Genesis 42:38

But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jacob responds to Reuben’s pledge to guarantee Benjamin’s safe return from Egypt. This exchange occurs during the brothers’ second grain procurement journey while Jacob believes Joseph is dead.

The words — The Hebrew phrase לֹא יֵרֵד בְּנִי עִמָּכֶם (lo’ yērēd bənî ‘immākem) literally renders “my son will not go down with you.” It is grounded by כִּי אָחִיו מֵת (kî ’āḥîw mēt), meaning “for his brother is dead.”

The thread — Jacob’s refusal to release Benjamin directly parallels his earlier refusal to be comforted over Joseph (Genesis 37:35). His stated fear of losing another son matches the explicit reason given in Genesis 42:4 for keeping Benjamin home.

Why it lands — The text records a father’s concrete condition for releasing a surviving son: any harm to the boy will return Jacob’s own life to Sheol in sorrow. It forces the reader to weigh the weight of a single remaining life against the demand of a journey.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Cross-references

Genesis 37:35 All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
Genesis 37:33 His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
Genesis 42:4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
Genesis 42:13 But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
Genesis 35:16 Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.
Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,
Genesis 44:20 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.’
Genesis 44:27 And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
1 Kings 2:6 So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
Psalms 71:18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.