Worthy.Bible » ASV » Genesis » Chapter 45 » Verse 5

Genesis 45:5 American Standard (ASV)

5 And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

Cross Reference

Genesis 45:7-8 ASV

And God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Psalms 105:16-17 ASV

And he called for a famine upon the land; He brake the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a servant:

2 Samuel 16:10-12 ASV

And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Because he curseth, and because Jehovah hath said unto him, Curse David; who then shall say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more `may' this Benjamite now `do it'? let him alone, and let him curse; for Jehovah hath bidden him. It may be that Jehovah will look on the wrong done unto me, and that Jehovah will requite me good for `his' cursing of me this day.

Isaiah 40:1-2 ASV

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.

Acts 2:23-24 ASV

him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay: whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Acts 4:24-28 ASV

And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is: who by the Holy Spirit, `by' the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his Anointed: for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass.

Acts 7:9-15 ASV

And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's race became manifest unto Pharaoh. And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. And Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, himself and our fathers;

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 45

Commentary on Genesis 45 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verses 1-15

The Recognition. - Genesis 45:1. After this appeal, in which Judah, speaking for his brethren, had shown the tenderest affection for the old man who had been bowed down by their sin, and the most devoted fraternal love and fidelity to the only remaining son of his beloved Rachel, and had given a sufficient proof of the change of mind, the true conversion, that had taken place in themselves, Joseph could not restrain himself any longer in relation to all those who stood round him. He was obliged to relinquish the part which he had hitherto acted for the purpose of testing his brothers' hearts, and to give full vent to his feelings. “ He called out: Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man (of his Egyptian attendants) with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brethren, quia effusio illa affectuum et στοργῆς erga fratres et parentem tanta fuit, ut non posset ferre alienorum praesentiam et aspectum ( Luther ).

Genesis 45:2-3

As soon as all the rest were gone, he broke out into such loud weeping, that the Egyptians outside could hear it; and the house of Pharaoh, i.e., the royal family, was told of it (cf. Genesis 45:2 and Genesis 45:16). He then said to his brethren: “ I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? ” That his father was still living, he had not only been informed before (Genesis 43:27), but had just been told again; but his filial heart impels him to make sure of it once more. “ But his brethren could not answer him, for they were terrified before him: ” they were so smitten in their consciences, that from astonishment and terror they could not utter a word.

Genesis 45:4-7

Joseph then bade his brethren approach nearer, and said: “ I am Joseph, your brother, whom he sold into Egypt. But now be not grieved nor angry with yourselves ( בּעיניכם אל־חר as in Genesis 31:35) that ye sold me hither; for God hath sent me before you to preserve life .” Sic enim Joseph interpretatur venditionem. Vos quidem me vendidistis, sed Deus emit, asseruit et vindicavit me sibi pastorem, principem et salvatorem populorum eodem consilio, quo videbar amissus et perditus ( Luther ). “ For, ” he continues in explanation, “ now there are two years of famine in the land, and there are five years more, in which there will be no ploughing and reaping. And God hath sent me before you to establish you a remnant (cf. 2 Samuel 14:7) upon the earth (i.e., to secure to you the preservation of the tribe and of posterity during this famine), and to preserve your lives to a great deliverance, ” i.e., to a great nation delivered from destruction, cf. Genesis 50:20. פּליטה that which has escaped, the band of men or multitude escaped from death and destruction (2 Kings 19:30-31). Joseph announced prophetically here, that God had brought him into Egypt to preserve through him the family which He had chosen for His own nation, and to deliver them out of the danger of starvation which threatened them now, as a very great nation.

Genesis 45:8

And now (this was truly the case) it was not you that sent me hither; but God ( Ha-Elohim , the personal God, on contrast with his brethren) hath made me a father to Pharaoh (i.e., his most confidential counsellor and friend; cf. 1 Macc. 11:32, Ges. thes . 7), and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt; ” cf. Genesis 41:40-41.

