Genesis 42:31

42:31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies!

Genesis 44:29-31

44:29 If you take ¹  this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair ²  in tragedy ³  to the grave.’ ⁴ 

44:30 “So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us – his very life is bound up in his son’s life. ⁵  44:31 When he sees the boy is not with us, ⁶  he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave.

Genesis 45:28

45:28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive! I will go and see him before I die.”

[44:29]  ¹ tn The construction uses a perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive to introduce the conditional clause and then another perfect verbal form with a vav consecutive to complete the sentence: “if you take…then you will bring down.”

[44:29]  ² sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble. See Gen 42:38.

[44:29]  ³ tn Heb “evil/calamity.” The term is different than the one used in the otherwise identical statement recorded in v. 31 (see also 42:38).

[44:29]  ⁴ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

[44:30]  ⁵ tn Heb “his life is bound up in his life.”

[44:31]  ⁶ tn Heb “when he sees that there is no boy.”