قَالَ إِنِّى لَيَحْزُنُنِىٓ أَن تَذْهَبُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَأَخَافُ أَن يَأْكُلَهُ ٱلذِّئْبُ وَأَنتُمْ عَنْهُ غَٰفِلُونَ
“He said: Lo! in truth it saddens me that ye should take him with you, and I fear less the wolf devour him while ye are heedless of him.” — M. M. Pickthall
According to this text, Jacob said that his sons taking Joseph to the fields would grieve him, because while they were unaware and inattentive, the wolf could eat him. Taberî explains the wording of the verse here by noting that the expression 'he said' refers to Jacob's words.
يقول تعالى ذكره: قال يعقوب لهم: إني ليحزنني أن تذهبوا به معكم إلى الصحراء، مخافة عليه من الذئب أن يأكله وأنتم عنه غافلون لا تشعرونKurtubî conveys different views about the reason for Jacob's fear of the wolf: According to al-Kalbî, he saw in his dream that a wolf attacked Joseph; according to another view, he saw in his dream ten wolves surrounding Joseph, one of them protecting him, and the earth splitting open so that Joseph was hidden for three days—the ten wolves represent the brothers, the one protecting represents Judah, and the hiding represents his stay in the well. Furthermore, it is also stated through a narration from Ibn Abbas that Jacob actually feared his brothers but expressed this in a veiled manner by saying 'wolf.' Finally, according to some, Jacob did not fear his brothers, for if he had, he would not have sent Joseph with them; his real fear was of the wolf, which is most feared in the deserts.
وذلك أنه رأى في منامه أن الذئب شد على يوسف فلذلك خافه عليه قاله الكلبي وقيل : إنه رأى في منامه كأنه على ذروة جبل وكأن يوسف في بطن الوادي فإذا عشرة من الذئاب قد احتوشته تريد أكله فدرأ عنه واحد ثم انشقت الأرض فتوارى يوسف فيها ثلاثة أيامAccording to Beydâwî, Jacob's sorrow stems from finding the separation from Joseph difficult and being unable to bear it patiently; the wolf fear, on the other hand, is based on the fact that that region was a place where wolves were found. Furthermore, the brothers' expression 'you would certainly be among the losers' is explained as stemming from their being occupied with grazing and play, or from their being unconcerned about protecting Joseph. The phrase 'إنا إذا لخاسرون' in the brothers' response is interpreted as referring to weak, deceived people, or those deserving to be prayed against for ruin.
قال إني ليحزنني أن تذهبوا به لشدة مفارقته علي وقلة صبري عنه. وأخاف أن يأكله الذئب لأن الأرض كانت مذأبة.According to this exegete, the lam letter in the expression '(ليحزننى)' is the lam of beginning. The text further relates that Jacob lived with Joseph together for twenty-four years, then was buried in Damascus with his father Isaac according to his will, and that Joseph lived for twenty-three years after his father and when he died, the people of Egypt disagreed about his burial and finally placed him in a marble coffin and buried him in the Nile.
وروي أن يعقوب أقام معه أربعا وعشرين سنة ثم ماتAccording to this exegete, Jacob's warning to his sons does not stem from his knowing that the wolf would truly reach Joseph, but rather aims to prevent them from being negligent in protecting the child. Jacob was, as it were, saying 'the matter is not as you say.'
الزجر عن التهاون في حفظه وإن كان يعلم أن الذئب لا يصل إليهAccording to Ibn Kesîr, the reason Jacob did not want to send Joseph is his intense love, from which he could not bear separation; this love stems from the great good he saw in Joseph, the signs of prophethood, and the perfection of nature and character. Jacob also spoke of fearing that he would be eaten by the wolf, and the brothers seized upon these words and made them an excuse for what they did.
وذلك لفرط محبته له لما يتوسم فيه من الخير العظيمCommon ground
All exegetes accept that the fundamental factor in Jacob's reluctance to send Joseph with his brothers is 'fear of the wolf' and anxiety about separation; furthermore, there is a common point in how the brothers' expression 'your eyes will be inattentive to him' is connected with their inattentiveness or carelessness.
Differences
While Taberî and Beydâwî address the issue primarily within a linguistic and rhetorical framework, Kurtubî makes the matter multilayered through richness of narration (dream accounts, Ibn Abbas's interpretation of fearing the brothers). Zemahşerî, in addition to linguistic detail (the lam of beginning), transmits reports about the subsequent lives of Joseph and Jacob. Râzî and Ibn Kesîr, on the other hand, lean toward more contextual and psychological readings, emphasizing that Jacob's words bear the quality of a caution or precaution, or stem from his deep love; these differences arise from the exegetes' methodological preferences (linguist, transmitter of reports, contextual).
Historical context
In earlier-period exegetes (Taberî, Kurtubî), narration and linguistic analysis are interwoven, whereas in later periods (Zemahşerî, Beydâwî, Râzî) rhetoric and contextual commentary gained prominence, and in Ibn Kesîr, narration and contextual reading are balanced together; although the basic narrative remains fixed, the manner of providing justification for the interpretation has diversified over time.
This narrative draws attention to the importance of being cautious along with compassion in a family, and being attentive regarding the safety of children. Jacob's words can be considered an example of those bearing responsibility being cautious and foresighted, and approaching our loved ones with both trust and a sense of responsibility. At the same time, the consequences of the brothers' heedlessness point to the value of attentiveness and patience in social and familial relations.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar