And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother - that is, uterine brothers; but, in all countries where polygamy prevails, 'the son of my mother' implies a closeness of relationship and a warmth of affection never awakened by the looser term, 'brother.'