Genesis 45:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

NIV: But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

NASB: When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, then the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

CSB: But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

NLT: But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father’s spirits revived.

KJV: And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:

NKJV: But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

Jacob's 11 sons have just revealed the most startling and unexpected news of his life. His beloved son Joseph, whom Jacob believed to have died as a teenager two decades earlier (Genesis 37:31–34), is alive. In fact, he is the very Egyptian ruler who had demanded Benjamin travel to Egypt with the rest of the brothers (Genesis 43:7). Joseph is a ruler over all of Egypt (Genesis 41:44)!

At first, Jacob's reaction is one of stunned, emotionless silence. With a surprise of that magnitude, this reaction is hardly surprising. Nor is it shocking to think he initially refused to believe this news—it was too good to be true. Now, though, his sons rush to tell him all the convincing details of Joseph's story. Jacob sees the wagons Joseph has sent to move him and his family to Egypt. He begins to believe it is possible, and his spirit revives.

Perhaps Jacob had an actual medical episode, such as fainting or even a mild heart condition. Perhaps he was simply overwhelmed and then became hopeful again. In any case, Jacob comes around to accept what his sons are telling him about Joseph.

What is left unspoken is how or when Jacob's sons told him the complete truth: that they lied about Joseph being killed by a wild animal all those years ago. Did they explain in detail that they sold him into slavery because of their great resentment and jealousy? Scripture does not say, but it's likely that those details came up, eventually. Jacob's remark about it being "enough" that Joseph is still alive (Genesis 45:28) suggests he's willing to set such things aside.

Genesis 45:16–28 describes Pharaoh's enthusiastic response to learning about Joseph's reunion with his estranged family. With Pharaoh's blessing, Joseph urges his brothers to return to Canaan, pack all they own, and come back to resettle the family in Egypt. Their father Jacob agrees after eventually being convinced the story is true.

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.