Genesis 45:1-7

1 And Joseph could not control himself before all them that stood by him, and he cried, Put every man out from me! And no man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brethren.
2 And he raised his voice in weeping; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said to his brethren, I am Joseph. Does my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence.
4 And Joseph said to his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 And now, be not grieved, and be not angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For the famine has been these two years in the land; and yet there are five years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest.
7 So God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.

Genesis 45:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 45

This chapter contains an account of Joseph's making himself known to his brethren, which was done when they were alone, Ge 45:1-4; when he encouraged them not to distress themselves on account of their selling him into Egypt, for God in his providence had sent him there for their good, Ge 45:5-8; and he ordered them to go forthwith to Canaan, and acquaint his father with all the honour and glory they saw him in, and to desire him to come thither to him, where he should be provided for during the five years of famine yet to come, in the best part of the land of Egypt, Ge 45:9-13; upon which he expressed the strongest affection to Benjamin, and to all his brethren, Ge 45:14,15; the fame of this was soon spread in the house of Pharaoh, which gave the king great pleasure, who immediately expressed his earnest desire that his father might come and settle in Egypt, and ordered provisions to be sent him, and carriages to bring him down, and all that belonged to him, Ge 45:16-20; and Joseph accordingly delivered to his brethren wagons and provisions for the way, and gave gifts to them, and sent a present to his father, and dismissed his brethren with an exhortation not to fall out by the way, Ge 45:21-24; and when they came to Canaan, they acquainted their father with all these things, who at first could not believe them; but when he saw the wagons, his spirit revived, and determined to go and see his son, Ge 45:25-28.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Lit. 'gave.'
  • [b]. Lit. 'let it not be an occasion of anger in your eyes.'
  • [c]. Lit. 'in the midst of.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.