Genesis 44:29

44:29 If you take ¹  this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair ²  in tragedy ³  to the grave.’ ⁴ 

Genesis 44:31

44:31 When he sees the boy is not with us, ⁵  he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave.

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¹ tn The construction uses a perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive to introduce the conditional clause and then another perfect verbal form with a vav consecutive to complete the sentence: “if you take…then you will bring down.”

² sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble. See Gen 42:38.

³ tn Heb “evil/calamity.” The term is different than the one used in the otherwise identical statement recorded in v. 31 (see also 42:38).

⁴ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

⁵ tn Heb “when he sees that there is no boy.”