Genesis 45:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’

NIV: and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.'

NASB: and take your father and your households and come to me; and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.’

CSB: Get your father and your families, and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you can eat from the richness of the land.'

NLT: Then get your father and all of your families, and return here to me. I will give you the very best land in Egypt, and you will eat from the best that the land produces.’'

KJV: And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

NKJV: Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.

Pharaoh, the monarch ruling over Egypt, had placed Joseph in the position of second-in-command (Genesis 41:44). When he learned Joseph had reunited with his estranged family (Genesis 45:1–2), he reacted with joy (Genesis 45:16). As soon as his identity was revealed, Joseph described a plan for the entire family to move to Egypt and live near to him to survive the ongoing famine (Genesis 45:10–11).

Pharaoh favors Joseph highly, so he steps in to enhance this offer of hospitality. He promises to give to Joseph's extended family the best of the land of Egypt. Not only will they be cared for, but they will also be offered the best Egypt has to offer. This is far better than Jacob and his people could ever have hoped for. Instead of facing starvation, the Pharaoh of Egypt would see to it they would thrive.

Proverbs 21:1 says that a king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. God turns it wherever He will. In this case, God has—among other things—prepared Pharaoh's heart. The Egyptian king's intent is to show favor to God's people, Israel. This will save them from a famine that would likely have wiped them out or scattered them.

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.