27 So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.
29 When the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt,
30 but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.”
31 Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.
The writer skillfully transitions (v.27) from a reference to Israel the person—i.e., “And Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen,” in which the verb is singular—to the first biblical reference to Israel the people—i.e., “and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became exceedingly numerous,” in which the verbs are all plural. the wording of this latter statement also recalls that of God’s promise to Abraham—e.g., as in Genesis 17:6: “I will make you exceedingly fruitful”—thus connecting this future state of affairs to (and hence reiterating) the important theme of God’s covenant faithfulness. — Wechsler, page 262.
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Joseph took a solemn oath that he would indeed do as his father asked [and bury him in Canaan]. Jacob bowed himself against the bed’s head and offered a prayer of worship and thanksgiving to God. This was, according to Hebrews 11:21, a true act of faith on Jacob’s part. In this reference in Hebrews, the “bed’s head” is called “the top of his staff,” following the Septuagint translation. It may be that Jacob supported himself by his staff and the bed’s headboard, as he was very old and feeble by this time. — Morris, page 643.
Bultema thinks perhaps Jacob leaned on his staff while in bed and leaning on the headboard. Williams thinks there were two different occasions—on in bed and one out of it. Treasury thinks it’s just a matter of translation, as the Hebrew word for bed is mittah and that for staff is matteh. I have no idea, but I have no issue with the idea of Jacob holding his staff in his hands while leaning on his bed.
13 Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
15 So when the money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money has failed.”
16 Then Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone.”
17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
18 When that year had ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is gone; my lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands.
19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants of Pharaoh; give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land may not be desolate.”
20 Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became Pharaoh’s.
21 And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end.
22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
24 And it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh. Four-fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and for your food, for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”
25 So they said, “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become Pharaoh’s.
Though Joseph presumably asked a fair price for the grain, it was only a matter of time until [the Egyptians] had spent all their savings on food … Joseph worked out a barter system, allowing [the Egyptians] to exchange their horses, cattle, and other animals for food. This kept the people going another year, but finally all their animals were gone too.
The people therefore desired to dedicate themselves and their land for service to Pharaoh in return for food on a regular basis, as well as seed with which to sow their lands. … Some people have felt that this was a scheme of Joseph not only to get wealth but also to enslave the people. However, it was their proposal, not Joseph’s, and whatever gain was involved accrued to Pharaoh, not to Joseph. It is true that it created what amounted to a feudalistic economy, but the alternative—that of placing everyone on a dole system—would have destroyed personal and national morale, [and probably] would have bankrupted the government. …
In order to expedite distribution of grain and seed, and to best utilize the labor purchased in this manner, Joseph relocated many of the people, moving them nearer the various cities where the storehouses were situated. — Morris, pages 639-640.
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The priests who administered the Egyptian religious system had extensive land holdings of their own, and they did not turn any of these over to Pharaoh. In effect, Egypt had an official state religion, and the members of its hierarchy were essentially state employees. Thus, they received an ample allocation of grain for their own needs in return for their services and it was unnecessary for them to sell their lands. … This exception [probably] came about on orders of Pharaoh himself. Their portion of grain was that “which Pharaoh gave them.” This suggests that Joseph did not agree with this exception, but was overruled by Pharaoh. …
Since the title to the lands now belonged to Pharaoh, it was agreed that the people would continue to work their own lands, using seed furnished by the government, and that they could keep for their own use 80 percent of what they produced, with 20 percent going to Pharaoh. In effect, this amounted to a permanent annual income tax of 20 percent of gross income. …
The citizens were grateful to Joseph for saving their lives, recognizing that they were being treated fairly and generously and that there could really be no other plan which would work as well under the circumstances. — Morris, pages 641-642.
1 Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.”
2 And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.”
4 And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
6 The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.
dwell (v.4, first usage) = sojourn, dwell as a newcomer for a time (The second use of the word in the verse simply means to live.)
one hundred and thirty (v.9) — Jacob was 130 when he arrived in Egypt and died 17 years later, at 147. Abraham lived to 175, and Isaac to 180.
