Genesis 43:13-14 · Bible study
Genesis 43:13-14 Commentary: Jacob's Reluctant Faith
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
After refusing to let Benjamin go to Egypt, Jacob now consents, praying to El Shaddai for mercy and resigning himself to God's will.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jacob consents to send Benjamin to Egypt, prays to God Almighty for mercy before the Egyptian ruler, and submits to the possibility of losing both Simeon and Benjamin.
- Key words: El Shaddai (God Almighty), rachamim (mercy/compassions, plural), shakolti (I am bereaved, repeated for emphasis).
- Main debate: Is Jacob’s final statement a cry of despair, an act of faith, or a prophetic assurance? Commentators vary.
- Theological theme: Human preparation meets divine sovereignty; the covenant God is able to turn hostile hearts.
- Best use: A model for praying when facing a risky decision and for relinquishing loved ones to God’s care.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
13Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
13Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man.
14May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
KJV King James Version 1769
13Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
13take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
13`And take your brother, and rise, turn back unto the man;
14and God Almighty give to you mercies before the man, so that he hath sent to you your other brother and Benjamin; and I, when I am bereaved--I am bereaved.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
13And take your brother, and arise, go again to the man.
14And the Almighty God give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin! And I, if I be bereaved of children, am bereaved.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
13And take also your brother, and go to the man.
14And may my almighty God make him favourable to you: and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me I shall be desolate without children.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 43:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jacob’s consent to send Benjamin marks a decisive shift from his earlier refusal (Genesis 42:38). The immediate trigger is the famine’s severity and Judah’s personal guarantee for Benjamin’s safety (vv. 8, 10). As Matthew Henry notes, Jacob was “over-persuaded” by necessity: no corn could be had except on these terms. Calvin sees a mixture of faith and fear in Jacob’s words, the prayer to God Almighty is genuine, but the closing “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved” sounds at first like despair. Yet Calvin adds that Jacob spoke partly to move his sons to greater care of Benjamin. Gill and Wesley characterise the resignation as patient submission to the divine will. Clarke goes further, calling the speech “prophetic,” suggesting God gave Jacob a supernatural confidence that his children would be restored. The use of the name El Shaddai (God Almighty) echoes the patriarchal promises (Gen 17:1; 28:3; 35:11) and implies trust in the One who can soften the heart of the Egyptian ruler. The plural rachamim (“mercies” or “compassions”) intensifies the prayer for tender favour before Joseph. Across traditions, the core agreement is that Jacob acts under duress, prays for mercy, and yields the outcome to God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Faithful resignation: Jacob submits to God's will, confident that El Shaddai can grant mercy (supported by Gill, Wesley, Keil).
- Mixed despair and faith: Calvin sees the closing words as near-hopeless, yet Jacob still prays; the prayer and the lament stand side by side.
- Prophetic assurance: Clarke argues that Jacob spoke prophetically and received supernatural evidence that his children would be restored.
What is clear: Jacob prays to God Almighty for mercy before the Egyptian ruler, and he consents to send Benjamin—an act he had earlier refused.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Character of Jacob's resignation | Jacob submits to the outcome as from God, acknowledging that he cannot control events. | Calvin sees an element of despair, Jacob seems to cut himself off from hope, while others (Gill, Wesley) interpret it as patient trust. Clarke reads it as confident prophecy. |
| Motive for sending Benjamin | The famine and Judah’s pledge force Jacob's decision; he does not send Benjamin willingly. | Some commentators emphasize necessity and parental love; others see a test of faith orchestrated by God through Joseph's demand. |
| Role of the prayer | The prayer is central; Jacob commends the brothers to God’s mercy. | Is the prayer an expression of hope (Clarke sees supernatural assurance) or a desperate plea rendered in ignorance of God’s plan? |
| Meaning of 'if I am bereaved' | Jacob faces the real possibility of losing two more sons. | The phrase is read as conditional ('if I must lose them') or as emphatic resignation ('I am already bereaved'). Keil notes the repetition strengthens the sense of submission. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is the second year of a severe famine that drove Jacob’s sons to Egypt for grain. On the first trip, Joseph, unrecognised by his brothers, accused them of being spies, imprisoned Simeon, and demanded that they bring their youngest brother Benjamin as proof of their honesty (Gen 42:8, 20). Jacob had refused to send Benjamin, the only remaining son of his beloved Rachel (Gen 42:38). But the famine persisted; the grain they bought was nearly gone. Judah stepped forward and pledged his own life for Benjamin’s safe return (Gen 43:8, 10).
