Genesis 43:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

NIV: He asked them how they were, and then he said, 'How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?'

NASB: Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, 'Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?'

CSB: He asked if they were well, and he said, "How is your elderly father that you told me about? Is he still alive? "

NLT: After greeting them, he asked, 'How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?'

KJV: And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

NKJV: Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “ Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

Some twenty years earlier, a young Joseph dreamt his brothers and entire family would one day bow before him (Genesis 37:5–10). This was one reason the jealous brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:24–28). Over time, Joseph was lifted to become the second most powerful man in the entire nation (Genesis 41:44). When his brothers arrived to buy grain during a famine, they did not recognize him (Genesis 42:8), and Joseph tested them (Genesis 42:14, 19–20). On their second trip, they bring their youngest brother Benjamin, and Joseph's first dream is fulfilled (Genesis 43:26).

After Joseph's 11 brothers bow, honoring his position, he immediately asks them about their father. Perhaps a touch eagerly, he inquires if the old father they mentioned (Genesis 42:11) is still alive. It's a valid question. Joseph has been gone from home a long time, and Jacob is very old.

Genesis 43:16–34 finds Joseph's estranged brothers returning once more to Egypt and appearing before him. They still fail to recognize the person they sold into slavery some twenty years before. After he orders them taken to his home, the brothers are afraid they will be ambushed for a false charge of theft due to their prior visit (Genesis 42:25–28). Joseph's steward assures them God arranged those events, and all is well. Joseph shares a meal with them, honoring them as guests in his home and giving special attention to Benjamin. The meal turns into a time of merriment for them all.

Jacob must send Benjamin with his brothers, back to Egypt, to buy more grain for the family. Without it, they will starve, but the Egyptian ruler will not sell them grain if they don't bring Benjamin as agreed. Speaking on behalf of his brothers, Judah finally convinces his father. Arriving in Egypt, they are honored as guests in Joseph's house. They present a gift to him—still not recognizing him as their estranged brother—and Joseph, after being overwhelmed with emotion, pays special attention to Benjamin.

In Genesis chapter 37, Jacob sends his favorite son, Joseph, to visit his brothers. Joseph does not come home. In chapter 42, Jacob sends ten of his sons on a mission, and once again the group returns short one son. The Egyptian governor keeps Simeon as collateral and commands the family to return with Benjamin. Only when forced with starvation does Jacob risk his youngest son. Joseph, still unrecognized by his brothers as the governor of Egypt, honors the men as guests in his home, paying special attention to Benjamin. After further tests in chapter 44, Joseph will finally reveal himself in chapter 45.

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 5/1/2024 7:17:29 PM