Though Pharaoh was the more wealthy and powerful, Jacob clearly was the superior, for he “blessed Pharaoh.” Melchizedek had blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:19), thus showing his superiority to Abraham, for “the less is blessed of the better” (Hebrews 7:7). — Morris, page 637.
land of Rameses (v.11) — a name given later to Goshen, probably added here to help locate the place where the Israelites settled.
This region seems to have been bordered on the west by the Nile, since the Israelites “did eat fish freely in Egypt (Numbers 11:5. According to Psalm 78:12, their property must have included “the field of Zoan,” which was on one of the outlet channels of the Nile fairly near the sea. In general it was close to Egypt’s northeast corner, more or less isolated from the bulk of the Egyptian population, which tended to concentrate more to the south and west. — Morris, pages 638-639.
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Not only does the sojourn in Egypt enable Jacob and his family to be physically reunited with Joseph and his family, but it also provides the ideal venue within which the family of Jacob can grow into the “great people/nation” that God had promised to make them. Whereas in the land of Canaan the patriarchal family was one among a plethora of tribes and peoples (most of them stronger and more numerous) constantly contending for land and resources, in Egypt they were given—at Pharaoh’s order—a privileged place in the best of the land … in the land of Goshen. Here they would have the room to expand and grow, free from molestation and with abundant provision, so that after 400 years had passed they would have “increased greatly and multiplied, and become exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7)—a people then numerous to likewise spread throughout and fill the land of their inheritance under the dominion of their Law-giving King. — Wechsler, page 261.
28 Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen.
29 So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.
30 And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.”
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.
32 And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’
33 So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’
34 that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
As the Israelites approached Egypt, they knew they would be stopping in Goshen, according to Joseph’s instructions (Genesis 45:10), whereas Joseph’s headquarters were located farther south and west. Therefore Jacob sent Judah (now fully recognized as the leader among Jacob’s sons) on ahead to tell Joseph to meet them in Goshen, and to direct them exactly where to go.
As soon as he heard his father was coming, Joseph hitched up his chariot and went to Goshen to meet him. When they finally met, for the first time in over twenty-two years, the joy was almost unbearable. — Morris, pages 634-635.
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The Egyptian people, according to both the Bible and secular history, despised the profession of shepherding. Up to this point, apparently, Pharaoh had not been appraised of the fact that the Israelites kept flocks and herds. For this reason, it would be better for them to keep more or less segregated from the Egyptians.
Joseph instructed his brothers to stress this aspect of their activities to Pharaoh, as he also would himself, in order to encourage him to designate Goshen as their home. Otherwise, there might be many—perhaps even Pharoah himself—who would prefer to see the Israelites mix with the Egyptians, the better to encourage intermarriage and eventual assimilation. — Morris, page 635.
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Finally, to ensure a minimum of social contact with (and hence potential molestation by) the Egyptians, Joseph instructs his family to stress (not to lie about) their role as shepherds, since every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians). — Wechsler, page 260.
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It appears that hordes of marauders, called hycassos, or shepherd kings, whose chief occupation, like the Bedouin Arabs of the present day, was to keep flocks, made a powerful irruption into Egypt, which they subdued, and ruled, by a succession of kings, with great tyranny for 259 years. Hence the persons and even the very name of shepherds were execrated, and held in the greatest odium by the Egyptians. — Treasury, page 34.
Obviously, God directed Joseph’s advice in this instance. By calling themselves shepherds, the Israelites guaranteed that the Egyptians would stay away, enabling God’s people to remain a separate and distinct people even while living in a foreign land for 400 years.
8 Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn.
9 The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three.
16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel.
18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons.
19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin.
20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him.
21 The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all.
23 The son of Dan was Hushim.
24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.
26 All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all.
27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.
