Genesis 44:33 kjv
Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
Genesis 44:33 nkjv
Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.
Genesis 44:33 niv
"Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.
Genesis 44:33 esv
Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.
Genesis 44:33 nlt
"So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.
Genesis 44 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 37:26-27 | Judah said to his brothers, "What profit... sell him to the Ishmaelites..." | Contrasts with Judah's past self-serving betrayal of Joseph. |
| Gen 43:8-9 | Judah said to Israel his father... "I myself will be surety for him..." | Judah's earlier guarantee for Benjamin, leading to his self-sacrificing offer. |
| Gen 45:1-5 | Joseph could no longer control himself... "I am your brother Joseph..." | Judah's plea prompts Joseph to reveal his identity and forgive his brothers. |
| Gen 46:28 | Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph... to lead the way to Goshen. | Judah takes a leading, trustworthy role for his father, demonstrating his transformation. |
| Gen 49:8 | "Judah, your brothers shall praise you... your hand on the necks of your enemies..." | Foreshadows Judah's leadership and the future prominence of his tribe. |
| Gen 49:10 | The scepter shall not depart from Judah... until Shiloh comes... | Prophetic lineage of Messiah through Judah, rooted in his character. |
| Exod 32:32 | "But now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, blot me out..." | Moses' intercessory sacrifice, echoing Judah's self-offering. |
| Deut 21:7 | "Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it." | Concept of taking responsibility and distancing from guilt, here Judah embraces it. |
| Ruth 4:4-8 | Boaz takes on the responsibility of a kinsman redeemer... | The principle of a kinsman taking on a burdensome duty for another's welfare. |
| Job 2:4 | "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life." | Judah offers more than his skin; his freedom, reversing the selfish nature. |
| Ps 49:7-8 | Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price for his life... | Human limitations in paying redemption price, contrasting with the divine ultimate sacrifice. |
| Prov 6:1-5 | My son, if you become surety for your friend... if you have trapped yourself... | Judah’s surety for Benjamin, willingly placing himself in this 'trap'. |
| Isa 53:5-6 | But He was wounded for our transgressions... laid on Him the iniquity of us all. | The ultimate substitutionary atonement of Christ, deeply resonant with Judah's act. |
| Matt 20:28 | ...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom... | Christ's mission as a willing ransom and substitute, mirroring Judah's self-giving. |
| John 10:11 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." | Jesus as the self-sacrificing shepherd, aligning with Judah's protective stance. |
| Rom 5:7-8 | For scarcely for a righteous man will one die... but God demonstrates His own love toward us... | Illustrates the profound nature of sacrificing for another, pointing to Christ's sacrifice. |
| Rom 8:3 | For what the law could not do... God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh... | God sending His Son as a substitute for humanity. |
| Rom 9:3 | For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren... | Paul's fervent desire for substitutionary suffering for his kin, parallel to Judah's heart. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. | The greatest example of divine substitution, Christ's perfect exchange for sinners. |
| Phil 2:3-4 | Let nothing be done through selfish ambition... but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better... | The call to selflessness and considering others above oneself, as exemplified by Judah. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree... | Christ as the one who takes on the consequences for others, akin to Judah taking Benjamin's consequence. |
Genesis 44 verses
Genesis 44 33 Meaning
Genesis 44:33 is Judah's selfless plea to Joseph, offering himself as a slave in place of his younger brother Benjamin. This verse highlights Judah's profound transformation and his unwavering loyalty, willingness to sacrifice his own freedom for his family, particularly for Benjamin, to prevent his aging father Jacob from suffering an unbearable loss. It is a powerful display of brotherly love, intercession, and responsibility, serving as a pivotal moment in the narrative of Joseph and his brothers.
Genesis 44 33 Context
Genesis chapter 44 is the climax of Joseph's elaborate test for his brothers. After the initial visits and the second trip to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph orchestrates the planting of his silver cup in Benjamin's sack, then sends his steward to "discover" it. This act traps Benjamin, fulfilling Joseph's intention to test whether his brothers had changed from their past callousness (selling him into slavery) and whether they now valued Benjamin, the other son of Rachel. Judah, having pledged his own life to Jacob for Benjamin's safety, steps forward as the primary intercessor. His eloquent and impassioned speech in verses 18-32 recounts their father's grief over Joseph's supposed death and his deep attachment to Benjamin. Verse 33, therefore, is the culmination of Judah's appeal, showcasing a complete transformation from his former willingness to profit from his brother's suffering to a profound act of self-sacrificing love and responsibility for his family's well-being and his father's life.
