Genesis 43:9
New International Version
I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.

New Living Translation
I personally guarantee his safety. You may hold me responsible if I don’t bring him back to you. Then let me bear the blame forever.

English Standard Version
I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

Berean Standard Bible
I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.

King James Bible
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:

New King James Version
I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

New American Standard Bible
I myself will take responsibility for him! You may demand him back from me. If I do not bring him back to you and present him to you, then you can let me take the blame forever.

NASB 1995
“I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.

NASB 1977
“I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.

Legacy Standard Bible
I myself will be the guarantee for him; from my hand you may require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then I shall bear the sin before you all my days.

Amplified Bible
I will be security (a guarantee) for him; you may hold me [personally] responsible for him. If I do not bring him [back] to you and place him [safely] before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever.

Christian Standard Bible
I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever.

American Standard Version
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:

Contemporary English Version
I promise to bring him back safely, and if I don't, you can blame me as long as I live.

English Revised Version
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:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I guarantee that he will come back. You can hold me responsible for him. If I don't bring him back to you and place him here in front of you, you can blame me the rest of my life.

Good News Translation
I will pledge my own life, and you can hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you safe and sound, I will always bear the blame.

International Standard Version
I'll even offer myself to guarantee that I'll be responsible for him. If I don't bring him back and present him to you, I'll personally bear the consequences forever.

Majority Standard Bible
I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.

NET Bible
I myself pledge security for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life.

New Heart English Bible
I will be collateral for him. You can hold me responsible for him. If I fail to bring him to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever,

Webster's Bible Translation
I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not to thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

World English Bible
I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I am guarantor [for] him, from my hand you require him; if I have not brought him to you, and set him before you—then I have sinned against you all the days;

Young's Literal Translation
I -- I am surety for him, from my hand thou dost require him; if I have not brought him in unto thee, and set him before thee -- then I have sinned against thee all the days;

Smith's Literal Translation
I will be surety for him; from my hand shalt thou seek him, if I brought him not to thee and set him before thee, I sinned before thee all the days.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for ever.

Catholic Public Domain Version
I accept the boy; require him at my hand. Unless I lead him back and restore him to you, I will be guilty of a sin against you for all time.

New American Bible
I myself will serve as a guarantee for him. You can hold me responsible for him. If I fail to bring him back and set him before you, I will bear the blame before you forever.

New Revised Standard Version
I myself will be surety for him; you can hold me accountable for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I will be surety for him; of my hands shall you require him; if I do not bring him back to you, and set him before you, then I shall be guilty before my father forever;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I pledge security for him from my hands; you may require it; if I do not bring him to you and set him before you, I shall be sinning against my father all my days
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I engage for him; at my hand do thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty toward thee for ever.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Return to Egypt with Benjamin
8And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children. 9I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life. 10If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”…

Cross References
Genesis 44:32
Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’

Genesis 42:37
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

1 Samuel 25:24
She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant.

1 Samuel 18:1
After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

2 Samuel 14:9
But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”

2 Samuel 22:3
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.

Proverbs 6:1-5
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger, / if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth, / then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor. ...

Proverbs 11:15
He who puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but the one who hates indebtedness is secure.

Proverbs 17:18
A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.

Proverbs 22:26
Do not be one who gives pledges, who puts up security for debts.

Isaiah 38:14
I chirp like a swallow or crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak as I look upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.”

Philemon 1:18-19
But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. / I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 9:3
For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,

Romans 5:7-8
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. / But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


Treasury of Scripture

I will be surety for him; of my hand shall you require him: if I bring him not to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame for ever:

will be.

Genesis 42:37
And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

Genesis 44:32,33
For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever…

1 Kings 1:21
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

of my hand.

Genesis 9:5
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

Genesis 31:39
That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

Ezekiel 3:18,20
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand…

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Genesis 43
1. Jacob is persuaded to send Benjamin.
15. Joseph entertains his brothers.
19. They discover their fears to the steward.
26. Joseph makes them a feast.














I will guarantee his safety
The Hebrew word for "guarantee" is "עָרַב" (arav), which conveys the idea of taking on a pledge or becoming a surety. In the ancient Near Eastern context, this was a serious commitment, often involving a legal or binding agreement. Judah's willingness to become a surety for Benjamin reflects a deep sense of responsibility and transformation from his earlier actions. This act of self-sacrifice prefigures the ultimate surety found in Christ, who guarantees our salvation.

you may hold me personally responsible
The phrase underscores Judah's acceptance of full accountability. The Hebrew root "בָּקַשׁ" (baqash) implies seeking or demanding something earnestly. Judah's offer to be held personally responsible is a profound moment of repentance and leadership. It highlights the biblical principle of personal accountability before God and others, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture, emphasizing the importance of integrity and responsibility in the believer's life.

If I do not bring him back
The conditional "if" introduces a solemn vow, reflecting the seriousness of Judah's promise. The Hebrew "שׁוּב" (shuv), meaning "to return" or "to bring back," is significant in biblical theology, often associated with repentance and restoration. Judah's commitment to bring Benjamin back safely is a pivotal moment in the narrative, symbolizing the hope of restoration and reconciliation within the family, and ultimately pointing to God's redemptive plan for humanity.

and set him before you
The act of setting someone before another implies presenting or restoring them to their rightful place. The Hebrew "נָצַב" (natsav) means to stand or place firmly. This phrase indicates Judah's intention to restore Benjamin to his father, Jacob, unharmed. It reflects the biblical theme of restoration and the believer's call to stand firm in faith, presenting themselves blameless before God.

then let me bear the guilt before you all my life
The concept of bearing guilt is deeply rooted in the Hebrew "חָטָא" (chata), meaning to sin or miss the mark. Judah's willingness to bear the guilt for life signifies a profound understanding of the weight of sin and the consequences of failing in his duty. This foreshadows the sacrificial work of Christ, who bore the guilt of humanity on the cross, offering eternal redemption. Judah's declaration is a powerful reminder of the gravity of sin and the need for a Savior who can bear our guilt and restore us to righteousness.

(9) Then let me bear the blame for ever.--This is much more manly and therefore more persuasive than Reuben's talk about pledging the lives of his children. For it was real, nor would it be a slight matter to stand in his father's presence all the rest of his life as one guilty of a grievous crime.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I
אָֽנֹכִי֙ (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

will guarantee his safety.
אֶֽעֶרְבֶ֔נּוּ (’e·‘er·ḇen·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6148: To braid, intermix, technically, to traffic, give to be security

You may hold me
תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑נּוּ (tə·ḇaq·šen·nū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

personally responsible!
מִיָּדִ֖י (mî·yā·ḏî)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I do not
לֹ֨א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

bring him back
הֲבִיאֹתִ֤יו (hă·ḇî·’ō·ṯîw)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

and set
וְהִצַּגְתִּ֣יו (wə·hiṣ·ṣaḡ·tîw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3322: To place permanently

him before you,
לְפָנֶ֔יךָ (lə·p̄ā·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

then let me
לְךָ֖ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

bear the guilt before you
וְחָטָ֥אתִֽי (wə·ḥā·ṭā·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

all my life.
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every


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OT Law: Genesis 43:9 I'll be collateral for him (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 43:8
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