A discrepancy has been imagined between v.26 and v.27. The “souls that came with Jacob” were sixty-six. The “souls of the house of Jacob” (i.e., the entire Jacobean family) were seventy, i.e., the sixty-six who came with Jacob, plus Joseph and Joseph’s two sons, who were already in Egypt, which equals sixty-nine, plus Jacob himself, which equals seventy. — Scofield, page 65.
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[Leah’s offspring] total thirty-one. However Er and Onan died in Canaan, leaving only twenty-nine of Leah’s sons and grandsons who went to Egypt. Presumably, therefore, Leah also had four daughters or granddaughters, making a total of thirty-three (v.15). One of these was, of course, Dinah, whose unique contribution to Israel’s history (chapter 34) warrants her name being given.
The two sons of Pharez, Hezron and Hamul, are also mentioned by name (v.12), even though they could hardly have been born in Canaan. Pharez himself was born after his brother Shelah was a grown man (Genesis 38:14, 29). Since Judah could not have been more than about forty-seven at this time, Pharez was still only a boy. The names of his sons are evidently included to point out that, so far as Judah’s inheritance was to be reckoned, they had taken the place of Er and Onan, who had died in Canaan.
It is also noted that Simeon’s son Shaul was the “son of a Canaanitish woman” (v.10). This suggests that the wives of Jacob’s other sons (with the exception of Tamar) were not women of the Canaanites. Probably the other sons of Israel had married women who were descendants of Ishmael or Esau, or possibly of Keturah.
One of the sons of Levi, Kohath, was to become Moses’ ancestor. One of the grandsons of Judah, namely Hezron, was destined to be in the lineage of Christ. — Morris, pages 630-631.
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A daughter of Asher, Serah by name, and two sons of Beriah (therefore great-grandsons of Jacob)—Heber and Malchiel—are listed. These are presumably included because they were the only great-grandsons of Zilpah that had been born prior to the move into Egypt. All of these names [from Zilpah, Leah’s maid] total sixteen (v.18). — Morris, page 632.
Fourteen names are listed as descendants of Rachel. Seven names are listed as descendants of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid.
The numbers do not include any of the wives of Jacob’s sons and grandsons (nor the husbands of his daughters and granddaughters), but only those who were of his own seed.
Even though the ten sons of Benjamin may not actually have been born in Canaan, they are listed in order to make this role of founders parallel and complete, since all of Jacob’s grandsons were to be reckoned among these founders. [Although] they all could have been born while Benjamin was still in Canaan. Though Benjamin was not more than twenty-five at this time, at the most, it is conceivable that he could have married while in his teens and then his wife, or wives, could have borne him ten sons (including multiple births) within this relatively brief period.
The seventy original Israelites, summing up, included Jacob and his twelve sons, fifty-one grandsons, two great-grandsons, one daughter (Dinah), one granddaughter (Serah), one other unnamed daughter of Leah, and one unnamed granddaughter of Leah (v.7). It is unusual—though certainly such things are known to happen occasionally—for one sex to be so predominant in a family throughout two generations. It seems probable that, in this case, providential intervention actively produced an abnormally large percentage of males in order to provide a foundation for rapid enlargement of the Israeli nation. … It may also be that other daughters existed but had married and so did not migrate to Egypt. — Morris, page 633.
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The total of 75 persons given by Stephen in Acts 7:14 is most likely due to the inclusion of Joseph’s three grandsons and two great-grandsons, per Genesis 50:23 (with Numbers 26:29, 35-36)—i.e., all the children of Jacob in Egypt mentioned in Genesis, prior to the Exodus). — Wechsler, page 260.
1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.”
3 So He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.
4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”
5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6 So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him.
7 His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.
God spake to him in the visions of the night as “Israel,” but addressed him as “Jacob, Jacob.” He repeats the name; and [perhaps] to kindle affection and confidence He uses the personal name and not the official title.
God forbade Abraham and Isaac to go down into Egypt, He now encourages Jacob to go, saying: “I will go down with thee.” When God promises His company there need be neither hesitation nor fear.” — Williams, page 40.
