Genesis 37:14
New International Version
So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem,

New Living Translation
“Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron.

English Standard Version
So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,

King James Bible
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

New King James Version
Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

New American Standard Bible
Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

NASB 1995
Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

NASB 1977
Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock; and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Amplified Bible
Then Jacob said to him, “Please go and see whether everything is all right with your brothers and all right with the flock; then bring word [back] to me.” So he sent him from the Hebron Valley, and he went to Shechem.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Israel said to him, “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Hebron Valley, and he went to Shechem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Israel said to him, “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

American Standard Version
And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Contemporary English Version
His father said, "Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then come back and let me know." So he sent him from Hebron Valley. Joseph was near Shechem

English Revised Version
And he said to him, Go now, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Israel said, "See how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and bring some news back to me." Then he sent Joseph away from the Hebron Valley. When Joseph came to Shechem,

Good News Translation
His father told him, "Go and see if your brothers are safe and if the flock is all right; then come back and tell me." So his father sent him on his way from Hebron Valley. Joseph arrived at Shechem

International Standard Version
"Go and see how things are with your brothers," Israel ordered him. "And see how things are with the flock. Bring back a report for me." Then he sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron. When Joseph reached Shechem,

Majority Standard Bible
Then Israel told him, ?Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.? So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,

NET Bible
So Jacob said to him, "Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word." So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron.

New Heart English Bible
So he said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and report back to me."So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

World English Bible
He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he says to him, “Now go see the peace of your brothers, and the peace of the flock, and bring me back word”; and he sends him from the Valley of Hebron, and he comes to Shechem.

Young's Literal Translation
and he saith to him, 'Go, I pray thee, see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the flock, and bring me back word;' and he sendeth him from the valley of Hebron, and he cometh to Shechem.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say to him, Go, now, see the peace of thy brethren, and the peace of the sheep; and turn back to me word: and he will send him from the valley of Hebron and he will go to Shechem.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:

Catholic Public Domain Version
“I am ready,” he said to him, “Go, and see if everything is prospering with your brothers and the cattle, and report to me what is happening.” So, having been sent from the valley of Hebron, he arrived at Shechem.

New American Bible
“Go then,” he replied; “see if all is well with your brothers and the flocks, and bring back word.” So he sent him off from the valley of Hebron. When Joseph reached Shechem,

New Revised Standard Version
So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock; and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. He came to Shechem,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then his father said to him, Go, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And his father said to him, “Go, see the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the sheep and bring me a report”, and Yaquuv sent him from the valley of Khebroun and he came to Shecheem.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said to him: 'Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me back word.' So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Israel said to him, Go and see if thy brethren and the sheep are well, and bring me word; and he sent him out of the valley of Chebron, and he came to Sychem.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
13Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied. 14Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem, 15a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”…

Cross References
Genesis 37:12-13
Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem. / Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.

Genesis 42:18-20
and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live: / If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households. / Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.

Genesis 45:9-11
Now return quickly to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. / You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. / And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’

Genesis 46:28-30
Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen, / Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely. / Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!”

1 Samuel 17:17-18
One day Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. / Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.

1 Samuel 17:20-22
So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had instructed him. He reached the camp as the army was marching out to its position and shouting the battle cry. / And Israel and the Philistines arrayed in formation against each other. / Then David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.

1 Samuel 17:28-29
Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!” / “What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?”

2 Samuel 18:18
During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

2 Kings 6:13-14
So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” / the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.

Jeremiah 37:17
Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Matthew 21:33-41
Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. / When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit. / But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ...

Luke 20:13-15
‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’ / But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ / So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

John 7:3-5
So Jesus’ brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples there may see the works You are doing. / For no one who wants to be known publicly acts in secret. Since You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.” / For even His own brothers did not believe in Him.

John 11:7-8
and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” / “Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”


Treasury of Scripture

And he said to him, Go, I pray you, see whether it be well with your brothers, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

see whether it be well with.

Genesis 29:6
And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.

Genesis 41:16
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

1 Samuel 17:17,18
And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; …

Hebron.

