Genesis 44:20

Verse

And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

American Standard Version (1901)

And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loveth him.

Bible in Basic English

And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

Free Bible Version

We told you, my lord, ‘We have an elderly father, and a younger brother, born when our father was already old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's children left, and his father loves him dearly.’

Geneva Bible 1599

And we answered my Lord, We haue a father that is olde, and a young childe, which he begate in his age: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loueth him.

King James (Authorized) Version

And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

One Unity Resource Bible

We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father 'ahav ·affectionately loves· him.’

Translation for Translators

We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an older brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’

Unlocked Literal Bible

We said to my master, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one. But his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.'

Noah Webster Bible

And we said to my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one: and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

World English Bible

We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’

Young's Literal Translation

and we say unto my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one; and his brother died, and he is left alone of his mother, and his father hath loved him.

Context

Judah Pleads for Benjamin

¹⁹My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’²⁰And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

Sermons

(Genesis) Genesis 44:16-17

J. Vernon McGee

2.8K

(Through the Bible) Exodus 1-5

Chuck Smith

1.8K

Summary

In Genesis 44:20, Joseph's brothers express their fear and guilt when they are falsely accused of stealing Joseph's silver cup. This verse reveals the weight of their conscience and the consequences of their past actions towards Joseph. It showcases the theme of divine justice and the idea that our sins will eventually find us out. Ultimately, this verse sets the stage for the reconciliation and redemption that will unfold in the later chapters of Genesis, highlighting the importance of repentance and forgiveness in the narrative.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

And we said unto my lord, we have a father,.... Yet living in the land of Canaan: an old man; being one hundred and thirty years of age, Gen 47:9, and a child of his old age; who was born when he was near an hundred years of age: and a little one; not in stature, but in age, being the youngest son, and much younger than they: so they represented him, on that account, and because he was tenderly brought up with his father, and not inured to business and hardship, and so unfit to travel: and his brother is dead; meaning Joseph: so they thought him to be, having not heard of him for twenty two years or more, and they had so often said he was dead, or suggested as much, that they at length believed he was: and he alone is left of his mother; the only child left of his mother Rachel: and his father loveth him; being his youngest son, and the only child of his beloved Rachel, and therefore most dear unto him.