Bible/Genesis/43

Genesis 43:11

43:10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. this: or, twice by this
And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

KJV

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Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this. Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;

And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

And their father Israel said to them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

43:12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

What does Genesis 43:11 mean?

Genesis 43:11 is a verse in the book of Genesis, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include אָב (ʼâb), יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrâʼêl), אָמַר (ʼâmar). It connects to 28 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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And
their
fatherאָבʼâb/awb/H1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
IsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêl/yis-raw-ale'/H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
saidאָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/H559to say (used with great latitude)
unto
them,
If
it
must
be
so
now,אֵפוֹʼêphôw/ay-fo'/H645strictly a demonstrative particle, here; but used of time, now or then
doעָשָׂהʻâsâh/aw-saw'/H6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
this;
takeלָקַחlâqach/law-kakh'/H3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)
of
the
best
fruitsזִמְרָהzimrâh/zim-raw'/H2173pruned (i.e. choice) fruit
in
the
landאֶרֶץʼerets/eh'-rets/H776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
in
your
vessels,כְּלִיkᵉlîy/kel-ee'/H3627something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon)
and
carry
downיָרַדyârad/yaw-rad'/H3381to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications)
the
manאִישׁʼîysh/eesh/H376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
a
present,מִנְחָהminchâh/min-khaw'/H4503a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary)
a
littleמְעַטmᵉʻaṭ/meh-at'/H4592a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)
balm,צְרִיtsᵉrîy/tser-ee'/H6875distillation, i.e. balsam
and
a
littleמְעַטmᵉʻaṭ/meh-at'/H4592a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)
honey,דְּבַשׁdᵉbash/deb-ash'/H1706honey (from its stickiness); by analogy, syrup
spices,נְכֹאתnᵉkôʼth/nek-ohth'/H5219properly, a smiting, i.e. (concretely) an aromatic gum (perhaps styrax) (as powdered)
and
myrrh,לֹטlôṭ/lote/H3910a gum (from its sticky nature), probably ladanum
nuts,בֹּטֶןbôṭen/bo'-ten/H992(only in plural) a pistachio-nut (from its form)
and
almonds:שָׁקֵדshâqêd/shaw-kade'/H8247the almond (tree or nut; as being the earliest in bloom)

Commentary on Genesis 43:11

HENRY_FULL · Genesis 43:3–12
d. 3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 5 But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? 8 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. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: 10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. Here, 1. Jacob urges his sons to go and buy more corn in Egypt, v. 1, 2 . The famine continued; and the corn they had bought was all spent, for it is meat that perisheth. Jacob, as a good master of a family, is in care to provide for those of his own house food convenient; and shall not God provide for his children, for the household of faith? Jacob bids them go again and buy a little food; now, in time of scarcity, a little must suffice, for nature is content with a little. 2. Judah urges him to consent that Benjamin should go down with them, how much soever it went against his feelings and previous determination. Note, It is not at all inconsistent with the honour and duty which children owe their parents humbly and modestly to advise them, and, as occasion is, to reason with them. Plead with your mother, plead, Hos. ii. 2 . (1.) He insists upon the absolute necessity they were under of bringing Benjamin with them, of which he, who was a witness to all that had passed in Egypt, was a more competent judge than Jacob could be. Joseph's protestation ( v. 3 ) may be alluded to to show upon what terms we must draw nigh to God; unless we bring Christ along with us in the arms of our faith, we cannot see the face of God with comfort. (2.) He engages to take all possible care of him, and to do his utmost for his safety, v. 8, 9 . Judah's conscience had lately smitten him for what he had done a great while ago against Joseph ( ch. xlii. 21 ); and, as an evidence of the truth of his repentance, he is ready to undertake, as far as a man could do it, for Benjamin's security. He will not only not wrong him, but will do all he can to protect him. This is restitution, as far as the case will admit; when he knew not how he could restore Joseph, he would make some amends for the irreparable injury he had done him by doubling his care concerning Benjamin. Joseph's Brethren Again Sent to Egypt. ( b. c. 1707.) 11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almon

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Genesis 32:13

And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

Genesis 33:10

And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

Genesis 37:25

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

Genesis 43:14

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. If: or, And I, as I have been, etc.

Leviticus 20:24

But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.

Deuteronomy 33:14

And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, put: Heb. thrust moon: Heb. moons

1 Samuel 9:7

Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? is spent: Heb. is gone out of, etc have we: Heb. is with us?

1 Samuel 25:27

And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. blessing: or, present follow: Heb. walk at the feet of, etc

1 Kings 4:21

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

1 Kings 10:151 Kings 10:251 Kings 15:192 Kings 8:82 Kings 16:82 Kings 20:12Esther 4:16Proverbs 17:18Proverbs 18:16Proverbs 19:6Proverbs 21:14Song of Solomon 4:10Song of Solomon 4:14Song of Solomon 5:1Song of Solomon 8:14Jeremiah 8:22Ezekiel 27:15Ezekiel 27:17Acts 21:14

Topics

Almond TreeJacobMyrrhPresentsSpicesTrees

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Genesis 43:11.

1 Samuel 11:7

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. with: Heb. as one man

1 Samuel 12:6

And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. advanced: or, made

1 Samuel 13:19

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

1 Samuel 14:45

And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

1 Samuel 17:17

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

1 Samuel 17:25

And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

1 Samuel 17:26

And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

1 Samuel 17:27

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

Frequently asked questions

What does Genesis 43:11 say?

Genesis 43:11 (King James Version) reads: "And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:"

Is Genesis 43:11 in the Old or New Testament?

Genesis 43:11 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Genesis.

Who wrote the book of Genesis?

The book of Genesis is traditionally attributed to Moses.

Reflect

As you read Genesis 43:11, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

Plan a sermon or study on Genesis 43:11
43:10Read all of Genesis 4343:12