Genesis 42:4
You know, Joseph had one other brother too. His name was Benjamin. Joseph and Benjamin had the same father and mother. Their father Jacob really loved Benjamin. So Jacob didn’t want Benjamin to go to Egypt with his brothers. He thought, “Benjamin might get hurt, or he might die.” So Benjamin stayed at home with his father.
Plain English Version
In The King James Version
In Context
Cross References
Genesis 35:16Jacob and his family left Bethel, and they started going towards the town called Efrath. At that time, Jacob’s wife Rachel had a baby growing inside her. And while they were still a long way from Efrath, the time came for Rachel to have her baby. A woman came to help Rachel have her baby, but Rachel had a lot of pain, and she had trouble having that baby. Then Rachel had her baby, but that pain was really bad. That woman said to her, “Don’t be frightened. You have another son.”
Genesis 43:14You know, God is the one that has power over everything. So I’m asking God to make that man feel sorry for you mob. If he feels sorry for you, then he will let your brother Simeon go free, and he will let Simeon and Benjamin come back here with you. But if those things don’t happen, and if my sons die, then I can’t change that.”
Genesis 44:20Then we said to you, ‘Yes, sir. Our father is alive, and he is an old man. And we have a young brother too. He was born when our father was already old. We had one more brother, but he died. That brother that died, and our young brother, they had the same mother. So now our young brother is the only kid left from his mother. And our father really loves him.’
Genesis 44:29So now your youngest brother, he is the only one of Rachel’s sons that I have left. If you take him away from me, he might get hurt, or he might die. You know, I am an old man. If something bad happens to my son, I will be so sad that I will die.’”
Matthew Henry on Genesis 42:2-7
Jacob Sends to Egypt to Buy Corn. ( b. c. 1706.) 1 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. 3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befal him. 5 And the sons of Israel came to… Read the whole commentary →