Genesis 42:38
But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow."
But Jacob replied
Jacob, also known as Israel, is the patriarch of the Israelite tribes. His response here is significant as it reflects his protective nature and deep concern for his family. This moment occurs during a severe famine, highlighting the dire circumstances that have led his sons to seek grain in Egypt.

“My son will not go down there with you
Jacob refers to Benjamin, his youngest son, whom he is reluctant to send to Egypt. This reflects Jacob's fear of losing another beloved son, as he believes Joseph, Benjamin's full brother, is dead. The phrase "go down" is geographically accurate, as Canaan is at a higher elevation than Egypt.

for his brother is dead
Jacob believes Joseph, Benjamin's brother, is dead, having been deceived by his other sons who sold Joseph into slavery. This belief has shaped Jacob's protective attitude towards Benjamin, as Joseph and Benjamin were the only sons of his favored wife, Rachel.

and he alone is left
Jacob's statement underscores his perception that Benjamin is the last remaining link to Rachel. This highlights the familial tensions and favoritism that have been a recurring theme in Jacob's life, affecting his relationships with his other sons.

If any harm comes to him on your journey
Jacob's fear for Benjamin's safety is palpable. The journey to Egypt was fraught with potential dangers, including bandits and the harsh desert environment. This concern reflects the broader biblical theme of the vulnerability of God's people in a fallen world.

you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”
"Gray hair" symbolizes old age and wisdom, but here it also conveys Jacob's vulnerability and the depth of his grief. "Sheol" is the Hebrew term for the grave or the abode of the dead, indicating that Jacob believes the loss of Benjamin would lead to his own death from sorrow. This phrase captures the profound emotional weight of familial loss and the hope for redemption and restoration, themes that resonate throughout the biblical narrative.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jacob (Israel)
The patriarch of the Israelite tribes, father of Joseph and Benjamin. In Genesis 42:38, he is deeply concerned about the safety of his youngest son, Benjamin, after losing Joseph, whom he believes to be dead.

2. Benjamin
The youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, and Joseph's only full brother. Jacob is protective of him, fearing for his life if he were to travel to Egypt.

3. Joseph
Although not directly mentioned in this verse, Joseph is the governor of Egypt and the brother whom Jacob believes is dead. His presence looms over the account as his brothers have gone to Egypt to buy grain.

4. Egypt
The land where Joseph has risen to power and where Jacob's sons have gone to buy grain during the famine.

5. Famine
A severe famine has struck the land, forcing Jacob's sons to travel to Egypt for food, setting the stage for the unfolding drama.
Teaching Points
Parental Protection and Fear
Jacob's fear for Benjamin's safety reflects a parent's natural instinct to protect their children. This can remind us of God's protective nature over His children.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Despite Jacob's fear and grief, the account of Joseph shows that God is sovereign and can bring good out of difficult circumstances.

The Cost of Favoritism
Jacob's favoritism towards Joseph and Benjamin causes tension and division within the family, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of favoritism.

Faith in Times of Famine
The physical famine in the account can be a metaphor for spiritual famine, encouraging believers to seek God as their source of sustenance and hope.

The Role of Sacrifice
Judah's later willingness to sacrifice himself for Benjamin foreshadows Christ's ultimate sacrifice, teaching us about selflessness and redemption.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jacob's fear for Benjamin's safety reflect our own struggles with trusting God in difficult situations?

2. In what ways can the account of Joseph and his brothers encourage us to see God's hand at work in our own lives, even when circumstances seem dire?

3. How can we guard against favoritism in our relationships, and what steps can we take to promote unity and love within our families and communities?

4. What are some "famines" (spiritual, emotional, or physical) you are currently facing, and how can you seek God's provision and guidance during these times?

5. How does Judah's willingness to sacrifice himself for Benjamin point us to the sacrificial love of Christ, and how can we emulate this selflessness in our daily lives?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 37
The account of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers, which is the root of Jacob's fear and grief over losing another son.

Genesis 44
The continuation of the account where Judah offers himself as a substitute for Benjamin, highlighting themes of sacrifice and redemption.

Psalm 34:18
This verse speaks to God's closeness to the brokenhearted, which can be related to Jacob's deep sorrow and fear.

Romans 8:28
This verse assures believers that God works all things for good, a theme that is evident in the overarching account of Joseph and his family.
A Faithless ExclamationG. Lawson, D. D.Genesis 42:38
Graceless ChildrenG. Lawson, D. D.Genesis 42:38
God's Trials of His PeopleR.A. Redford Genesis 42
People
Benjamin, Jacob, Joseph, Pharaoh, Reuben, Simeon
Places
Canaan, Egypt
Topics
Alone, Along, Befall, Bring, Brother, Dead, Evil, Grave, Gray, Grey, Hair, Hairs, Happens, Harm, Jacob, Journey, Met, Mischief, Overtakes, Sheol, Sorrow, Taking, Underworld
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 42:38

     5796   bereavement, experience
     5970   unhappiness
     8300   love, and the world
     9040   grave, the

Library
Corn in Egypt
Now, there are very few minds that can make parables. The fact is, I do not know of but one good allegory in the English language, and that is, the "Pilgrim's Progress in Parables, pictures, and analogies are not so easy as some think; most men can understand them, but few can create them. Happy for us who are ministers of Christ, we have no great trouble about this matter; we have not to make parables; they are made for us. I believe that Old Testament history has for one of its designs the furnishing
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

Touching Jacob, However, that which He did at his Mother's Bidding...
24. Touching Jacob, however, that which he did at his mother's bidding, so as to seem to deceive his father, if with diligence and in faith it be attended to, is no lie, but a mystery. The which if we shall call lies, all parables also, and figures designed for the signifying of any things soever, which are not to be taken according to their proper meaning, but in them is one thing to be understood from another, shall be said to be lies: which be far from us altogether. For he who thinks this, may
St. Augustine—Against Lying

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8.
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Spiritual Hunger Shall be Satisfied
They shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 I proceed now to the second part of the text. A promise annexed. They shall be filled'. A Christian fighting with sin is not like one that beats the air' (1 Corinthians 9:26), and his hungering after righteousness is not like one that sucks in only air, Blessed are they that hunger, for they shall be filled.' Those that hunger after righteousness shall be filled. God never bids us seek him in vain' (Isaiah 45:19). Here is an honeycomb dropping into the mouths of
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Letter Xliv Concerning the Maccabees but to whom Written is Unknown.
Concerning the Maccabees But to Whom Written is Unknown. [69] He relies to the question why the Church has decreed a festival to the Maccabees alone of all the righteous under the ancient law. 1. Fulk, Abbot of Epernay, had already written to ask me the same question as your charity has addressed to your humble servant by Brother Hescelin. I have put off replying to him, being desirous to find, if possible, some statement in the Fathers about this which was asked, which I might send to him, rather
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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