Genesis 44 33 Word analysis
- Now therefore (וְעַתָּה - `ve'attah): A connective phrase marking a transition to a crucial plea or conclusion based on prior reasoning. It signifies a pivotal moment, shifting from argument to self-offering.
- please (נָּא - `na'): An urgent plea for gracious consideration. It highlights the earnestness and desperation of Judah's request, emphasizing his humility before Joseph.
- let your servant remain (יֵשֵׁב־נָא עַבְדְּךָ - `yeishev-na'a avdekha): "Let your servant stay/dwell." Judah humbling himself by using "servant" (`eved) to describe himself, a stark contrast to his past leadership but displaying a new posture of humility and submission. He volunteers to take Benjamin's place.
- instead of (תַּחַת - `tachat): A crucial preposition meaning "under, in place of, as a substitute for." This is the core concept of substitution, where Judah offers his life/freedom as an exchange for Benjamin's. This term echoes in later biblical themes of vicarious atonement.
- the young man (הַנַּעַר - `hanna'ar): Refers specifically to Benjamin. Judah uses this term to emphasize Benjamin's youth and vulnerability, as well as the unique position he holds in Jacob's heart as the youngest, and Rachel's only living child remaining.
- as a slave (לְעֶבֶד - `le'eved): "As a servant/slave." Judah is willing to embrace the lowest status for his brother. This willing submission to servitude contrasts with Joseph's unwilling servitude (Gen 39) and underscores Judah's depth of sacrifice.
- to my lord (לַאדֹנִי - `la'adoni): "To my master." A respectful, subservient address to Joseph, highlighting Judah's recognition of Joseph's authority and his own submission to it. It seals his pledge to servitude.
- and let the young man go up (וְהַנַּעַר יַעַל - `ve'hana'ar ya'al): "And the young man let him go up." The term "go up" (עָלָה - `alah) implies a return journey, specifically to Canaan (which is topographically higher than Egypt), and importantly, a safe return to Jacob. It underscores the urgency of Benjamin's freedom.
- with his brothers (אֶל־אֶחָיו - `el-ekhav): "To his brothers" or "with his brothers." It emphasizes the integrity of the family unit and highlights that the other brothers' fate is tied to Benjamin's; if Benjamin stays, their father dies, and the family is broken.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "please let your servant remain instead of the young man": This phrase encapsulates Judah's profound substitutionary offer. It reveals a dramatic shift in his character, from self-preservation (as seen in Gen 37 regarding Joseph) to radical self-sacrifice for the sake of his family. This act foreshadows themes of intercession and atonement found throughout Scripture, where one willingly bears the burden or penalty for another.
- "as a slave to my lord, and let the young man go up with his brothers": This group solidifies the terms of Judah's proposed exchange: Benjamin's freedom for Judah's perpetual servitude. Judah understands the dire consequences Benjamin's detention would have on their father and the family, making his willingness to become a "slave" an act of supreme love and responsibility. The mention of "going up with his brothers" signifies the completion of the family's integrity and Benjamin's return to the heartbroken Jacob, who could not bear another loss.
Genesis 44 33 Bonus section
Judah's pledge in this verse, coupled with his earlier guarantee for Benjamin to Jacob (Gen 43:9), establishes him as a "surety" or "guarantor" for his brother. This concept of suretyship, where one takes on the debt or responsibility of another, is a powerful theological theme that runs throughout the Bible. It highlights a voluntary commitment to bear another's burden, often with significant personal cost. Judah's transformation and willingness to bear the consequence (servitude) for Benjamin's release is a foundational act of love that directly enabled the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers and the preservation of Jacob's lineage. It provides a moral and theological groundwork for understanding divine actions where God, through Christ, becomes the ultimate surety for humanity.
Genesis 44 33 Commentary
Genesis 44:33 marks the culmination of Judah's transformative journey, serving as a pivotal moment in the entire narrative of Joseph and his brothers. Judah's self-sacrificing offer to become a slave in place of Benjamin is the ultimate proof that the brothers have profoundly changed from their earlier treachery (selling Joseph) and callous disregard for their father's pain. This act, rooted in deep family loyalty and a renewed sense of responsibility, convinces Joseph of his brothers' genuine repentance and brotherly love, prompting him to reveal his true identity. Judah, once the pragmatic initiator of selling Joseph, now stands as the guarantor for Benjamin, demonstrating unparalleled personal integrity and an earnest desire to protect his father from further grief. This foreshadows Judah's later prominence as the leading tribe of Israel, from which the Messianic line would descend, highlighting the significance of his redemptive character and willingness to stand in the gap for others. His plea exemplifies intercession and substitution, prefiguring the ultimate substitutionary atonement found in the Person of Jesus Christ.