Genesis 42:38
New International Version
But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”

New Living Translation
But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.”

English Standard Version
But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

Berean Standard Bible
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.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”

New American Standard Bible
But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

NASB 1995
But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

NASB 1977
But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone remains. If harm should befall him on the journey on which you are going, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Amplified Bible
But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down [to Egypt] with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left [of Rachel’s children]. If any harm or accident should happen to him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in sorrow.”

Christian Standard Bible
But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

American Standard Version
And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left: if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said, “My son will not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and he alone is left to his mother, and calamity will come to him on the road that you will travel, and my old age will go down in misery to Sheol.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But he said, My son shall not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and he only has been left; and suppose it shall come to pass that he is afflicted by the way by which ye go, then ye shall bring down my old age with sorrow to Hades.

Contemporary English Version
But Jacob said, "I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame."

Douay-Rheims Bible
But he said: My son shall not go down with you: his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if any mischief befall him in the land to which you go, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to hell.

English Revised Version
And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left: 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jacob replied, "My son will not go with you. His brother is dead, and he's the only one left. If any harm comes to him on the trip you're taking, the grief would drive this gray-haired old man to his grave!"

Good News Translation
But Jacob said, "My son cannot go with you; his brother is dead, and he is the only one left. Something might happen to him on the way. I am an old man, and the sorrow you would cause me would kill me."

International Standard Version
But Jacob replied, "My son isn't going back with you, since his brother is dead and he's the only one left. If something should harm him as you travel, then it'll be death for me and my sad, gray hair!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Literal Standard Version
and he says, “My son does not go down with you, for his brother [is] dead, and he by himself is left; when harm has met him in the way in which you go, then you have brought down my grey hairs in sorrow to Sheol.”

Majority Standard Bible
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.”

New American Bible
But Jacob replied: “My son shall not go down with you. Now that his brother is dead, he is the only one left. If some disaster should befall him on the journey you must make, you would send my white head down to Sheol in grief.”

NET Bible
But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair in sorrow to the grave."

New Revised Standard Version
But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should come to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

New Heart English Bible
But he said, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."

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

World English Bible
He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”

Young's Literal Translation
and he saith, 'My son doth not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he by himself is left; when mischief hath met him in the way in which ye go, then ye have brought down my grey hairs in sorrow to sheol.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan
37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.” 38But 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.”

Cross References
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 37:34
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

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 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 42:37
Then Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him."

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.'


Treasury of Scripture

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 you go, then shall you bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

his brother.

Genesis 42:13
And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

Genesis 30:22-24
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb…

Genesis 35:16-18
And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour…

if mischief.

Genesis 42:4
But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

Genesis 44:29
And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

bring.

Genesis 37:35
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

Genesis 44:29,31
And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave…

1 Kings 2:6
Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

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Alone Befall Dead Evil Grave Gray Grey Hair Hairs Happens Harm Jacob Journey Met Mischief Sheol Sorrow Underworld Way
Genesis 42
1. Jacob sends his ten sons to buy grain in Egypt.
16. They are imprisoned by Joseph as spies.
18. They are set at liberty, on condition to bring Benjamin.
21. They have remorse for Joseph.
24. Simeon is kept for a pledge.
25. They return with grain, and their money.
29. Their relation to Jacob.
36. Jacob refuses to send Benjamin.














(38) Then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.--Heb., to Sheol (See Note on Genesis 37:35). Jacob, both here and in Genesis 47:9, speaks as one on whom sorrow had pressed very heavily. Always of a timid and affection Ate disposition, he looks onward now without hope, and sees in the future only dangers and ill-fortune. Probably by this time he had lost Leah as well as Rachel, but the blow that had struck him utterly down had evidently been the loss of Joseph, in whom Rachel had still seemed to live on for him. And therefore now he clung the more warmly to Benjamin, and it is plain that the father's deep sorrow for the loss of the petted son had softened the hearts of his brethren. They have no grudge against Benjamin because he has taken Joseph's place, but rather seem to share in their father's feelings, and their hearts were in accordance with what Judah says in Genesis 44:18-34, that any personal suffering would be cheerfully borne by them, rather than to have to undergo the sight of the repetition of such grief as they previously had themselves inflicted.

Verse 38. - And he (i.e. Jacob) said, My son shall not go down with you; - not because he could not trust Reuben after the sin described in Genesis 35:22 (Wordsworth), or because he could not assent to Reuben's proposal (Ainsworth), but because of what is next stated - for his brother (i.e. by the same mother, viz., Joseph) is dead (cf. ver. 13; 37:33; 44:28), and he is left alone: - i.e. he alone (of Rachel's children) is left as a survivor - if mischief befall him (literally, and mischief shall befall him) by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye (literally, and ye shall) bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave - Sheol (cf. Genesis 37:35).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But Jacob replied,
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“My son
בְּנִ֖י (bə·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son

will not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

go down there
יֵרֵ֥ד (yê·rêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

with you,
עִמָּכֶ֑ם (‘im·mā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

his brother
אָחִ֨יו (’ā·ḥîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

is dead,
מֵ֜ת (mêṯ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

and he
וְה֧וּא (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

alone
לְבַדּ֣וֹ (lə·ḇad·dōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 905: Separation, a part of the body, branch of a, tree, bar for, carrying, chief of

is left.
נִשְׁאָ֗ר (niš·’ār)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7604: To swell up, be, redundant

If any harm comes
וּקְרָאָ֤הוּ (ū·qə·rā·’ā·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7122: To encounter, befall

to him on your
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

journey,
בַּדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ (bad·de·reḵ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

you will bring my gray hairs
שֵׂיבָתִ֛י (śê·ḇā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7872: Hoary head, old age

down
וְהוֹרַדְתֶּ֧ם (wə·hō·w·raḏ·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

to Sheol
שְׁאֽוֹלָה׃ (šə·’ō·w·lāh)
Noun - common singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7585: Underworld (place to which people descend at death)

in sorrow.”
בְּיָג֖וֹן (bə·yā·ḡō·wn)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3015: Grief, sorrow


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OT Law: Genesis 42:38 He said My son shall not go (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 42:37
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