Genesis 44:9 kjv
With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.
Genesis 44:9 nkjv
With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."
Genesis 44:9 niv
If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves."
Genesis 44:9 esv
Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants."
Genesis 44:9 nlt
If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves."
Genesis 44 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 44:33 | "Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad..." | Judah's offer to substitute himself for Benjamin. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death..." | Principle that sin fundamentally leads to the consequence of death. |
| Jas 1:15 | "...sin, when full-grown, gives birth to death." | Highlights the destructive progression of sin. |
| Gen 42:21 | "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother..." | Brothers' earlier, unprompted admission of guilt over their sin against Joseph. |
| Ex 22:2-3 | "If a thief is found breaking in... no bloodguilt for him." | Severity of ancient Near Eastern law concerning theft, even capital. |
| Lev 24:17 | "Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death." | The strict requirement for justice concerning capital offenses in the Law. |
| Num 35:31 | "You shall not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer..." | Underscores the uncompromising nature of justice for capital crimes. |
| Isa 53:5 | "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities..." | Prophetic suffering of the Servant as a substitution for others. |
| Rom 5:8 | "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." | Christ's atoning death as the ultimate substitution for humanity's sin. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin..." | Christ bearing the penalty of sin for humanity. |
| 1 Pet 3:18 | "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous..." | The righteous substitute dying for the unrighteous. |
| Jn 10:11 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." | Jesus' willingness to offer Himself sacrificially for His own. |
| Phil 2:7 | "...but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant..." | Jesus' profound humility in becoming a servant. |
| Rom 12:10 | "Love one another with brotherly affection..." | Exhortation to genuine familial love within the believing community. |
| Ps 133:1 | "How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" | Commends the beauty and blessing of familial or communal unity. |
| Gen 50:20 | "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..." | Joseph's recognition of God's sovereign plan despite human maliciousness. |
| Gen 45:5 | "And now do not be distressed or angry...for God sent me before you to preserve life." | Joseph's re-framing of his brothers' actions as part of God's greater purpose. |
| Deut 8:2 | "...the Lord your God has led you...to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart..." | Principle of divine testing to reveal and refine character. |
| Ps 105:16-19 | "...He sent a man ahead of them, Joseph...His foot was hurt with fetters..." | God's orchestration of Joseph's difficult journey for His divine plan. |
| Ex 21:6 | "...and his master shall bore his ear...and he shall be his servant forever." | Example of willingness to embrace perpetual servanthood within the Law. |
| Lev 25:42 | "For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves." | Israel's identity as God's servants, not to be enslaved by others. |
| Isa 42:1 | "Behold My Servant, whom I uphold..." | Prophetic title for the Messiah emphasizing His humble, serving role. |
| Mt 20:28 | "just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." | Jesus' self-identity and mission rooted in service and substitutionary atonement. |
Genesis 44 verses
Genesis 44 9 Meaning
Genesis 44:9 presents the fervent oath spoken by Joseph's brothers to his steward: "With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's servants." This statement reveals their collective desperation, their perceived shift from independent journeyers to potential defendants, and their willingness to accept dire, far-reaching consequences—death for the one on whom the divining cup is found, and complete enslavement for the rest. It marks a profound contrast to their past abandonment of Joseph, demonstrating a significant, though still incomplete, transformation in their unity and character.
Genesis 44 9 Context
Genesis 44:9 is embedded in a highly dramatic phase of Joseph's revelation to his brothers. Following the brothers' first journey to Egypt and their forced return with Benjamin, Joseph orchestrates a final, crucial test. He instructs his steward to secretly place his personal silver divining cup (Gen 44:5) into Benjamin's sack, after returning their money in their other sacks. The brothers, having successfully completed their purchase and now journeying back to Canaan, are intercepted. Accused of theft, they vehemently deny the charge, unaware of the steward's actions. Their declaration in verse 9 is an oath made out of certainty that none of them possess the cup, driven by the urgency to prove their innocence and protect their youngest brother and, by extension, their aging father Jacob. This sworn statement sets the stage for the deeply emotional climax, specifically Judah's heartfelt intercession (Gen 44:18-34), which definitively proves the brothers' changed hearts. Historically and culturally, such oaths were binding and the consequences for perceived crimes like stealing from an official, especially one using a "divining cup," could be extremely severe, often including capital punishment or perpetual servitude.
