7
They saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto him,אֵלָיו“Whyלָמָּהdoes my lordאֲדֹנִיspeakיְדַבֵּרwords like these?כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּהFar be itחָלִילָהfrom your servantsלַעֲבָדֶיךָto doמֵעֲשׂוֹתsuch a thing!כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה
Genesis 44:7
Study it in the app“They said to him, “Why does my lord speak words like these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing!”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 44:7, word by word
- They saidיֹּאמְרוּyomru
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomru” appears- does my lordאֲדֹנִadoni
lord
The one with authority over another; or a respectful title.
Where else “adoni” appears- speakיְדַבֵּרyedaber
speak
To speak, say something; above all God to his people.
Where else “yedaber” appears- words like theseדְּבָרִיםdevarim
thing
A matter, a thing; with "not", nothing.
Where else “devarim” appears- Far be itחָלִילָchalila
far be it!
"Far be it!", "by no means!": an expression that rejects something as unthinkable.
Where else “chalila” appears- from your servantsעֲבָדֶיavade
your servant
"Your servant": a humble way to say "I".
Where else “avade” appears- to doעֲשׂוֹתasot
do
To carry out an act or to deal with someone in a certain way, for good or ill.
Where else “asot” appears
The context
6He overtook them and spoke to them these words.
7 · This verse (above)
8Look, the silver that we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal from the house of your lord silver or gold?
To study Genesis 44 in a group
1. What it says
What did Judah propose when the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack (vv. 33-34)?
2. What it means
What does it show that Judah offers himself as a slave in place of Benjamin (v. 33)?
3. How I live it
What small sacrifice can you make today for someone in your family?