Lexicon :: Strong's H251 - 'āḥ

“This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

“Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies! ”

“If you are honest, let one of you[fn] be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households.

“Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.

Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”

He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us? ”

“We were twelve brothers, sons of the same[fn] father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’

“The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.

“Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.’ ”

But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

“If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

“But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’ ”

“Why have you caused me so much trouble? ” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother? ”

They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother? ’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’? ”

“Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man.

“May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived.”

When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about? ” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room and wept there.

“My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother? ’

“and we answered my lord, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

“Then you said to your servants, ‘If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.’

“We told him, ‘We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. If our younger brother isn’t with us, we cannot see the man.’

“Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living? ” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt.

Look! Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin can see that I’m[fn] the one speaking to you.

Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder.

Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept,[fn] and afterward his brothers talked with him.

When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan.

So Joseph sent his brothers on their way, and as they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t argue[fn] on the way.”

He took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.

And Pharaoh asked his brothers, “What is your occupation? ”

They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants, both we and our ancestors, are shepherds.”

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you,

“the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s family with food for their dependents.

But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know! He too will become a tribe,[fn] and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation.”[fn]

“Over and above what I am giving your brothers, I am giving you the one mountain slope[fn] that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

“Judah, your brothers will praise you.

Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies;

your father’s sons will bow down to you.

“The blessings of your father excel

the blessings of my ancestors[fn]

and[fn] the bounty of the ancient hills.[fn]

May they rest on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of the prince of his brothers.