but if you will not let him go, we will not go down, for that man said to us, ‘Do not let me see your faces Do not let me see your faces See note at v. 3. unless your brother is with you.’”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ואםאינך
128
משלח
378
לא
31
נרד
254
כיהאיש
346
אמר
241
אלינו
97
לאתראו
638
פני
140
בלתי
442
אחיכם
79
אתכם
461
Genesis 43:6
Gematria: 2205
ויאמרישראללמההרעתםלילהגידלאישהעודלכםאח
And Israel said, “Why did you serve me so ill as to tell the man that you had another brother?”
They replied, “But the man kept asking about us and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still living? Have you another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How were we to know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible: if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I shall stand guilty before you forever.
Word-by-Word Analysis
אנכי
81
אערבנו
329
מידי
64
תבקשנו
858
אםלא
72
הביאתיו
434
אליך
61
והצגתיו
520
לפניך
190
וחטאתי
434
לך
50
כלהימים
155
Genesis 43:10
Gematria: 1763
כילולאהתמהמהנוכיעתהשבנוזהפעמים
For we could have been there and back twice if we had not dawdled.”
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your baggage, and carry them down as a gift for the man—some balm and some honey, gum, ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
And may El Shaddai dispose the man to mercy toward you, that he may release to you your other brother, as well as Benjamin. As for me, if I am to be bereaved, I shall be bereaved.”
So the agents agents More precisely, “participants whose involvement defines the depicted situation”—i.e., the sons who have been delegated as their father’s agents. See the Dictionary under ’ish; Agent. took that gift, and they took with them double the money, as well as Benjamin. They made their way down to Egypt, where they presented themselves to Joseph.
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, “Take those men those men More precisely, “the [salient] participants.” See the Dictionary under ’ish. into the house; slaughter and prepare an animal, for those men will dine with me at noon.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
וירא
217
יוסף
156
אתם
441
אתבנימין
563
ויאמר
257
לאשר
531
עלביתו
518
הבא
8
אתהאנשים
807
הביתה
422
וטבח
25
טבח
19
והכן
81
כי
30
אתי
411
יאכלו
67
האנשים
406
בצהרים
347
Genesis 43:17
Gematria: 3335
ויעשהאישכאשראמריוסףויבאהאישאתהאנשיםביתהיוסף
The man did as Joseph said, and he brought the men into Joseph’s house.
But the men were frightened at being brought into Joseph’s house. “It must be,” they thought, “because of the money replaced in our bags the first time that we have been brought inside, as a pretext to attack us and seize us as slaves, with our pack animals.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
וייראו
233
האנשים
406
כי
30
הובאו
20
בית
412
יוסף
156
ויאמרו
263
עלדבר
306
הכסף
165
השב
307
באמתחתינו
917
בתחלה
445
אנחנו
115
מובאים
99
להתגלל
498
עלינו
166
ולהתנפל
601
עלינו
166
ולקחת
544
אתנו
457
לעבדים
156
ואתחמרינו
721
Genesis 43:19
Gematria: 3021
ויגשואלהאישאשרעלביתיוסףוידברואליופתחהבית
So they went up to Joseph’s house steward and spoke to him at the entrance of the house.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויגשו
325
אלהאיש
347
אשר
501
עלבית
512
יוסף
156
וידברו
228
אליו
47
פתח
488
הבית
417
Genesis 43:20
Gematria: 1852
ויאמרוביאדניירדירדנובתחלהלשבראכל
“If you please, my lord,” they said, “we came down once before to procure food.
But when we arrived at the night encampment and opened our bags, there was each one’s money in the mouth of his bag, our money in full. ” So we have brought it back with us.
He replied, “All is well with you; do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father’s [house], must have put treasure in your bags for you. I got your payment.” And he brought out Simeon to them.
Looking about, he saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and asked, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he went on, “May God be gracious to you, my boy.”
They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; for the Egyptians could not dine with the Hebrews, since that would be abhorrent to the Egyptians.
As they were seated by his direction, from the oldest in the order of his seniority to the youngest in the order of his youth, the men looked at one another in astonishment.