King James Version

Genesis 43:18

And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

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Hebrew

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וַיִּֽירְא֣וּvayirevand fearיָרֵאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and fear”, the next action in the storyH3372to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to frightenaffright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), [idiom] see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֗יםhaanashimthe a certainאִישׁdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…הֽוּבְאוּ֮huvevto comeבּוֹאverb, hophal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “to come”, a completed actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…בֵּ֣יתbeytfamilyבַּיִתnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…יוֹסֵף֒yosefJoseph. Compare H3084יוֹסֵףnoun, proper name — “Joseph. Compare H3084”H3130Joseph, the name of seven IsraelitesJoseph. Compare H3084 (יְהוֹסֵף).וַיֹּאמְר֗וּvayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…דְּבַ֤רdevarcauseדָּבָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “cause”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…הַכֶּ֨סֶף֙hakesefthe moneyכֶּסֶףdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the money”, the ordinary formH3701silver (from its pale color); by implication, moneymoney, price, silver(-ling).הַשָּׁ֤בhashavthe againשׁוּבdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the again”, a verb used as a describing wordH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵ֨ינוּ֙beamtechoteynvin sackאַמְתַּחַתpreposition, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “in sack”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH572properly, something expansive, i.e. a bagsack.בַּתְּחִלָּ֔הbatchilahin beginתְּחִלָּהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in begin”, the ordinary formH8462a commencement; rel. original (adverb, -ly)begin(-ning), first (time).אֲנַ֖חְנוּanachnvweאֲנַחְנוּpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, plural — “we”H587weourselves, us, we.מֽוּבָאִ֑יםmuvaimto comeבּוֹאverb, hophal, passive participle, absolute — “to come”, a verb used as a describing wordH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…לְהִתְגֹּלֵ֤לlehitgolelto rollגָּלַלpreposition, verb, hithpolel, infinitive construct — “to roll”, the to-form of the verbH1556to roll (literally or figuratively)commit, remove, roll (away, down, together), run down, seek occasion, trust, wallow.עָלֵ֨ינוּ֙aleynvaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…וּלְהִתְנַפֵּ֣לulehitnapeland to fallנָפַלconjunction, preposition, verb, hithpael, infinitive construct — “and to fall”, the to-form of the verbH5307to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for H6419 (פָּלַל…עָלֵ֔ינוּaleynvaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…וְלָקַ֧חַתvelaqachatand to takeלָקַחconjunction, preposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “and to take”, the to-form of the verbH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.אֹתָ֛נוּotanvobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).לַעֲבָדִ֖יםlaavadimto servantעֶבֶדpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “to servant”, the ordinary formH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.וְאֶתveetand object markerאֵתconjunction, particle, direct object marker — “and object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).חֲמֹרֵֽינוּchamoreynvassחֲמוֹרnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “ass”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2543a male ass (from its dun red)(he) ass.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said: 'Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

Young’s Literal Translation

and the men are afraid because they have been brought into the house of Joseph, and they say, 'For the matter of the money which was put back in our bags at the commencement are we brought in — to roll himself upon us, and to throw himself on us, and to take us for servants — our asses also.'

World English Bible

The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

Darby Translation

And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house, and said, Because of the money that was returned to us in our sacks at the beginning are we brought in, that he may turn against us, and fall upon us and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

Douay-Rheims

And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by violence make slaves of us and our asses.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the men, when they perceived that they were brought into the house of Joseph, said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first; even in order to inform against us, and lay it to our charge; to take us for servants, and our asses.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ ἄνδρες ὅτι εἰσήχθησαν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰωσήφ, εἶπαν, διὰ τὸ ἀργύριον τὸ ἀποστραφὲν ἐν τοῖς μαρσίπποις ἡμῶν τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἡμεῖς εἰσαγόμεθα, τοῦ συκοφαντῆσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπιθέσθαι ἡμῖν, τοῦ λαβεῖν ἡμᾶς εἰς παῖδας, καὶ τοὺς ὄνους ἡμῶν.