Briefly stated, Genesis 44:20 highlights Judah’s earnest appeal for Benjamin’s well-being by showing how dear he was to their father Jacob.
So we said to my lord, “We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.” (Genesis 44:20)
This verse captures a pivotal moment in the story of Joseph, who likely lived between roughly 1915 and 1805 BC, and his brothers in Egypt. Spoken by Judah on behalf of all the brothers, the statement reveals the deep concern they have for their father Jacob (also called Israel) and for the youngest son Benjamin. Jacob was well advanced in age at this point, and the reference to the “little child of his old age” signals that Benjamin was the cherished son of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel. Joseph, presumed dead by the family, was the other son of Rachel, making Benjamin the only remaining child from that specific maternal line.
By referring to Benjamin as the sole surviving son of that mother, and one whom “his father loves,” the brothers stress how devastating it would be for Jacob to lose Benjamin—a foreshadowing of just how closely Jacob’s well-being is tied to Benjamin’s safety. This dynamic explains why Judah pleads so passionately: returning to their father without Benjamin would break the old man’s heart. Their desperation also underscores the sincerity of their remorse regarding their earlier mistreatment of Joseph, now unwittingly standing before them as a powerful Egyptian ruler.
The special affection Jacob felt for Benjamin appears elsewhere in Scripture; centuries later, Moses’s blessing over Benjamin describes him as “the beloved of the LORD” in a manner reminiscent of Jacob’s own tender love for his youngest (Deuteronomy 33:12). Early Jewish tradition likewise recognizes that Benjamin’s position as the “child of old age” made him both privileged and vulnerable, an echo of Jacob’s great affection for him.Benjamin, precious and prized, represented Jacob’s hope that a remnant of Rachel’s line might remain intact.
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Genesis 44:20 meaning
So we said to my lord, “We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.” (Genesis 44:20)
This verse captures a pivotal moment in the story of Joseph, who likely lived between roughly 1915 and 1805 BC, and his brothers in Egypt. Spoken by Judah on behalf of all the brothers, the statement reveals the deep concern they have for their father Jacob (also called Israel) and for the youngest son Benjamin. Jacob was well advanced in age at this point, and the reference to the “little child of his old age” signals that Benjamin was the cherished son of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel. Joseph, presumed dead by the family, was the other son of Rachel, making Benjamin the only remaining child from that specific maternal line.
By referring to Benjamin as the sole surviving son of that mother, and one whom “his father loves,” the brothers stress how devastating it would be for Jacob to lose Benjamin—a foreshadowing of just how closely Jacob’s well-being is tied to Benjamin’s safety. This dynamic explains why Judah pleads so passionately: returning to their father without Benjamin would break the old man’s heart. Their desperation also underscores the sincerity of their remorse regarding their earlier mistreatment of Joseph, now unwittingly standing before them as a powerful Egyptian ruler.
The special affection Jacob felt for Benjamin appears elsewhere in Scripture; centuries later, Moses’s blessing over Benjamin describes him as “the beloved of the LORD” in a manner reminiscent of Jacob’s own tender love for his youngest (Deuteronomy 33:12). Early Jewish tradition likewise recognizes that Benjamin’s position as the “child of old age” made him both privileged and vulnerable, an echo of Jacob’s great affection for him.Benjamin, precious and prized, represented Jacob’s hope that a remnant of Rachel’s line might remain intact.