Genesis 44:31

KJV1611 – Modern English

It shall come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and your servants shall bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְהָיָ֗ה כִּרְאוֹת֛וֹ כִּי־אֵ֥ין הַנַּ֖עַר וָמֵ֑ת וְהוֹרִ֨ידוּ עֲבָדֶ֜יךָ אֶת־שֵׂיבַ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֛ינוּ בְּיָג֖וֹן שְׁאֹֽלָה׃

Transliteration

And it will be wəhāyâ when he sees kirʾôtô that kî-is not ʾên the hannaʿar he will die wāmēt and your servants wəhôrîdû ʿăbādeykā ʾet-śêbat your servant ʿabdəkā our father ʾābînû in grief bəyāgôn to šəʾōlâ

Grammar Details

• *wəhāyâ*: waw-conjunction + Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - and it will be
• *kirʾôtô*: preposition + Qal infinitive construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - when he sees
• *kî*: conjunction - that
• *ʾên*: negative particle - is not
• *hannaʿar*: definite article + masculine singular noun - the young man
• *wāmēt*: waw-consecutive + Qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he will die
• *wəhôrîdû*: waw-consecutive + Hiphil perfect, 3rd person common plural - and they will bring down
• *ʿăbādeykā*: masculine plural noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your servants
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *śêbat*: feminine singular construct - gray hair of
• *ʿabdəkā*: masculine singular noun with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your servant
• *ʾābînû*: masculine singular noun with 1st person common plural suffix - our father
• *bəyāgôn*: preposition + masculine singular noun - in grief
• *šəʾōlâ*: feminine singular noun with directional heh - to Sheol

Word Meanings

• *wəhāyâ*: and it will be/and it will happen/then
• *kirʾôtô*: when he sees/as he sees/upon his seeing
• *hannaʿar*: the young man/the lad/the boy
• *wāmēt*: he will die/he would die
• *wəhôrîdû*: and they will bring down/and will bring down
• *ʿăbādeykā*: your servants/your slaves
• *śêbat*: gray hair of/old age of/gray head of
• *ʿabdəkā*: your servant/your slave
• *bəyāgôn*: in grief/with sorrow/in anguish
• *šəʾōlâ*: to Sheol/to the grave/to the realm of the dead

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  it will happen that when he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought down the gray hair of your servant, our father, in sorrow to the grave.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  it will come to pass, when he seeth{H7200} that the lad{H5288} is not [with us], that he will die:{H4191} and thy servants{H5650} will bring down{H3381} the gray hairs{H7872} of thy servant{H5650} our father{H1} with sorrow{H3015} to Sheol.{H7585}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  It shall come to pass, when he seeth{H7200}{(H8800)} that the lad{H5288} is not with us, that he will die{H4191}{(H8804)}: and thy servants{H5650} shall bring down{H3381}{(H8689)} the gray hairs{H7872} of thy servant{H5650} our father{H1} with sorrow{H3015} to the grave{H7585}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  then as soone as he seeth that the lad is not come he will dye. So shall we thy servautes brynge the gray hedde of thy servaunt oure father with sorow vnto the grave.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  then shall it come to passe, that yf he se not the lad there, he shal dye. So shal we thy seruauntes brynge the gray heer of thy seruaunt oure father with sorowe downe to the graue.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Then when hee shall see that the childe is not come, he will die: so shall thy seruants bring the graye head of thy seruant our father with sorowe to the graue.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Then shall it come to passe, that assoone as he seeth that the lad is not come, he wyll dye: so shall we thy seruauntes bryng the gray head of thy seruaunt our father with sorowe vnto the graue.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad [is] not [with us], that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  then it hath come to pass when he seeth that the youth is not, that he hath died, and thy servants have brought down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to sheol;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  it 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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  it 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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld.

• World English Bible (2000)

  it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When he sees the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave.

Referenced Verses

• Gen 44:29 : 29 And if you take this also from me, and harm befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
• Gen 37:35 : 35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave mourning my son. Thus his father wept for him.
• Gen 37:26-27 : 26 And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is it if we kill our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brothers were content.
• 1 Sam 4:17-18 : 17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. 18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
• 1 Sam 22:22 : 22 And David said to Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house.
• 2 Cor 7:10 : 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world produces death.
• 1 Thess 4:13 : 13 But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope.