Genesis 45:5

5 And now be not greued therwith nether let it seme a cruel thinge in youre eyes that ye solde me hither. For God dyd send me before you to saue lyfe.

Genesis 45:5 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 45:5

Now therefore be not grieved
To an excess, so as to be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow; otherwise it became them to be grieved for their sin, and to show a godly sorrow and true repentance for it: nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither;
reflect upon themselves, and afflict themselves in an immoderate way; or break forth into anger and wrath with one another, upbraiding and blaming each other for their conduct in that affair, and so foment contentions and quarrels among themselves: for God did send me before you to preserve life;
the life of thousands of persons in Egypt, Canaan, and other countries; and particularly to preserve their lives was he sent before them into Egypt; where, by interpretation Pharaoh's dreams, by which he understood and did foretell the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine, he was to great honour and trust, and laid up a sufficiency of corn in the time of plenty to answer the exigencies of various countries in the time of famine, and, among the rest, of his own family; and therefore would have this attributed by them to the wise disposing providence of God.

Genesis 45:5 In-Context

3 And he sayde vnto his brethern: I am Ioseph: doth my father yet lyue? But his brethern coude not answere him for they were abasshed at his presence.

4 And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethern: come nere to me and they came nere. And he sayde: I am Ioseph youre brother whom ye sold in to Egipte.

5 And now be not greued therwith nether let it seme a cruel thinge in youre eyes that ye solde me hither. For God dyd send me before you to saue lyfe.

6 For this is the seconde yere of derth in the lande and fyue moo are behynde in which there shall nether be earynge nor hervest.

7 Wherfore God sent me before you to make prouision that ye myghte continue in the erth and to save youre lyues by a greate delyuerance.