Bible Strands
Genesis 43:13
Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jacob commands his sons to take Benjamin and return immediately to the Egyptian official. This instruction follows the brothers' discovery of their returned silver and precedes their departure for Egypt.
The words — The Hebrew imperative קָ֑חוּ (qāḥû) translates literally to "take," while שׁ֥וּבוּ (šûḇû) means "return." These verbs function as parallel commands stressing urgency and the inclusion of Benjamin.
The thread — This directive directly counters Jacob's earlier stance in Genesis 42:38, where he refused to let Benjamin leave. The brothers now act against that prior prohibition to secure grain and preserve the family line.
Why it lands — The text explicitly orders the brothers to bring Benjamin and go back without delay. It requires readers to acknowledge that survival sometimes demands acting against established protective boundaries.
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
Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
Cross-references
- 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.”