Genesis 45:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here."

NIV: Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly."

NASB: Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.'

CSB: Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly."

NLT: Go tell my father of my honored position here in Egypt. Describe for him everything you have seen, and then bring my father here quickly.'

KJV: 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 hither.

NKJV: So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”

Joseph is urging his brothers to return to Canaan and bring their father Jacob back to Egypt. He wants them to move the entire family there, under his care, to save them from the famine (Genesis 45:1–12). Now Joseph asks them to tell his father how Joseph is honored in Egypt. Joseph sounds very much like a son who longs for his father to be proud of him. Despite what Jacob has long thought (Genesis 37:31–34), Joseph is not dead. In fact, he has become a great and important man (Genesis 41:44). One can only image how much he longed to show all of his success to his father.

The speech to Joseph's brothers concludes with a great sense of urgency. Joseph might have been worried that Jacob, quite old and in much distress, might not survive long enough to see him again.

Genesis 45:1–15 records Joseph's emotional revelation of his identity. Still unrecognized by his estranged brothers, Joseph had tested them, leading to Judah's passionate, sacrificial offer (Genesis 44:18–34). Overcome with emotion, Joseph identifies himself to his dumbfounded brothers. He states with confidence that all this has happened as part of God's plan to preserve the people of Israel.

Genesis 45 is a series of revelations. Following an emotional breakdown, Joseph finally reveals his identity to his baffled brothers. After they realize the governor of Egypt is the one they sold into slavery two decades earlier, he rushes to tell them he does not hold them responsible. In His own way, God had arranged for Joseph's enslavement, for the purpose of saving many people from famine. With Pharaoh's enthusiastic support, Joseph arranged for his brothers to return to Canaan, pack up Jacob and all they own, and come back to resettle in Egypt. Jacob, finally convinced all this is true, agrees to the move.

Genesis 44 concluded with an impassioned speech from Judah, offering to sacrifice himself for his younger brother. Overwhelmed with emotion, Joseph breaks down and finally reveals his identity to his brothers. He urges them to move Jacob's entire family to Egypt to survive the famine. Jacob agrees, leading to the migration and resettlement depicted in Genesis 46. The remainder of Genesis describes the happy results of this relocation.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/23/2024 4:03:49 AM