Genesis 23:2
And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

Genesis 35:27
And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

Numbers 13:22
And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

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Genesis 37
1. Joseph is loved by Jacob, but hated by his brothers.
5. His dreams and the interpretation.
12. Jacob sends him to his brothers, who counsel to slay him.
21. At Reuben's desire they cast him into a pit;
25. and afterwards sell him to the Ishmaelites;
29. while Ruben grieves at not finding him.
31. His coat, covered with blood, is sent to Jacob, who mourns him inordinately.
36. Joseph is brought to Egypt and sold to Potiphar.














Then Israel said to him
The name "Israel" here refers to Jacob, who was renamed Israel after wrestling with God (Genesis 32:28). This name signifies his role as the patriarch of the twelve tribes of Israel. The use of "Israel" instead of "Jacob" highlights the covenantal and national significance of his actions. It reminds us of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the unfolding of His divine plan through their lineage.

Go now and see
This phrase indicates urgency and concern. Jacob, as a father, is anxious about the well-being of his sons and their flocks. The Hebrew root for "see" is "ra'ah," which means to look at, inspect, or perceive. This is not just a physical seeing but an understanding and assessment of the situation. It reflects a father's care and responsibility for his family.

if it is well with your brothers and with the flocks
The word "well" is translated from the Hebrew "shalom," which encompasses peace, completeness, and welfare. Jacob is concerned about the holistic well-being of his sons and their livelihood. This reflects the pastoral lifestyle of the patriarchs, where the prosperity of the flocks was directly tied to the family's survival and success.

and bring word back to me
Jacob desires a report from Joseph, indicating trust in his son’s judgment and reliability. This request sets the stage for the unfolding events that lead to Joseph's journey to Egypt. It also highlights the importance of communication and accountability within a family structure.

So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron
The Valley of Hebron is significant as it is a place with deep ancestral roots. Hebron was where Abraham settled and where the patriarchs were buried. This geographical detail connects Joseph's account to the broader narrative of God's promises to Abraham. It serves as a reminder of the covenant and the faithfulness of God through generations.

And when Joseph arrived in Shechem
Shechem is a location with a complex history. It was the first place Abraham built an altar to the Lord in Canaan (Genesis 12:6-7) and later became a city of refuge. However, it was also a place of violence and betrayal, as seen in the account of Dinah (Genesis 34). Joseph's arrival in Shechem foreshadows the trials he will face, yet it also signifies the beginning of God's providential plan to elevate him in Egypt. This duality of Shechem as a place of both promise and peril reflects the complexities of God's workings in human history.

(14) Whether it be well with thy brethren.--Jacob might well fear lest the natives should form a confederacy against his sons, and take vengeance upon them for their cruelty. They were too fierce themselves to have any such alarm, but Jacob was of a far more timid disposition.

The vale of Hebron.--The flocks and herds which formed the portion of Jacob's cattle which pastured nearest home, occupied the country immediately to the north of Hebron as far as the tower of Eder; but he would no doubt pitch his own tent as near as possible to that of his father

Verse 14. - And he (Jacob) said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren (literally, see the place of thy brethren), and well with the flocks (literally, and the peace of the flock); and bring me word again. So (literally, and) he sent him out of the vale of Hebron (vide Genesis 35:27), and he same to Shechem - a distance of sixty miles.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then [Israel] told him,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Go
לֶךְ־ (leḵ-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

now
נָ֨א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

and see
רְאֵ֜ה (rə·’êh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

how your brothers
אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ (’a·ḥe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

and the flocks
הַצֹּ֔אן (haṣ·ṣōn)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

are faring,
שְׁל֣וֹם (šə·lō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7965: Safe, well, happy, friendly, welfare, health, prosperity, peace

and bring word
דָּבָ֑ר (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

back to me.”
וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי (wa·hă·ši·ḇê·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

So he sent him off
וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ (way·yiš·lā·ḥê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

from the Valley
מֵעֵ֣מֶק (mê·‘ê·meq)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6010: A vale

of Hebron.
חֶבְר֔וֹן (ḥeḇ·rō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2275: Hebron -- 'association, league', a city in southern Judah

And when [Joseph] arrived
וַיָּבֹ֖א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

in Shechem,
שְׁכֶֽמָה׃ (šə·ḵe·māh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7927: Shechem -- 'ridge', a district in Northern Palestine, also a son of Hamor


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OT Law: Genesis 37:14 He said to him Go now see (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 37:13
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