And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

GENESIS 42:36KJV
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Genesis 42:36 (KJV)

What does Genesis 42:36 mean?

Genesis 42:36 shows Jacob expressing deep grief and frustration to his sons, believing he has lost Joseph and Simeon and now fears losing Benjamin as well. Jacob feels overwhelmed by these losses and sees all these events as working against him.

In this verse, Jacob (also called Israel) is speaking to his sons after they return from Egypt, where they had gone to buy food during a famine. Joseph, whom Jacob believes is dead, is actually alive in Egypt, and Simeon has been detained there. The brothers now tell Jacob that they must take Benjamin back to Egypt to prove their honesty, which makes Jacob feel that everything is turning out badly for him.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 42:36

  • בִּשַּׁלְתֶּם (bereaved, shakal, H7921): This word means to be deprived of children, often through loss or tragedy. Jacob uses it to express the depth of his pain, emphasizing how he feels robbed of his sons.
  • יַעֲקֹב (Jacob, ya‘aqov, H3290): The use of Jacob’s name here highlights his personal anguish and the family’s ongoing struggles, tying back to earlier hardships in his life.
  • לָקַח (take, laqach, H3947): This word means to take or seize. Jacob’s use of it shows his fear that Benjamin will be taken from him just as Joseph and Simeon have been.

Why Genesis 42:36 matters

  • Genesis 42:36 highlights Jacob’s sense of helplessness and sorrow, helping readers understand the emotional weight he carries as a father who feels he is losing his family.
  • The verse connects to the larger story of Joseph and his brothers, showing the consequences of earlier actions and misunderstandings within the family.
  • This moment sets up the tension for what follows, as Jacob’s reluctance to let Benjamin go becomes a key turning point in the unfolding narrative.

Where else these words appear

“bereaved” Hebrew H7921 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 27:45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
  • 2 Kings 2:19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
  • Ezekiel 5:17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

“Simeon” Hebrew H8095 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 29:33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
  • Numbers 1:22 Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
  • Judges 1:3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.