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Each time [Jacob] had made an important move, God had spoken to him directly. When he left his parents to go to Haran, God had appeared to him at Bethel (Genesis 28:13-15); when he had been with Laban long enough, God instructed him to return to Canaan (Genesis 31:3); even when he left Shechem, God had appeared to him (Genesis 35:1, 9-12).
On his way out of Canaan Israel had in mind to stop by the old altar at Beersheba, where he had lived with his father Isaac (Genesis 28:10). Beersheba was near the southern boundary of the land, and would, so to speak, be the “point of no return.” There, at Beersheba, he offered sacrifices …
That night, once again, God appeared to him in a vision, for the eighth and last time, so far as the record goes. … God set Jacob’s mind at ease about going down to Egypt. Identifying Himself as indeed the God of his father Isaac, He also assured Jacob that He (El, the strong Creator and Sovereign of all men) would protect him and bless him in Egypt, even as He had in Canaan.
Furthermore, God promised that He would bring him back up out of Egypt, when it was time to do so. This promise, as applied to Jacob personally, was only fulfilled after his death (Genesis 49:29; 50:4-8), but it found its more complete fulfillment in the lives of his descendants, in the days of Moses and Joshua. …
Last of all, God assured him that he would see Joseph again. Furthermore, when Jacob’s time to die would come, it would be his beloved son, Joseph himself, who would perform the sacred duty of “laying his hand upon thine eyes,” that is, of closing his eyes in death for his burial. — Morris, pages 628-629.
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[Jacob] evidently had daughters (v.7) and granddaughters, even though Dinah is the only daughter whose name or birth is specifically mentioned (Genesis 30:21), and Serah, daughter of Asher, the only granddaughter (v.17). … The word “daughters” (v.7) cannot refer to his sons’ wives, as those who are enumerated are said to be his seed. Evidently neither the daughters-in-law nor any of the servants are included in the various numerical totals given in this chapter. — Morris, page 630.
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Jacob—reflecting his consistent progress of spiritual growth ever since the event of Genesis 32:24-32 [when he wrestled with God]—goes first to Beersheba and offers sacrifices t0 (i.e., implores the guidance of) God, proceeding no further until the Lord assures him he can do so. — Wechsler, page 260.
16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.
17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan.
18 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.
19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come.
20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey.
22 He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.
23 And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey.
24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.”
25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father.
26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them.
27 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.
28 Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Joseph was greatly esteemed in Egypt, by everyone from Pharaoh on down. He in fact had been Egypt’s deliverer, and the whole nation was grateful. …
Pharaoh instructed Joseph to tell his brothers to return to Canaan and to bring their father and all their households into Egypt, promising that they would receive the good things of Egypt and eat the “fat” (that is, the best food) of the land. Pharaoh so insisted that they come to Egypt that he actually “commanded” them to do this. He even gave them wagons with which they could bring their wives and children and their father, in order to make the journey as easy as possible for them. These “wagons” were essentially carts, usually on two wooden wheels, drawn by oxen or horses. This is the first mention of wagons in the Bible and suggests that they were essentially unique to Egypt at that time.
Pharaoh further instructed them not to try to pack up all their “stuff,” or “vessels.” He would give them all the utensils and miscellaneous household items they would need, when they reached Egypt. — Morris, page 624.
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As Joseph sent his brothers away, he wished them well and admonished them to “fall not out by the way.” The more common meaning [of this word] is “be troubled.” Thus, Joseph was telling them not to let doubts or fears arise again to trouble them after they had left him. Every one of his promises was genuine, and he wanted them all to move down to Egypt with minimum delay. — Morris, page 625.