Genesis 44 9 Word analysis
- With whomever of your servants: (Hebrew: 'asher yimmātsē' 'ittô mē'ăḇāḏeḵā - literally "with whom it is found among your servants"). This phrase establishes a direct, personal culpability but within the collective identity of "your servants." It highlights the brothers' acceptance of the steward's premise that a thief is among them, setting a severe, self-imposed condition for uncovering the culprit.
- it is found: (Hebrew: יִמָּצֵא yimmāṣê') - This passive verb emphasizes the objective discovery of the cup, not its intentional concealment or placing by the brothers. The discovery of the cup is the trigger for the severe penalty they propose, framing the finding as the irrefutable evidence.
- let him die: (Hebrew: וָמֵת wāmêṯ) - A strong, conditional self-imposition of capital punishment. This goes beyond the Egyptian steward's initial implied threat (likely just taking the one, 44:10). The brothers immediately jump to the ultimate consequence for the assumed crime, underscoring the extreme perceived gravity of the theft and their desperate desire to prove innocence, even at the cost of life. It also reveals the prevailing harsh legal customs of the time, where serious theft from an official could warrant such a penalty.
- and we also: (Hebrew: וְגַם־אֲנַחְנוּ wəḡam-’anaḥnû) - The conjunction "and" followed by the emphatic "also we" signifies a profound shift from individual responsibility to corporate solidarity. This contrasts sharply with their earlier isolation of Joseph, marking a powerful testament to their evolving character and unity. They are willing to stand together, whatever the outcome.
- will be my lord's servants: (Hebrew: נִהְיֶה לַאדֹנִי עֲבָדִים nihyeh lādōnî ‘ăḇādîm - "we will become for my lord, slaves"). This signifies a collective pledge of servitude or slavery for the entire group. This profound declaration showcases their willingness to completely sacrifice their freedom and return home to Jacob if one of them is guilty. It mirrors their original act of selling Joseph into slavery (Gen 37:28), now ironically putting them in a position of offering themselves into slavery. This extreme offer demonstrates their desperate desire to protect Benjamin and save their father Jacob from grief, revealing how their hearts have been humbled and transformed.
Genesis 44 9 Bonus section
The brothers' self-imposed penalty of "let him die" and "we... will be my lord's servants" reveals an intensity of conviction—they were truly certain they were innocent. The tragic irony is profound: they sold Joseph into slavery, and now they are willing to become slaves themselves to atone for a crime they believe they did not commit, all orchestrated by the very brother they betrayed. This reflects the powerful theme of God using past evils (like the selling of Joseph) to bring about good, demonstrating that consequences of sin can eventually lead to repentance and a change of heart, shaping individuals for God's purposes (Gen 50:20). Their exaggerated penalty for what they perceive as simple theft, hints at an underlying burden of guilt for their true sin against Joseph, unconsciously leading them to propose a punishment that goes beyond what the situation demanded, possibly an overcompensation for an old, unconfessed wrong.
Genesis 44 9 Commentary
Genesis 44:9 is a pivotal declaration, highlighting the brothers' dramatic transformation under Joseph's elaborate testing. Their willingness to accept death for the accused and lifelong servitude for themselves demonstrates a stark departure from their prior actions. Before, they callously sold Joseph into slavery and showed no solidarity or remorse, fabricating a lie for Jacob. Now, faced with a severe, immediate crisis threatening Benjamin and, by extension, Jacob's very life, their profound solidarity surfaces. They commit themselves utterly to a shared fate, underscoring their genuine desire for innocence and, more profoundly, their commitment to Jacob and the family unity. This oath sets the stage for Judah's courageous offer of substitution (Gen 44:33), the culmination of their spiritual maturity and a foreshadowing of the ultimate act of substitutionary atonement found in Christ. It exemplifies how divine providence often works through human sin and consequence, humbling hearts and molding character for God's redemptive purposes.