Genesis 44:16

Judah replied, “What can we say ¹  to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? ²  God has exposed the sin of your servants! ³  We are now my lord’s slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

Ge 37:7,9; Ge 37:18-28; Ge 42:21,22; Ge 43:8,9; Ge 43:9; Ge 44:9; Ge 44:32; Nu 32:23; De 25:1; Jos 7:1,18; Jud 1:7; Ezr 9:10,15; Job 40:4; Pr 17:15; Pr 28:17; Isa 5:3; Isa 27:9; Da 9:7; Mt 7:2; Lu 12:2; Ac 2:37

¹ tn The imperfect verbal form here indicates the subject’s potential.

² tn The Hitpael form of the verb צָדֵק (tsadeq) here means “to prove ourselves just, to declare ourselves righteous, to prove our innocence.”

³ sn God has exposed the sin of your servants. The first three questions are rhetorical; Judah is stating that there is nothing they can say to clear themselves. He therefore must conclude that they have been found guilty.