Genesis 45:9-11

Joseph then directed his brethren to go up to their father with all speed, and invite him in his name to come without delay, with all his family and possessions, into Egypt, where he would keep him near himself, in the land of Goshen (see Genesis 47:11), that he might not perish in the still remaining five years of famine. הוּרשׁ : Genesis 45:11, lit., to be robbed of one's possessions, to be taken possession of by another, from ירשׁ to take possession.

Genesis 45:12-13

But the brethren were so taken by surprise and overpowered by this unexpected discovery, that to convince them of the reality of the whole affair, Joseph was obliged to add, “Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.

And tell my father all my glory in Egypt, and all that ye have seen, and bring my father quickly hither.”

Genesis 45:14-15

He then fell upon Benjamin's neck and wept, and kissed all his brethren and wept on them, i.e., whilst embracing them; “ and after that, his brethren talked with him .” כּן אחרי : after Joseph by a triple assurance, that what they had done was the leading of God for their own good, had dispelled their fear of retribution, and, by embracing and kissing them with tears, had sealed the truth and sincerity of his words.


Verses 16-18

Invitation to Jacob to Come into Egypt. - Genesis 45:16. The report of the arrival of Joseph's brethren soon found it sway into the palace, and made so favourable an impression upon Pharaoh and his courtiers, that the king sent a message through Joseph to his brethren to come with their father and their families (“ your houses ”) into Egypt, saying that he would give them “ the good of the land of Egypt, ” and they should eat “ the fat of the land .” טוּב , “the good,” is not the best part, but the good things (produce) of the land, as in Genesis 45:20, Genesis 45:23, Genesis 24:10; 2 Kings 8:9. חלב , fat, i.e., the finest productions.


Verse 19-20

At the same time Pharaoh empowered Joseph (“thou art commanded”) to give his brethren carriages to take with them, in which to convey their children and wives and their aged father, and recommended them to leave their goods behind them in Canaan, for the good of all Egypt was at their service. From time immemorial Egypt was rich in small, two-wheeled carriages, which could be used even where there were no roads (cf. Genesis 50:9; Exodus 14:6. with Isaiah 36:9). “ Let not your eye look with mourning ( תּחס ) at your goods; ” i.e., do not trouble about the house-furniture which you are obliged to leave behind. The good-will manifested in this invitation of Pharaoh towards Jacob's family was to be attributed to the feeling of gratitude to Joseph, and “is related circumstantially, because this free and honourable invitation involved the right of Israel to leave Egypt again without obstruction” ( Delitzsch ).


Verses 21-24

The sons of Israel carried out the instructions of Joseph and the invitation of Pharaoh (Genesis 45:25-27). But Joseph not only sent carriages according to Pharaoh's directions, and food for the journey, he also gave them presents, changes of raiment, a suit for every one, and five suits for Benjamin, as well as 300 shekels of silver. שׂמלות חלפות : change of clothes, clothes to change; i.e., dress clothes which were worn on special occasions and frequently changed (Judges 13:12-13, Judges 13:19; 2 Kings 5:5). “ And to his father he sent like these; ” i.e., not changes of clothes, but presents also, viz., ten asses “carrying of the good of Egypt,” and ten she-asses with corn and provisions for the journey; and sent them off with the injunction: אל־תּרגּזוּ :noitcnu , μὴ ὀργἱζεσθε (lxx), “do not get angry by the way.” Placatus erat Joseph fratribus, simul eos admonet, ne quid turbarum moveant. Timendum enim erat, ne quisque se purgando crimen transferre in alios studeret atque its surgeret contentio ( Calvin ).


Verses 25-28

When they got back, and brought word to their father, “Joseph is still living, yea ( וכי an emphatic assurance, Ewald , §3306) he is ruler in all the land of Egypt, his heart stopped, for he believed them not;” i.e., his heart did not beat at this joyful news, for he put no faith in what they said. It was not till they told him all that Joseph had said, and he saw the carriages that Joseph had sent, that “ the spirit of their father Jacob revived; and Israel said: It is enough! Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die .” Observe the significant interchange of Jacob and Israel. When once the crushed spirit of the old man was revived by the certainty that his son Joseph was still alive, Jacob was changed into Israel, the “conqueror overcoming his grief at the previous misconduct of his sons” ( Fr. v. Meyer ).