Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. New Living Translation So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Pack your bags with the best products of this land. Take them down to the man as gifts—balm, honey, gum, aromatic resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. English Standard Version Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Berean Standard Bible Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. King James Bible And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: New King James Version And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. New American Standard Bible Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a gift, a little balsam and a little honey, labdanum resin and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. NASB 1995 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. NASB 1977 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Legacy Standard Bible Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and bring them down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Amplified Bible Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this; take some of the choicest products of the land in your sacks, and carry it as a present [of tribute] to the man [representing Pharaoh], a little balm and a little honey, aromatic spices or gum, resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Christian Standard Bible Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balsam and a little honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds. Holman Christian Standard Bible Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and take them down to the man as a gift—some balsam and some honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds. American Standard Version And their father Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; Contemporary English Version Their father said: If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country, such as perfume, honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds. English Revised Version And their father Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this; take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: GOD'S WORD® Translation Then their father Israel said to them, "If that's the way it has to be, then take the man a gift. Put some of the best products of the land in your bags. Take a little balm, a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Good News Translation Their father said to them, "If that is how it has to be, then take the best products of the land in your packs as a present for the governor: a little resin, a little honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds. International Standard Version "If that's the way it has to be," their father Israel replied, "then do this: take some of the best produce of the land in your containers and take them to the man as a gift—some resin ointment, some honey, fragrant resins, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds. Majority Standard Bible Then their father Israel said to them, ?If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man?a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. NET Bible Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man--a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. New Heart English Bible Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your bags and bring a gift for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Webster's Bible Translation And their father Israel said to them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry to the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: World English Bible Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd their father Israel says to them, “If so, now, do this: take of the praised thing of the land in your vessels, and take down to the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds; Young's Literal Translation And Israel their father saith unto them, 'If so, now, this do: take of the praised thing of the land in your vessels, and take down to the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds; Smith's Literal Translation And Israel their father will say to them, If so now, do this; take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down to the man a gift of a little balsam, and a little honey and spice and resin, pistacia nuts, and almonds. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThen Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds. Catholic Public Domain Version Therefore, their father Israel said to them: “If it is necessary to do so, then do what you will. Take, in your vessels, from the best fruits of the land, and carry down gifts to the man: a little resin, and honey, and storax ointment, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and almonds. New American Bible Israel their father then told them: “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the land’s best products in your baggage and take them down to the man as gifts: some balm and honey, gum and resin, and pistachios and almonds. New Revised Standard Version Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry them down as a present to the man—a little balm and a little honey, gum, resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd their father Israel said to them, If it must be so now, then do this: take some of the best fruits of the land in your sacks, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, gum, and myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And Israel their father said to them, “If it is so, do this: take from the good of the land in your vessels and bring down a gift to the man, a little balsam and a little honey and balm and pistachios and terebinth berries and almonds: OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And their father Israel said unto them: 'If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds; Brenton Septuagint Translation And Israel, their father, said to them, If it be so, do this; take of the fruits of the earth in your vessels, and carry down to the man presents of gum and honey, and frankincense, and stacte, and turpentine, and walnuts. