Genesis 43:28

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And they said, Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ שָׁל֛וֹם לְעַבְדְּךָ֥ לְאָבִ֖ינוּ עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ חָ֑י וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ *וישתחו* **וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃

Transliteration

wə-yōʾmərû šālôm lə-ʿaḇdəḵā lə-ʾāḇînû ʿôḏennû ḥāy wə-yiqqəḏû wə-yištaḥăwû

Grammar Details

*wə-yōʾmərû*: conjunction + Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine plural - and they said
*šālôm*: noun, masculine singular - well-being/peace
*lə-ʿaḇdəḵā*: preposition + noun, masculine singular + 2nd masculine singular suffix - to your servant
*lə-ʾāḇînû*: preposition + noun, masculine singular + 1st common plural suffix - to our father
*ʿôḏennû*: adverb + 3rd masculine singular suffix - he is still
*ḥāy*: adjective, masculine singular - alive
*wə-yiqqəḏû*: conjunction + Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine plural - and they bowed their heads
*wə-yištaḥăwû*: conjunction + Hishtaphel imperfect, 3rd masculine plural - and they bowed down

Word Meanings

*šālôm lə-ʿaḇdəḵā lə-ʾāḇînû*: there is well-being to your servant, our father/our father your servant is well
*ʿôḏennû ḥāy*: he is still alive/he still lives
*wə-yiqqəḏû*: and they bowed their heads/nodded/bent forward
*wə-yištaḥăwû*: and they bowed down/prostrated themselves

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

🔄 Compare with

ESVNIVCSBNLTNASBNET

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Gen 37:7 : 7 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
Gen 43:26 : 26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.
Exod 18:7 : 7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
2 Sam 1:2 : 2 it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
2 Sam 14:4 : 4 And when the woman of Tekoa spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
1 Kgs 1:16 : 16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?
2 Chr 24:17 : 17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
Gen 37:9-9 : 9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Gen 43:26-27
2 verses
85%
26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.
27And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
Gen 50:16-18
3 verses
76%
16And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
17So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, for that they did unto thee evil. And now, we pray thee, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
18And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we are thy servants.
Gen 43:29
76%
29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
Gen 43:7
75%
7And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
Gen 45:3
73%
3And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
Gen 42:29
72%
29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,
Gen 24:52
72%
52And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto Jehovah.
Gen 44:23-25
3 verses
72%
23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25And our father said, Go again, buy us a little food.
Gen 48:12
71%
12And Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
Gen 33:3
71%
3And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Gen 24:26
71%
26And the man bowed his head, and worshipped Jehovah.
Gen 43:14-15
2 verses
71%
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.
15And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
Gen 44:14
71%
14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
Gen 44:19-21
3 verses
71%
19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
20And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loveth him.
21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
Gen 33:6-7
2 verses
71%
6Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Gen 42:13
71%
13And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
Gen 47:5
71%
5And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
Gen 42:6
70%
6And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.
Gen 44:7
70%
7And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.
Gen 23:7
70%
7And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
Gen 43:2
70%
2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
Gen 47:25
70%
25And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
Gen 44:30-31
2 verses
70%
30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;
31it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not [with us], that he will die: and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol.
Gen 42:20
70%
20and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
Gen 45:25
70%
25And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father.
Gen 44:33
70%
33Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
Gen 45:27
70%
27And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
Gen 27:18
69%
18And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
Gen 44:27
69%
27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
Gen 37:7
69%
7for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
Gen 46:29
69%
29And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
Gen 47:7
69%
7And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.