Jacob now faces an impossible choice: risk Benjamin or watch his entire household starve. He crafts a plan that combines practical wisdom with faith. He sends a gift of choice local products, balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds, a customary gesture to appease a powerful official (v. 11). He sends double money to repay the silver mysteriously returned in their sacks (v. 12). And he sends Benjamin, the son he had guarded so fiercely.
The narrator deliberately includes the divine name El Shaddai, which appears in Genesis primarily in the patriarchal promises (Gen 17:1; 28:3; 35:11). This is the only occurrence in the source known as JE (Cambridge Bible). Jacob is invoking the God who made covenant with Abraham and Isaac, the God he encountered at Bethel. In this moment, Jacob the schemer becomes Jacob the supplicant. His prayer acknowledges that human efforts, gifts, money, persuasion, are not enough; only God can grant “mercy before the man.” The cultural background includes the belief that rulers’ hearts are in God’s hands (cf. Prov 21:1). By uttering this prayer, Jacob entrusts his family’s future to the Almighty, stepping into a role of patriarchal intercession that prefigures later prayers of Israel.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries do not note any significant textual variants for Genesis 43:13, 14. The Hebrew text is stable across the major manuscript traditions, and the differences among English translations (e.g., “God Almighty” vs. “Almighty God”) reflect translation style rather than textual variation.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this passage has been read as a model of faith under duress. Early Jewish and Christian interpreters saw Jacob as a type of the patriarch who must relinquish his beloved son, foreshadowing the Father who sends the Son. In the Reformation, Calvin used the text to explore the coexistence of trust and anxiety in the believer. Wesley highlighted the practical piety: “those that would find mercy with men must seek it of God.” In the Wesleyan and Holiness traditions, the phrase “if I am bereaved, I am bereaved” has been cited as an example of entire resignation to divine providence. Recent conservative commentators (Gill, Keil) stress the covenantal significance of El Shaddai, while Clarke’s prophetic reading has been influential among some charismatic circles. The passage continues to be preached in times of crisis, especially when parents must release children into dangerous circumstances.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The pressure of providence. Famine, empty sacks, and a son in prison forced Jacob to release what he treasured most. Necessity is often the tool God uses to loosen our grip on people and plans.
- The posture of prayer. Jacob turns to El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough. He does not merely hope for the best; he prays for specific mercy before “the man.” Prayer becomes the hinge between human obligation and divine control.
- The pain of relinquishment. “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” This is not stoic fatalism. It is the honest language of a man who has lost one son and now releases another. Faith does not remove the cost; it deposits the cost in God’s hands.
Five-point outline
- Necessity breaks resistance. Jacob’s “no” becomes “if it must be so, then…” (v. 11). A bowed head can be a sign of wisdom, not weakness.
- Practical preparation. Gift, double money, and Benjamin, Jacob does all he can, then prays.
- Invoking the covenant name. El Shaddai ties this crisis to God’s promises.
- Prayer for mercy. Not for success or safety, but for “mercy before the man”, i.e., a softened heart in the one who holds power.
- The costly “if.” Jacob voices the worst-case scenario and submits to it. The repetition of “bereaved” shows a heart that feels the weight.
Illustration hooks
- A parent sending a child off to a dangerous school trip or overseas deployment, knowing they cannot control the outcome.
- A business owner facing bankruptcy who must sell the company they built, trusting God for the future.
- An elderly person releasing a beloved spouse into hospice care, praying for mercy from the nurses and doctors.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know when to hold on and when to let go?