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Return to Egypt with Benjamin…10If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.” 11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man— a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 12Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.… Cross References Genesis 32:13-20 Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau: / 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, / 30 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. ... Genesis 37:25 And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt. Genesis 44:1-2 Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack. / Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed. 1 Kings 10:2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind. 1 Kings 10:10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again were spices in such abundance brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 1 Samuel 9:7-8 “If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” / The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have here in my hand a quarter shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.” Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men. Proverbs 21:14 A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath. 2 Samuel 17:27-29 When David came to Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim. / They brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, / honey, curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.” 2 Kings 8:8-9 So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand, go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD through him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” / So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’” Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 5:23-24 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, / leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 7:11 So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Luke 11:13 So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 21:1-4 Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, / and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. / “Truly I tell you,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ... Treasury of Scripture And their father Israel said to them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: If it must be. Genesis 43:14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. Esther 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. Acts 21:14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. carry down. Genesis 32:13-21 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; … Genesis 33:10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Genesis 37:25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. a little balm. Genesis 37:25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Ezekiel 27:15 The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony. balm. Genesis 37:25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 2 Chronicles 31:5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. honey. Leviticus 20:24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. spices. 1 Kings 10:15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country. Song of Solomon 4:10,14-16 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! … Jump to Previous Almonds Aromatic Bags Balm Best Carry Choice Fruits Gum Honey Israel Little Myrrh Nuts Present Products Spicery Spices VesselsJump to Next Almonds Aromatic Bags Balm Best Carry Choice Fruits Gum Honey Israel Little Myrrh Nuts Present Products Spicery Spices VesselsGenesis 43 1. Jacob is persuaded to send Benjamin.15. Joseph entertains his brothers. 19. They discover their fears to the steward. 26. Joseph makes them a feast. Then their father Israel said to them, This phrase identifies Jacob, also known as Israel, as the speaker. The name "Israel" signifies his role as the patriarch of the twelve tribes. This moment reflects his leadership and decision-making in a time of crisis, emphasizing his responsibility for his family's survival. “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man— a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. Persons / Places / Events 1. Israel (Jacob)The patriarch of the family, also known as Jacob, who is making a decision to send his sons back to Egypt with gifts. 2. Joseph's Brothers The sons of Israel who are tasked with returning to Egypt to buy more grain and to bring back their brother Simeon. 3. Egypt The land where Joseph, unbeknownst to his brothers, is a powerful official. It is the place of refuge during the famine. 4. The Man (Joseph) Referred to as "the man" by his brothers, Joseph is the governor of Egypt, who has demanded to see Benjamin. 5. The Famine A severe famine affecting the region, prompting the need for grain from Egypt. Teaching Points Wisdom in LeadershipIsrael demonstrates wisdom and prudence in his leadership by sending gifts to appease the Egyptian official. This teaches us the importance of using discernment and strategic thinking in difficult situations. The Role of Gifts The use of gifts to gain favor is a recurring theme in the Bible. It highlights the importance of generosity and thoughtfulness in relationships, especially when seeking reconciliation or favor. Trust in God's Provision Despite the dire circumstances, Israel's actions reflect a trust in God's provision. Believers are encouraged to trust God even when resources are scarce. Family Responsibility Israel's decision underscores the importance of family responsibility and taking action to ensure the well-being of loved ones. Faith in Action Israel's faith is demonstrated through his actions. Faith often requires us to take practical steps, trusting that God will work through them.(11) The best fruits.--Heb., the song, that is, whatever in the land is most celebrated in song. In your vessels.