Genesis 45:1

1 And Joseph could not refrain himself when all were standing by him, but said, Dismiss all from me; and no one stood near Joseph, when he made himself known to his brethren.

Genesis 45:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 45:1

Then Joseph could not refrain himself
That he should not weep, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; at least he could not much longer refrain from tears, such an effect Judah's speech had on his passions: before all them that stood before him;
his servants that attended him and waited upon him, the steward of his house, and others, upon whose account he put such a force upon himself, to keep in his passions from giving vent, that they might not discover the inward motions of his mind; but not being able to conceal them any longer, and he cried;
or called out with a loud voice, and an air of authority: cause every man to go out from me;
out of the room in which he and his brethren were; perhaps this order was given to the steward of the house to depart himself, and to remove every inferior officer and servant upon the spot; or other people that might be come in to hear the trial of those men, and to see how they would be dealt with: and there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto
his brethren;
not that Joseph was ashamed of them, and of owning before them the relation he stood in to them; but that they might not see the confusion his brethren would be thrown into, and have knowledge of the sin they had been guilty of in selling him which could not fail of being mentioned by him, and confessed by them; and besides, it was not suitable to his grandeur and dignity to be seen in such an extreme passion he was now going into.

Genesis 45:1 In-Context

1 And Joseph could not refrain himself when all were standing by him, but said, Dismiss all from me; and no one stood near Joseph, when he made himself known to his brethren.

2 And he uttered his voice with weeping; and all the Egyptians heard, and it was reported to the house of Pharao.

3 And Joseph said to his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled.

4 And Joseph said to his brethren, Draw nigh to me; and they drew nigh; and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom ye sold into Egypt.

5 Now then be not grieved, and let it not seem hard to you that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you for life.