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It is noteworthy that, as [a] change in attitude came over Jacob, the narrative, which had been calling him by his old name, Jacob (vs. 25-27), suddenly begins calling him Israel again (v.28). …
No comment is made on what his sons must have told him about how Joseph got to Egypt in the first place. … Morris, page 625
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It may mean (v.23) prepared meat; some made-up dishes, delicacies, confectioneries, etc. In Asiatic countries they have several curious methods of preserving flesh by potting, by which it may be kept, for any length of time, sweet and wholesome. Some delicacy, similar to the savory meat which Isaac loved, may be here intended; sent to Jacob in consideration of his age, and to testify the respect of his son; for of other kinds of meat he could have no need, as he had large flocks and herds, and could kill a lamb, kid, etc. when he pleased. — Treasury, page 33.
1 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.
3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence.
4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry.
10 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.
11 There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’
12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you.
13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”
14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
After hearing Judah’s passionate plea for his brother and father (Genesis 44:18-34), Joseph could no longer control his emotions or put off revealing his identity.
Joseph dramatically cried for all his servants to leave the room. What was about to transpire would not be appropriate for anyone not in the family to see … When Joseph was alone with his brothers, he cried out to them that he was their brother Joseph, the one they thought was dead. He was sobbing and crying out so loudly that those whom he had dismissed from the room could not help but overhear, and they in turn soon carried the news to Pharaoh’s house (vs. 2, 16). …
The eleven brothers were completely speechless. They were “troubled” at his presence, according to the Authorized Version; but the actual Hebrew word also means “amazed” or “frightened,” or even “terrified.” — Morris, pages 619-620.
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The word “posterity” (v.7) is actually the regular word for “remnant.” … Joseph kept emphasizing as strongly as he could, that all of this had been planned of God. He wanted his brothers to recognize this also, that they might understand with great appreciation how God was working on their behalf in order that He might fulfill His great promises to their fathers. So, far from being an insignificant family in the land of Canaan, they were the objects of the special solicitude of the God of all the earth. To fulfill His plans for them, He had even made Joseph a “father” to Pharaoh, advising him on all decisions, as well as lord of his household and ruler of the land of Egypt. Joseph, as usual, gave all the glory to God, and he wanted his brothers to do the same. — Morris, pages 621-622.
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Joseph instructed [his brothers to tell Israel] that he wanted the entire family to move down to Egypt with him. He would arrange for them to have adequate room for all their households, as well as their flocks and herds, in the land of Goshen, a fertile region in northeastern Egypt. The district was about nine hundred square miles in area, and would be ideal for their needs. — Morris, page 622.
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Goshen was the most eastern district of Lower Egypt, and the frontier of that country and Arabia, not far from the Arabian gulf, and lying next to Canaan; for Jacob went directly thither when he came into Egypt, from which it was about eighty miles distant, though Hebron was distant from the Egyptian capital about three hundred miles. — Treasury, page 33.
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Joseph, overcome with emotion, reveals his true identity to his brothers, who are naturally dumbfounded (rather then “dismayed”) at the news. Out of empathy for his brothers—who have up to this point been guiltily assessing their supposed sins of theft against this powerful Egyptian as just recompense for their sin in selling Joseph (see 42:22 and 44:16)—Joseph seeks to comfort them with a theologically mature reflection on God’s all-encompassing goodness and sovereignty—to wit, that despite their sinful intention in selling him as a slave to the Egypt-bound traders, “God sent me before you to preserve life” (see also Genesis 50:20). In other words, all that Joseph suffered during his thirteen years as a slave and then prisoner was due, ultimately, not to the sinful will and actions of his brothers, but to the perfect will and behind-the-scenes work of God Himself. This does not, of course, exonerate his brothers from the sinful part they played, though in response to their obvious repentance this profound theological reflection would have stood as a significant source of comfort and conciliation. — Wechsler, page 259.
1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.
2 Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good?
5 Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ”
6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words.
7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.
8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?
9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.”
11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack.
12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground.
15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”
16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”
17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
18 Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’
20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’
21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’
24 “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.
25 And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’
26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons;
28 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since.
29 But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’
30 “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life,
31 it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’
33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.
