Genesis 45:1-18

1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all those that stood by him, and he cried, Cause everyone to go out from me. And no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

2 And he wept aloud; and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.

3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; does my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were terrified at his presence.

4 Then Joseph said unto his brethren, Now 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 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me here, for God sent me before you for life.

6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and yet there are five years in which there shall neither be plowing nor harvest.

7 And God sent me before you that you might remain in the earth and that you might be given life by great liberty.

8 So now it was not you that sent me here, but God; and he has made me as a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

9 Make haste and go up to my father and say unto him: Thus saith thy son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not.

10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy sons and thy sons’ sons and thy herds and thy cows and all that thou hast.

11 And there I will nourish thee, for yet there are five years of famine, lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast perish of poverty.

12 And, behold, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin that it is my mouth that speaks unto you.

13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father here.

14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren and wept upon them, and after that his brethren talked with him.

16 And the fame of this was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, Joseph’s brethren have come; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his slaves.

17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, Do this: lade your beasts and go, return unto the land of Canaan

18 and take your father and your households and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

Genesis 45:1-18 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.