The Meaning of Genesis 43:8 Explained

Genesis 43:8

KJV: And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

YLT: And Judah saith unto Israel his father, 'Send the youth with me, and we arise, and go, and live, and do not die, both we, and thou, and our infants.

Darby: And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we and thou and our little ones.

ASV: And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Judah  said  unto Israel  his father,  Send  the lad  with me, and we will arise  and go;  that we may live,  and not die,  both we, and thou, [and] also our little ones. 

What does Genesis 43:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 43:1-15 - The Brothers Return With Benjamin
Joseph, in giving corn to save his own brethren and the Egyptians from starvation, is a type of our Lord, who gives the bread of life to Jew and Gentile-to all that come to Him in their hopeless need. And in this return of the full money in the sacks we are reminded that salvation is without money and without price. Whatever we bring to enrich Christ He returns to us. His gifts are all of His unmerited grace and favor. Very often we move forward with dread into the unknown; but that dread is the child of ignorance. If only we realized that love is waiting for us there, which does not ask for balm and honey, for spices and myrrh, but just for ourselves, how much happier life would become! Lift up your hearts; a feast awaits you! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 43

1  Jacob is persuaded to send Benjamin
15  Joseph entertains his brothers
19  They discover their fears to the steward
26  Joseph makes them a feast

What do the individual words in Genesis 43:8 mean?

and said Judah to Israel his father Send the boy with me and we will arise and go that we may live and not die both we and you [and] also our little ones
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוּדָ֜ה אֶל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָבִ֗יו שִׁלְחָ֥ה הַנַּ֛עַר אִתִּ֖י וְנָק֣וּמָה וְנֵלֵ֑כָה וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א נָמ֔וּת גַּם־ אֲנַ֥חְנוּ גַם־ אַתָּ֖ה גַּם־ טַפֵּֽנוּ

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוּדָ֜ה  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אָבִ֗יו  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
שִׁלְחָ֥ה  Send 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַנַּ֛עַר  the  boy 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
אִתִּ֖י  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
וְנָק֣וּמָה  and  we  will  arise 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וְנֵלֵ֑כָה  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְנִֽחְיֶה֙  that  we  may  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נָמ֔וּת  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
גַּם־  both 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
גַּם־  [and]  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
טַפֵּֽנוּ  our  little  ones 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: טַף 
Sense: children, little children, little ones.