Genesis 45:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

NIV: Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.''

NASB: And do not concern yourselves with your property, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’?'

CSB: Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.' "

NLT: Don’t worry about your personal belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’'

KJV: Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.

NKJV: Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

Pharaoh's final command to Joseph about what to say to his family in Canaan is another practical approach. Together, both Pharaoh—then ruler of Egypt—and Joseph seem to anticipate Jacob being hesitant. Given the crushing famine (Genesis 45:6), such a move is clearly in their best interest. At the same time, it is a major change. Jacob knows Canaan is the land of promise, after all (Genesis 28:15–16). He might well resist leaving, especially if the move is difficult.

The first way Pharaoh addressed those concerns was telling Joseph to send wagons. Those can bring back every person in the family. They could also, most likely, bring back almost all their household goods. Of course, it's possible that even wagons won't be able to carry everything the family owns. To remove this concern, Pharaoh makes it clear That Joseph's family will lack nothing in Egypt. They should not worry about anything they must leave behind. They will have access to the best the land of Egypt has to offer. This is a tremendous level of generosity.

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 11:46:04 PM