And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
And we told you, my lord, 'We have a father who is an old man, and a young child who was born when our father was already old. This boy's older brother is dead, so he's the only one left from his mother, and his father loves him deeply.'
The brothers are explaining to Joseph (though they don't know it's him) how precious Benjamin is to their father Jacob because he's the only surviving son of Rachel and Jacob's beloved youngest child.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the brothers' second trip to Egypt to buy grain during a severe famine. Joseph, now a powerful Egyptian official, has secretly placed his silver cup in Benjamin's sack to test his brothers. When confronted about the 'theft,' Judah is pleading for Benjamin's release by explaining how devastated their father would be to lose him, since Benjamin is Rachel's only surviving son after Joseph's apparent death.
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