34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”
Morris takes a stab at why Joseph orchestrated the events of this chapter. I believe it makes sense if God was the one making the test.
[Joseph’s brothers] had already shown real sorrow for their sin against Joseph, had confessed it as sin, and had also shown themselves to be honest, God-fearing men. … Furthermore, they had shown no resentment against Benjamin, as Joseph feared might be the case.
But he still was not sure what their attitude might be if forced to make a choice between their own personal welfare and that of Benjamin and their father. Accordingly, Joseph planned one further test before he could completely accept and forgive them (and, though Joseph was the man responsible, it can better be regarded as a final examination that God Himself was placing on them). — Morris, page 611.
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The use of the pronoun [“this” in v. 5] without reference to any antecedent, would indicate that [the steward] believed they all knew full well what it was they had stolen. Joseph had a well-deserved reputation for prophetic insight, and the brothers themselves had noted with wonder how Joseph had been able to have them seated at the table in order of their respective ages. The inference seems to be that this may well have been an object coveted by many. …
It is known that the Egyptians used such cups, as did other ancient peoples, for the purpose of predicting, professing to see tokens of future events in the reflections of water in the cup or in the arrangements assumed by small particles of gold or silver in it. … It is probably that Joseph … was simply adapting his image to that expected of an Egyptian leader who had priestly functions as well as political. — Morris, pages 612-613.
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The final evidence that their characters had indeed really be transformed by this time, was that, to a man, they were willing to stand by Benjamin no matter what! They all “rent their clothes” in grief , but immediately turned around and went back to Joseph’s city. …
Joseph opened the interview with a formal charge and inquiry as to why they had done such a thing. …
Judah was clearly the spokesman for the brothers from this time on. … He confessed their recognition that they all deserved punishment. Even though they were innocent in this particular situation, they were very guilty sinners, and “God hath found out the iniquity” of them all. He and his brothers were deeply burdened with the enormity of their deed in selling Joseph into bondage twenty years ago; now, it was only fitting that they themselves should also become slaves in Egypt for the rest of their days. — Morris, pages 615-616
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Judah spoke very respectfully, but very earnestly and intensely. … He demonstrated that, whatever may have been his earlier weaknesses, whether resentment of Joseph (though it will be recalled that he at the time had saved Joseph’s life) or the lusts of the flesh (which had showed up especially in his dealings with Tamar), he now was a strong man of godly character and compassion. — Morris, page 617.
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Judah had promised Israel he would be surety for Benjamin, perhaps not fully realizing at the time how near this promise would come to fulfillment. … Judah’s intense love for his father is exhibited most of all in his final plea: “How shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? How can I see the evil that shall come on my father?” — Morris, page 618.
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The brothers return to Joseph’s house, where Judah—whose preeminent role is anticipated by the statement “Judah and his brothers” in v.14—steps forward to intercede for the life of his brothers (v.18). After summarizing the entire situation (from 42:13), Judah draws his plea to a conclusion in v.32 by telling Joseph that he has become surety for Benjamin—again employing the verbal form of the same root used nominally in 38:17-18 to denote Judah’s “surety” or “pledge.” Whereas in this latter passage, however, the “surety” consists of certain inanimate possessions (i.e., Judah’s seal, cord, and staff), in the present passage it consists of the person of Judah himself—the theological-Christological significance of which is vividly borne out by use of the nominal form of this same root applied in the New Testament to the “surety” of believers as centered in Jesus and represented by His abiding Spirit (so in all 3 NT occurrences: 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:14). Indeed, this messianic significance of the term—and hence of Judah typologically—is already expressed in the Hebrew Bible in the Lord’s eschatological declaration through Jeremiah (in Jeremiah 30:21) that He will one day reconcile His people Israel to Himself because “their leader (who) shall be one of them … will give Himself in surety” for them. — Wechsler, page 259.
