What Does Genesis 43:5 Mean in the King James?

But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

Genesis 43:5 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The face stays unseen until the brother is sent along: access opens only when the one held back is included in the journey.

THE MEANING

The journey forward stays closed while Benjamin is not sent with them, and the ruler’s presence remains unavailable until the brother is there. Movement toward encounter is bound to the kinship the journey carries.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

“I can enter the presence I seek while keeping my brother outside the journey.”

THE ROOT

תְּשַׁלֵּחַ

teshalleach

GROWS FROM

שלח

Send forth, dispatch, release, let go.

“send” in this verse is teshalleach. The same root can carry both sending and release: Jacob must let Benjamin go forth with his brothers. Their movement depends on releasing the one they have kept back.

ALSO GROWS

shilluach: Sending away or dismissal.

שִׁלּוּחַ

This branch carries the sense of letting someone go from where they are; Benjamin must leave home and join the journey.

mishloach: A sending or dispatch; something sent.

מִשְׁלוֹחַ

The brothers’ journey begins with Benjamin being sent in their company.

פָּנַי

panai

GROWS FROM

פנה

Turn, turn toward.

The face word belongs to a family that also expresses presence and what is before someone. The condition is about access to the ruler’s presence, not merely seeing his features.

ALSO GROWS

panim: Face; presence.

פָּנִים

The brothers cannot enter the man’s presence unless their brother is with them.

lifnei: Before; in the presence of.

לִפְנֵי

This related form makes explicit the connection between a face and being before someone.

THE PATTERN

Approach to a presence is inseparable from what happens with the brother who stands within reach.

And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

Genesis 44:23 · KJVThe same condition returns: the ruler’s face remains inaccessible unless the youngest brother comes with them.

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Matthew 5:23-24 · KJVComing before God is joined to what remains unresolved with one’s brother.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1 John 4:20 · KJVThe seen brother becomes the measure of a claimed relationship with the unseen.

THE THREAD

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exodus 8:1 · KJV

“Send” here and “let go” there share the Hebrew root ⁨שלח⁩ (shalach), meaning send forth or release. In this verse a father must release his son into the journey; in Exodus a ruler is told to release a people, and both make movement possible.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us