THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
He urges me to place my trust in him so that we can begin our journey; otherwise, we are left without hope for salvation, as our provisions are depleted and we will find sustenance nowhere else.
Genesis 43:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוּדָ֜ה אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָבִ֗יו שִׁלְחָ֥ה הַנַּ֛עַר אִתִּ֖י וְנָק֣וּמָה וְנֵלֵ֑כָה וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א נָמ֔וּת גַּם־אֲנַ֥חְנוּ גַם־אַתָּ֖ה גַּם־טַפֵּֽנוּ׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Ephraem the Syrian
As their supply of bread dwindled and the entire household began to feel the pangs of hunger, the brothers approached Jacob, pleading, "Show mercy towards Simeon for the sake of his children, and consent to refrain from seeing your youngest son for a few days out of consideration for Simeon's wife, who is now left without her husband."
Philaret of Moscow (Drosdow)
Allow the young man to depart. At that period, Benjamin was roughly 20 years of age. However, in the Hebrew idiom, this age is typically referred to as that of a youth (3 Sam. 3:7).
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Gen 42:2I have heard that wheat is sold in Egypt: Go ye down, and buy us necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want.
- Deut 33:6Let Ruben live, and not die, and be he small in number.
- Ezra 8:21And I proclaimed there a fast by the river Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before the Lord our God, and might ask of him a right way for us and for our children, and for all our substance.
- Gen 50:21Fear not: I will feed you and your children. And he comforted them, and spoke gently and mildly.
- Gen 45:19Give orders also that they take wagons out of the land of Egypt, for the carriage of their children and their wives; and say: Take up your father, and make haste to come with all speed:
- Gen 44:26And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man's face.
- Num 14:31But your children, of whom you said, that they should be a prey to the enemies, will I bring in: that they may see the land which you have despised.
- Ps 118 (117):17