- Is it wrong to feel desperate when I pray?
- What does “resignation to God’s will” actually look like in everyday decisions?
Leading a Discussion
This passage captures a moment when faithful action and deep grief meet. Jacob is pushed to the limit by circumstances beyond his control. He prays with precision, not a generic blessing, but a specific request for mercy before a powerful man. Yet his final words acknowledge that the answer may not be rescue. Use these questions to explore what it means to act in faith while holding outcomes loosely.
Discussion questions
- What changed between Genesis 42:38 and 43:13? What pressures made Jacob reverse his decision?
- Jacob sends a gift, double money, and Benjamin. How does he balance human effort with dependence on God?
- Why is the name El Shaddai (God Almighty) significant here? Where else has it appeared in Genesis?
- Read the prayer in verse 14: “May God Almighty give you mercy before the man.” What does it mean that mercy must be given by God? Can we pray for someone to be merciful?
- The repeated phrase “If I am bereaved, I am bereaved” sounds both painful and peaceful. How would you describe Jacob’s emotional state at the end of verse 14?
- When have you been in a situation where you had to let go of something precious because circumstances left no alternative? How did you pray?
- How does this account shape your understanding of God’s sovereignty over difficult human relationships (e.g., a boss, a doctor, a family member)?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 42:38 | He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” |
| Genesis 17:1 | When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. |
| Genesis 22:14 | Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh Will Provide”. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.” |
| Genesis 28:3 | May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, |
| Genesis 32:11 | Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mothers with the children. |
| Genesis 32:28 | He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.” |
| Genesis 35:11 | God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body. |
| Genesis 39:21 | But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke reads Jacob’s words as prophetic, not merely resigned. He translates the verse to show Jacob expressing trust that God would restore his children, and notes that God gave Jacob a supernatural assurance at that moment that his sons would be returned.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin resolves the apparent conflict between Jacob's prayer of faith and his cry of despair by noting who heard him. Jacob was speaking to his sons, not to God; he deliberately magnified his grief to make them feel the weight of their responsibility for Benjamin's safety.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that this is the only place in the early source material where God is called El Shaddai, drawing attention to the name's rarity. Jacob’s plea for mercy is made with resigned, gloomy foreboding as he mournfully accepts the possibility of losing Benjamin, heightening the story's tension.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The notes highlight Judah’s pragmatic shift from demanding Benjamin’s release to entrusting the outcome to divine mercy. This change reflects a move from human negotiation to spiritual reliance, acknowledging that only God can secure their safety before Joseph. The summary captures the tension between familial loss and hope in providence.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out that Jacob sends Benjamin with a prayer to God Almighty, because the Egyptian governor has been rough and severe toward his sons. Jacob asks God to incline the governor's heart to show mercy and release Simeon. His final words, "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved," express patient submission to God's will, not despair.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Jacob is committing his sons entirely to God’s care while resigned to what seems a heavy trial. His prayer asks God to overrule this painful situation for good, showing trust in God’s sovereign purposes.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch clarify that the Hebrew phrase for "second money" means additional money, not double the original amount. They highlight Jacob's resigned submission to God's will in saying, "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved," a phrase expressing complete acceptance of whatever outcome God allows.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights Judah’s self-sacrificial offer to remain as a slave in Benjamin’s place as the turning point that breaks Joseph’s restraint. This act demonstrates true repentance and familial loyalty, proving the brothers have changed from their past cruelty. Moved by this visible proof of character growth, Joseph can no longer hide his identity and reveals himself to his family.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights that Jacob, who earlier refused to send Benjamin, now wisely changes his mind when necessity and good reason demand it. He draws a distinction between virtuous constancy and sinful obstinacy, noting that only God has the prerogative to make unchangeable resolves. Jacob's willingness to be persuaded shows prudence and submission to providence.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Jacob returns to the same method that worked when he faced an angry brother years before: a present and a prayer. He insists that anyone seeking favor from people must first ask it of God. Jacob’s final acceptance shows complete resignation to whatever God decides.