Genesis 45:1-7

1 Joseph might no longer abstain himself, while many men stood there before him; wherefore he commanded that all men should go out, and that none alien were present in the knowing of Joseph and his brethren. (Joseph could no longer restrain himself, with so many men standing there before him; and so he commanded that all the men go out, so that no stranger was present when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.)

2 And Joseph raised up his voice with weeping, which the Egyptians heard, and all the house(hold) of Pharaoh.

3 And he said to his brethren, I am Joseph; liveth my father yet? (yet liveth my father?) His brethren might not answer, and were aghast with full much dread.

4 To whom Joseph said meekly, Cometh nigh to me (To whom Joseph meekly said, Come near to me). And when they had nighed nigh, he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt;

5 do not ye dread, neither seem it to be hard to you, that ye sold me into these countries; for God hath sent me before you into Egypt for your health. (do not ye fear, nor be ye harsh with yourselves, that ye sold me into this country; for God hath sent me before you into Egypt for your salvation.)

6 For it is (but) two years that hunger began to be in the land, (and) yet five (more) years (shall) follow, in which men shall not be able to ear, neither reap;

7 and God before-sent me, that ye be kept (alive) on (the) earth, and may have meats to live. (and God sent me ahead, so that ye would be kept alive on this earth, and have food to eat/and have descendants into without end.)

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.