Tag Archives: Genesis 44:4

We now enter the dramatic corridor of Joseph’s final test upon his brothers—a moment thick with irony, emotion, and grammatical precision. In this pivotal verse from Genesis, the LXX translator crafts a scene that hinges not only on action but on timing, using participle form and temporal syntax to shape tension and narrative rhythm.

ἐξελθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν πόλιν οὐκ ἀπέσχον μακράν καὶ Ιωσηφ εἶπεν τῷ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ ἀναστὰς ἐπιδίωξον ὀπίσω τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ καταλήμψῃ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς τί ὅτι ἀνταπεδώκατε πονηρὰ ἀντὶ καλῶν

This verse marks the turning point in Joseph’s emotional trial—his silver cup is sent after his brothers, and their return is engineered through language that blends urgency, accusation, and moral inversion.… Learn Koine Greek