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[Judah’s words (beginning in v.18) are] perhaps one of the most tender, affecting pieces of natural oratory every spoken or penned; and we need not wonder to find that, when Joseph heard it, he could not refrain himself, but wept aloud. …
Every word in [verse 20] is simplicity and pathos itself. No man of the least sensibility can read it without great emotion. Indeed the whole speech is exquisitely beautiful, and perhaps the most complete pattern of genuine natural eloquence extant in any language. When we read this generous speech, we forgive Judah all the past, and cannot refuse to say, “Thou are he whom they brethren shall praise” (Genesis 49:8). …
What must Benjamin have felt when he heard his brother conclude his speech by a proposal which could never have been thought of if it had not been actually made! Perhaps the annals of the whole world do not produce an instance of so heroic and disinterested affection in any mere man. — Treasury, pages 32-33.
15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.”
17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18 Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”
19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house,
20 and said, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food;
21 but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand.
22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.
25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth.
27 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?”
28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.
29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”
30 Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.
31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”
32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another.
34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
One can imagine [Joseph’s] emotion as he saw Benjamin, his beloved younger brother, for the first time in over twenty years. He had been only a little child then; so it was practically like seeing him for the very first time. Joseph was quickly assured that his brothers had done nothing harmful to Benjamin [Joseph hadn’t been certain because of what they had done to him]; he was in quite good health and apparently was well regarded by his brothers. — Morris, page 607.
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The ten brothers, who had been so apprehensive about merely seeing this man again, hardly knew what to make of this invitation. He had been so harsh with them, and here he was inviting them to dine with him! … After they were gathered in the dining hall, unarmed and unprepared to offer any resistance, [they thought he might] have his guardsmen fall on them, and make slaves out of them. …
Since they had brought Benjamin with them, as they had been instructed, the only remaining excuse the man could have for taking such action would be the money that had been found in their sacks when they returned home after their first trip to Egypt. Accordingly, before they entered Joseph’s house, they tried to explain to Joseph’s steward that they had really not stolen the money; it had somehow been placed in their sacks by someone other than themselves, and they had now brought it back again, along with additional money to buy new supplies. …
Their fear must have changed to surprise and wonder when the steward replied that he had indeed received their money, and their account was fully settled. It must therefore have been “your God and the God of your father” who had placed the money in the sacks! … It almost seems that the steward himself acknowledged their God to be the true God. Perhaps Joseph had told him about God, and in this way he had come to have faith in Him. — Morris, page 608.
bowed down before him to the earth (v.26) — fulfilling Joseph’s dream (Genesis 37:5-10)
Herodotus and other ancient writers have commented on the exclusiveness of the Egyptians. In keeping with their segregation practices, three separate tables had to be set: one for the Hebrews, one for the Egyptian guests, and one for Joseph himself—the last table because of his high position. In particular, the Egyptians abhorred the thought of eating at the same table with Hebrews. They were of a different race, a different language, a different religion. Of course the Egyptians knew that Joseph was a Hebrew and that he worshiped the Hebrews’ God; this had been clearly expressed by Joseph when he first met Pharaoh and was appointed to his position, nevertheless, as far as social customs were concerned, he now had an Egyptian name, an Egyptian wife, and in general lived in the manner of the Egyptian rulers.. He therefore could not eat directly with his brothers without giving undue offense to the Egyptian guests who were present.
After they were assigned to seats at their table, the eleven brothers noted a remarkable thing. They had been seated in order of age, from the eldest through the youngest … Evidently, this man knew a great deal more about their family than they had realized; or else he had some kind of supernatural power. They had no answer, and could only wonder.
Then the waiters, on Joseph’s orders, did another odd thing. They gave Benjamin five times as much as they gave the other men. … This [probably] refers to portions sent from the head table, as a gift of honor. The reason for this … [may have been] to ascertain whether the other brothers would manifest resentment toward Benjamin as they had toward Joseph. Apparently it did not bother then, and this was another very good sign to Joseph. — Morris, page 610.
I wonder if Joseph was deliberately giving his brothers hints as to his identity to see if they would figure it out.
