And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
But Jacob said, 'My son will not go down to Egypt with you. His brother is dead, and he is the only one left from his mother. If something terrible happens to him on the journey, you will send me to my grave heartbroken in my old age.'
Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go to Egypt because he's already lost Joseph and can't bear the thought of losing Rachel's only remaining son.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the severe famine when Jacob's sons needed to return to Egypt for more grain, but the Egyptian official (secretly Joseph) had demanded they bring Benjamin. Jacob is speaking about Benjamin, his youngest son and the only surviving child he believes he has from his beloved wife Rachel, since he thinks Joseph is dead.
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