Bible Strands
Genesis 44:19
My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Judah addresses Joseph, recounting the earlier interrogation Joseph conducted with their family in Egypt.
The words — The text highlights אֲדֹנִ֣י ('a.do.N/i) meaning "my lord" and שָׁאַ֔ל (sha.'Al) meaning "he asked," which frame Joseph’s specific inquiry about their lineage.
The thread — This interrogation motif appears in Genesis 43:7 where Joseph questions their family, Genesis 42:7 where he treats his brothers as strangers, and Genesis 43:29 where he specifically inquires about Benjamin.
Why it lands — The text records Joseph’s direct questions about their father and brother before revealing how those questions pressure the brothers to confront their family ties and hidden guilt.
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
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
Cross-references
- Genesis 43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
- Genesis 42:7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
- Genesis 43:29 When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”