Genesis 45:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

NIV: You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me--you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.

NASB: For you shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your grandchildren, and your flocks and your herds and all that you have.

CSB: You can settle in the land of Goshen and be near me--you, your children, and your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and all you have.

NLT: You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own.

KJV: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:

NKJV: You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.

Reading this account, it's difficult to feel "sympathy" for Joseph's brothers. However, one can certainly understand if they felt overwhelmed and confused. Even 22 years later, they have been wracked with guilt over selling Joseph into slavery, deciding their terrible treatment in Egypt must be God's punishment (Genesis 42:21–23). In the course of mere moments, they learned the powerful Egyptian whom they feared is actually their brother Joseph (Genesis 42:7–8). In a rush of emotion, Joseph revealed both who he is and his conviction that God is the one responsible for sending him to Egypt for the good of their family and the world (Genesis 45:1–9).

Before they can possibly process what all this means, Joseph rushes on. They must return to Canaan and bring their father Jacob back to Egypt. In fact, Joseph insists, the entire family must move to Egypt under Joseph's protection and provision. He will settle them all in the fertile region of Goshen, along the Nile River. They must bring everyone and all the cattle and everything they own. Rather than seeking revenge against his brothers, Joseph desperately wants to protect them from harm.

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.