I have never seen him since.
Genesis 44 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 37:20 | "Let us throw him into some pit... and say that a wild animal devoured him." | Brothers' original deceptive plot to dispose of Joseph. |
| Gen 37:31-33 | "They took Joseph’s tunic, slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood... ‘This is our son’s tunic; a wild animal has devoured him.'" | The brothers' execution of the deceit to Jacob. |
| Gen 37:34-35 | "Then Jacob tore his garments... He mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters rose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted." | Jacob's deep, prolonged, and inconsolable grief. |
| Gen 42:36 | "Jacob their father said to them, 'You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin.'" | Jacob's consistent lament over perceived losses. |
| Gen 43:14 | "If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." | Jacob's reluctant resignation to the possible loss of Benjamin, revealing his fear. |
| Gen 45:26-28 | "Joseph is still alive... Jacob’s heart became numb... But when they told him all the words... the spirit of their father Jacob revived." | The dramatic reversal of Jacob's long-held belief. |
| Gen 46:30 | "Israel said to Joseph, 'Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.'" | Jacob's ultimate contentment and acceptance after reunion. |
| Gen 50:20 | "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." | Joseph's retrospective interpretation of God's sovereignty over their wicked acts. |
| Job 1:21 | "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." | Acknowledging divine sovereignty in loss, contrasting with Jacob's sustained sorrow. |
| Psa 30:5 | "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." | The promise of eventual joy after a period of sorrow, fulfilled for Jacob. |
| Isa 25:8 | "He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces." | Future hope for an end to mourning and grief, relevant to enduring sorrow. |
| Lam 3:19-20 | "Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me." | Reflects deep, continuous grief akin to Jacob's. |
| John 11:25-26 | "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live..." | Jesus' power over death, ultimately counteracting perceptions of final loss. |
| Rom 8:28 | "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good..." | Echoes the theme of God's ultimate purpose in seemingly negative events (Gen 50:20). |
| 2 Cor 1:3-4 | "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort..." | God as the source of comfort in all affliction, pertinent to long-term suffering. |
| Phil 4:6-7 | "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God..." | Peace available despite grievous circumstances. |
| Heb 11:21 | "By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph..." | Jacob's enduring faith through his long life, including his suffering. |
| Gen 27:41 | "Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing... and said, 'The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.'" | Jacob's earlier experience with familial betrayal and threatened death, a cycle of suffering. |
| Matt 20:26-28 | "But whoever would be great among you must be your servant... even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." | Joseph's experience as a servant/slave eventually benefiting many, paralleling Christ. |
| Luke 15:24 | "for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." | Parable of the Prodigal Son, highlighting the joy of reunion after presumed loss. |
| Psa 34:18 | "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." | God's presence during intense grief and despondency like Jacob's. |
| Gen 28:15 | "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land." | God's promise to Jacob, demonstrating divine oversight even amidst long periods of suffering and apparent loss. |
Genesis 44 verses
Genesis 44 28 Meaning
This verse encapsulates Jacob's deeply held, long-standing belief and profound grief concerning the fate of his beloved son Joseph. He believed Joseph had been viciously attacked and killed by a wild animal, leaving no trace behind. This perceived loss became a foundational sorrow and a key driver of his actions and emotional state for many years, significantly impacting his protective nature toward his remaining children, particularly Benjamin. The statement is recounted by Judah to Joseph, emphasizing Jacob's trauma to persuade Joseph to release Benjamin.
Genesis 44 28 Context
Genesis chapter 44 is a pivotal point in the Joseph narrative. Judah is presenting an impassioned plea to the seemingly harsh Egyptian vizier (who is, unknown to them, Joseph himself) to release Benjamin. Earlier, Joseph's silver cup had been "found" in Benjamin's sack, setting the stage for Benjamin's enslavement. This crisis mirrors the brothers' earlier decision to sell Joseph into slavery. Judah, recognizing the profound impact of Benjamin's loss on their aged father Jacob, recounts Jacob's history of suffering and his deep attachment to Benjamin as the last visible remnant of his beloved wife Rachel. Verse 28, specifically, verbalizes Jacob's long-held pain and fear stemming from Joseph's supposed death by wild animals, a lie maintained by the brothers for years. Judah uses this vivid account of Jacob's enduring sorrow to evoke sympathy from Joseph, revealing the deep-seated trauma within their family and setting the stage for Joseph's dramatic self-revelation.
Genesis 44 28 Word analysis
- One: Refers to Joseph. It highlights his singularity in Jacob's heart as a child of Rachel, setting him apart as deeply beloved.
- was torn to pieces: The Hebrew is `ṭārōph ṭōrāph` (טָרֹף טֹרָף). This is an intensive form of the verb "to tear" or "to be devoured," indicating a complete and brutal destruction. It conveys a strong image of being mauled and utterly consumed by a wild beast. Jacob believed this happened, a lie propagated by his sons (Gen 37:33), and this gruesome image intensified his grief. The phrase denotes finality and violence.
- and I have not seen him since: This phrase underscores the profound and enduring absence that plagued Jacob. It emphasizes the perceived permanence of Joseph's loss and the years of unfulfilled hope or even resignation. This ongoing void signifies Jacob's prolonged emotional distress and his deep-seated conviction that Joseph was truly gone.
Words-group by words-group analysis data
- One was torn to pieces: This vivid and disturbing imagery reflects Jacob's internal conviction and the powerful, devastating impact of what he believed to be Joseph's fate. It immediately brings to mind the bloody coat and the lie that profoundly scarred their father. The language highlights the ferocity and totality of the perceived destruction.
- and I have not seen him since: This phrase encapsulates the long duration of Jacob's grief—many years having passed since the event—and the unrelenting nature of his sorrow. It underlines the absence as a continuous present reality for Jacob, demonstrating how the trauma of loss profoundly shaped his subsequent life and protective instincts towards Benjamin.
Genesis 44 28 Bonus section
The rhetorical power of Judah's speech, including verse 28, is immense. It demonstrates Judah's profound transformation from the brother who suggested selling Joseph (Gen 37:26-27) to one willing to sacrifice himself for Benjamin and his father. This shift is crucial for understanding the theme of repentance and restoration within the narrative. Jacob's profound and continuous grief over Joseph also reveals the psychological toll of unaddressed sin (the brothers' deception) within a family, causing decades of suffering for their father. Yet, it is this very suffering and vulnerability that God uses to humble the brothers and bring about their repentance, ultimately leading to Joseph's revelation and the preservation of Jacob's household, through which the Abrahamic covenant would continue. This perceived loss, unbeknownst to Jacob, was a necessary step in God's plan for Israel's preservation and later, the nation's sojourn in Egypt.
Genesis 44 28 Commentary
Genesis 44:28 is a poignant summary of Jacob's two decades of grief over Joseph, expressed through Judah's powerful and emotionally charged plea. Jacob's belief that Joseph was "torn to pieces" underscores the traumatic impact of the lie his sons perpetrated, shaping his life with a deep and lasting sorrow. The statement "I have not seen him since" is a testament to the unremitting pain of a loss he believed was final, rendering him vulnerable to further despair if Benjamin, his last child with Rachel, were also taken. This verse brilliantly sets the stage for Joseph's revelation, highlighting the weight of the family's shared history of deception, Jacob's immense suffering, and the impending redemption that will finally turn his mourning into joy. It illustrates the enduring nature of deep grief but also God's hidden providence working towards a glorious family reunion and reconciliation.