--The word used in Genesis 42:25, where see Note. Concerning this present two remarks must be made; the first, that it proves that though there was not rain enough in Palestine to bring the corn to perfection, yet that there was some small supply, sufficient to maintain a certain amount of vegetation; and but for this Jacob could not have kept his cattle alive (Genesis 47:1). And next, the smallness of the present does not so much show that Jacob had very simple ideas respecting the greatness of the king of Egypt, as that there was a scarcity even of these fruits. Probably the trade in them had ceased, and therefore even a moderate quantity 'would be welcome. For the words rendered balm, spices and myrrh really balsam, gum-tragacanth and ladanum), see Note on Genesis 37:25. Honey.--As both the honey made by bees and date honey were common in Egypt, many suppose that this was grape-honey, prepared by boiling down the juice of ripe grapes to a third of its original quantity. Hebron is famous for its preparation, and even in modern times three hundred camel loads used to be exported thence annually into Egypt. Diluted with water it forms a very grateful drink, and it is also largely eaten with bread, as we eat butter. Nuts.--That is, pistachio nuts, the fruit of the pistachio, vera. As the tree delights in dry, rocky situations, it will not grow in Egypt. It has an oily kernel, both palatable in itself and also much used for making savoury meats. These and the almonds, which also do not grow well in Egypt, would be acceptable gifts. Verse 11. - And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now (literally, if so now), do this; take of the best fruits in the land (literally, of the song of the land, i.e. of its choicest and most praised productions) in your vessels, and carry down the man a present. That Jacob could propose to send a handsome present of rich fruits to the Egyptian viceroy has been regarded as inconsistent with the prevalence of a famine in the land of Canaan for over two or three years (Bohlen); but(1) the failure of the cereal crops does not necessarily imply a like absence of fruit, and (2) it does not follow that, though Jacob selected the under-mentioned articles for his gift, they existed in abundance, while (3) if the fruit harvest was small, an offering such as is here described would only be all the more luxuriant and valuable on that account (Kurtz, Kalisch). A little balm, - balsam (vide Genesis 37:25) - and a little honey, - דְּבַשׁ, grape honey, called by the Arabians dibs, and the Persians dushab, was prepared by boiling down must or new wine to a third or half; hence called by the Greeks ἕψημα, and by the Romans sapa, defrutum. It is still imported into Egypt from the district of Hebron. That it was not the honey of bees, μέλι, (LXX.), meg (Vulgate), is rendered probable by the circumstance that Egypt abounds in this excellent production of nature (vide Michaelis, Suppl., p. 391) - spices, and myrrh (wide Genesis 27:25), nuts, - בָּטְנִים, an oblong species of nut, so called from its being fiat on one side and bellying out on the other (the pistacia vera of Linnaeus), having an oily kernel which is most palatable to Orientals (vide Kalisch in loco) - and almonds. The שָׁקֵד or almond tree, so called because of all trees it is the first to arouse from the sleep of winter, the root being שָׁקָד, to be sleepless, (Gesenius), does not seem to have been indigenous in Egypt, while it flourishes in Syria and Palestine (Kalisch). Hebrew Then their fatherאֲבִיהֶ֗ם (’ă·ḇî·hem) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 1: Father Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל (yiś·rā·’êl) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc said וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say to them, אֲלֵהֶ֜ם (’ă·lê·hem) Preposition | third person masculine plural Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to “If אִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not it must be so, כֵּ֣ן ׀ (kên) Adverb Strong's 3651: So -- thus then אֵפוֹא֮ (’ê·p̄ō·w) Conjunction Strong's 645: Here, now, then do עֲשׂוּ֒ (‘ă·śū) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Strong's 6213: To do, make this: זֹ֣את (zōṯ) Pronoun - feminine singular Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that, Put קְח֞וּ (qə·ḥū) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Strong's 3947: To take some of the best products מִזִּמְרַ֤ת (miz·zim·raṯ) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 2173: Perhaps choice products of the land הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ (hā·’ā·reṣ) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land in your packs בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם (biḵ·lê·ḵem) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus and carry them down וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּ (wə·hō·w·rî·ḏū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend as a gift מִנְחָ֑ה (min·ḥāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 4503: A donation, tribute, a sacrificial offering for the man— לָאִ֖ישׁ (lā·’îš) Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 582: Man, mankind a little מְעַ֤ט (mə·‘aṭ) Adjective - masculine singular construct Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few balm צֳרִי֙ (ṣo·rî) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6875: Distillation, balsam and a little וּמְעַ֣ט (ū·mə·‘aṭ) Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular construct Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few honey, דְּבַ֔שׁ (də·ḇaš) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1706: Honey, syrup spices נְכֹ֣את (nə·ḵōṯ) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5219: (a spice) perhaps tragacanth gum and myrrh, וָלֹ֔ט (wā·lōṭ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3910: A gum, ladanum pistachios בָּטְנִ֖ים (bā·ṭə·nîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 992: A pistachio-nut and almonds. וּשְׁקֵדִֽים׃ (ū·šə·qê·ḏîm) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 8247: Almond (tree) Links Genesis 43:11 NIVGenesis 43:11 NLT Genesis 43:11 ESV Genesis 43:11 NASB Genesis 43:11 KJV Genesis 43:11 BibleApps.com Genesis 43:11 Biblia Paralela Genesis 43:11 Chinese Bible Genesis 43:11 French Bible Genesis 43:11 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 43:11 Their father Israel said to them If (Gen. 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