Quran Universe
12:78

قَالُواْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُۥٓ أَبٗا شَيۡخٗا كَبِيرٗا فَخُذۡ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُۥٓۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

Qaloo ya ayyuha alAAazeezu inna lahu aban shaykhan kabeeran fakhuth ahadana makanahu inna naraka mina almuhsineena

They said, "O 'Azeez, indeed he has a father [who is] an old man, so take one of us in place of him. Indeed, we see you as a doer of good."

Word by word
  1. قَالُواْThey said
  2. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO
  3. ٱلۡعَزِيزُAziz
  4. إِنَّIndeed
  5. لَهُۥٓhe has
  6. أَبٗاa father
  7. شَيۡخٗاold
  8. كَبِيرٗا[great]
  9. فَخُذۡso take
  10. أَحَدَنَاone of us
  11. مَكَانَهُۥٓۖ(in) his place
  12. إِنَّاIndeed,we
  13. نَرَىٰكَ[we] see you
  14. مِنَof
  15. ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَthe good-doers
Yusuf · 12:78Makkah

His father is old, take one of us instead.

The brothers now plead for their father's heart

Their plea
an old fathercomforted by this son
so
take one of usin his place
you do goodso be merciful
How they had changed
years agogot rid of the favored son
now
todayoffer themselves for him

Once Binyamin was to be held, the brothers begged for mercy. Ibn Kathir says they told the 'Aziz: he has an old father who loves him, comforted by him for the son he lost. Take one of us in his place. We see you are a doer of good.

The sibling who used to be jealous of you is now the one at the hospital bed, covering your shifts. People can change. The ones who once hurt someone can grow into the ones who protect.

People who did wrong once will always be like that.

The same people who once caused harm can grow into protectors.

Try this

Notice one way someone who hurt you in the past has grown, and tell them.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

They said: "O 'Aziz! Verily, he has an old father (who will grieve for him); so take one of us in his place. Indeed we think that you are one of the doers of good. (78)He said: "Allah forbid, that we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property. Indeed (if we did so), we should be wrongdoers. (79)

Yusuf's Brothers offer taking One of Them instead of Binyamin as a Slave, Yusuf rejects the Offer

When it was decided that Benyamin was to be taken and kept with Yusuf according to the law they adhered by, Yusuf's brothers started requesting clemency and raising compassion in his heart for them,

قَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الْعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُ أَبًا شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا

(They said, "O 'Aziz! Verily, he has an old father...") who loves him very much and is comforted by his presence from the son that he lost,

فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُ

(so take one of us in his place.), instead of Binyamin to remain with you,

إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(Indeed we think that you are one of the doers of good.), the good doers, just, and accepting fairness,

قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَن نَّأْخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدْنَا مَتَاعَنَا عِندَهُ

(He said: "Allah forbid, that we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property..."), 'according to the judgement that you gave for his punishment,

إِنَّا إِذًا لَّظَالِمُونَ

(Indeed, we should be wrongdoers.), if we take an innocent man instead of the guilty man.'