Briefly, this verse shows that Jacob’s family had to trust God, trust one another, and risk letting go of their own security in order to find the relief and redemption they desperately needed.
But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, “You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.” (v.5) This verse is spoken by Judah, one of Jacob’s sons, as he explains to their father that they have no choice but to bring their youngest brother Benjamin on their next trip to Egypt. At this point in history (around the early 1800s BC), the sons of Jacob have already traveled once from Canaan to Egypt to buy grain because there was a severe famine in the land. Unknown to them, the Egyptian official who demanded they bring their youngest brother was actually their own brother Joseph, whom they had sold into slavery many years earlier. Joseph, now second-in-command in Egypt, used his power and the crisis of famine to test the hearts of his brothers and see if they had changed (Acts 7:9 speaks to how Joseph’s brothers became jealous and sold him into Egypt).
In Canaan, Jacob balked at sending Benjamin to Egypt because Benjamin was the only remaining son of his beloved wife Rachel (Genesis 35:24). In response, Judah firmly repeated the Egyptian official’s warning, “You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.” (v.5). Egypt was located southwest of Canaan, thriving on the waters of the Nile and abundant farmlands. In the days of Joseph, it had become a regional powerhouse, distributing grain to surrounding nations devastated by famine. For Jacob’s family to survive, they had to comply with the official’s orders, which meant trusting God and each other enough to release Benjamin from Jacob’s overprotective grasp.
But if you do not send him, we will not go down also highlights the necessity of unity and trust among Jacob’s sons. Judah had learned humility from painful past mistakes, including his part in selling Joseph (Genesis 37:26-28). By taking responsibility for Benjamin, Judah demonstrated a significant change of character (Genesis 43:8-9), reflecting a willingness to sacrifice himself for his brother.
Their resolve to take Benjamin to Egypt displays how God often uses hardships to test hearts and transform relationships.
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Genesis 43:5 meaning
But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, “You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.” (v.5) This verse is spoken by Judah, one of Jacob’s sons, as he explains to their father that they have no choice but to bring their youngest brother Benjamin on their next trip to Egypt. At this point in history (around the early 1800s BC), the sons of Jacob have already traveled once from Canaan to Egypt to buy grain because there was a severe famine in the land. Unknown to them, the Egyptian official who demanded they bring their youngest brother was actually their own brother Joseph, whom they had sold into slavery many years earlier. Joseph, now second-in-command in Egypt, used his power and the crisis of famine to test the hearts of his brothers and see if they had changed (Acts 7:9 speaks to how Joseph’s brothers became jealous and sold him into Egypt).
In Canaan, Jacob balked at sending Benjamin to Egypt because Benjamin was the only remaining son of his beloved wife Rachel (Genesis 35:24). In response, Judah firmly repeated the Egyptian official’s warning, “You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.” (v.5). Egypt was located southwest of Canaan, thriving on the waters of the Nile and abundant farmlands. In the days of Joseph, it had become a regional powerhouse, distributing grain to surrounding nations devastated by famine. For Jacob’s family to survive, they had to comply with the official’s orders, which meant trusting God and each other enough to release Benjamin from Jacob’s overprotective grasp.
But if you do not send him, we will not go down also highlights the necessity of unity and trust among Jacob’s sons. Judah had learned humility from painful past mistakes, including his part in selling Joseph (Genesis 37:26-28). By taking responsibility for Benjamin, Judah demonstrated a significant change of character (Genesis 43:8-9), reflecting a willingness to sacrifice himself for his brother.
Their resolve to take Benjamin to Egypt displays how God often uses hardships to test hearts and transform relationships.