So when they despaired of moving him they withdrew to confer privately together najiyyan is a verbal noun that can be used to refer to one person or more in other words understand it as meaning yunājī ba‘duhum ba‘dan ‘one conferring with the other’. The most senior of them in years — Reuben — or the most senior of them in opinion — Judah said ‘Are you not aware that your father has taken a solemn pledge a covenant from you by God concerning your brother and formerly wa-min qablu mā the mā is extra you failed regarding Joseph? but it the mā is also said to be relating to the verbal action in other words it is a subject the predicate of which is min qabl ‘formerly’. So I will never leave part with this land the land of Egypt until my father permits me to return to him or God judges for me through the deliverance of my brother; and He is the best the fairest of judges.
