Genesis 43:8-9
Context43:8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will go immediately. 1 Then we will live 2 and not die – we and you and our little ones. 43:9 I myself pledge security 3 for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 4
[43:8] 1 tn Heb “and we will rise up and we will go.” The first verb is adverbial and gives the expression the sense of “we will go immediately.”
[43:8] 2 tn After the preceding cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form (either imperfect or cohortative) with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or result.
[43:9] 3 tn The pronoun before the first person verbal form draws attention to the subject and emphasizes Judah’s willingness to be personally responsible for the boy.
[43:9] 4 sn I will bear the blame before you all my life. It is not clear how this would work out if Benjamin did not come back. But Judah is offering his life for Benjamin’s if Benjamin does not return.