The Meaning of Genesis 37:14 Explained

Genesis 37:14

KJV: And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

YLT: and he saith to him, 'Go, I pray thee, see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock, and bring me back word;' and he sendeth him from the valley of Hebron, and he cometh to Shechem.

Darby: And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see after the welfare of thy brethren, and after the welfare of the flock; and bring me word again. And he sent him out of the vale of Hebron; and he came towards Shechem.

ASV: And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  to him, Go,  I pray thee, see  whether it be well  with thy brethren,  and well  with the flocks;  and bring  me word  again.  So he sent  him out of the vale  of Hebron,  and he came  to Shechem. 

What does Genesis 37:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 37:12-24 - Joseph's Brothers Plot His Death
Throughout Joseph was a very remarkable type of our Lord. There was, first, this mission of the beloved son to inquire after the well-being of his brethren, which reminds us so vividly of the advent of God's Beloved and Only Begotten Son, who brought us the Father's greeting, and came to see and know by personal inquiry how we fared. Dothan was in the northern portion of the land, and the journey must have taken time and strength; but he persisted until he found them, and came where they were. Their plot against their helpless brother was as the plot of Caiaphas and the rest against our Lord. Pilate knew that for envy they had delivered him into his hands. The pit was one of those rock-hewn cisterns that abound in Palestine, and as there was no water in it Joseph's life was not sacrificed; and there he awaited what was a kind of resurrection. The scene at the pit's mouth was recalled by Joseph in Genesis 42:9; and was never forgotten by the others, Genesis 42:21-22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 37

1  Joseph is loved by Jacob, but hated by his brothers
5  His dreams and the interpretation
12  Jacob sends him to his brothers, who counsel to slay him
21  At Reuben's desire they cast him into a pit;
25  and afterwards sell him to the Ishmaelites;
29  while Ruben grieves at not finding him
31  His coat, covered with blood, is sent to Jacob, who mourns him inordinately
36  Joseph is brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar

What do the individual words in Genesis 37:14 mean?

And he said to him go please and see - if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks and bring back to me word So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron and he went to Shechem
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־ נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־ שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־ שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֗וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לֶךְ־  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
נָ֨א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
רְאֵ֜ה  and  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁל֤וֹם  if  it  is  well  with 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
אַחֶ֙יךָ֙  your  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
שְׁל֣וֹם  well  with 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
הַצֹּ֔אן  the  flocks 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי  and  bring  back  to  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
דָּבָ֑ר  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙  So  he  sent  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מֵעֵ֣מֶק  out  of  the  Valley 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
חֶבְר֔וֹן  of  Hebron 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶבְרֹון 
Sense: a city in south Judah approx 20 south of Jerusalem and approx 20 miles (30 km) north of Beersheba and near where Abraham built an altar.
וַיָּבֹ֖א  and  he  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
שְׁכֶֽמָה  to  Shechem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.