Joseph Reveals Himself
Study note
Judah's speech breaks Joseph's heart. He can no longer control himself and orders all his Egyptian attendants to leave the room. Then he cries out, 'I am Joseph!' and weeps so loudly that the Egyptians outside hear him. His brothers are terrified and speechless. Joseph calls them closer and says, 'I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt.' Then he gives one of the most powerful statements of faith in the Bible: do not be angry with yourselves, because God sent me here ahead of you to save lives. The famine has lasted two years with five more to come. God made Joseph a ruler in Egypt so that the family would survive. Joseph hugs Benjamin and they both weep. He kisses all his brothers and they finally begin to talk with him.
1 Joseph couldn't hold it in any longer. With all his attendants standing around, he burst out, "Everyone leave the room — now!" So he was alone with his brothers when he finally told them who he was. Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2 He cried so hard that the Egyptian servants could hear him through the walls. Word quickly reached Pharaoh's palace. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I'm Joseph! Is my father truly still alive?" His brothers were speechless — frozen with shock and fear. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
4 Joseph said gently, "Come closer to me." They moved in closer. He said, "I am Joseph — your brother. The one you sold to those traders heading for Egypt." And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 "But don't beat yourselves up over it. Don't be angry at yourselves for selling me. God is the one who sent me here ahead of you — to save lives." Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 "This famine has already lasted two years. There are still five more years coming when nobody will be able to plow or harvest a thing." For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 "God sent me here ahead of you to keep your family alive on this earth. He wanted to rescue you through an amazing act of rescue." And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 "So truly, it wasn't you who sent me here — it was God. He's the one who made me Pharaoh's top adviser, put me in charge of the whole palace, and made me ruler over all of Egypt." So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 "Hurry home and tell my father: 'Your son Joseph says this: God has made me the ruler of all Egypt. Come to me right away — don't waste a minute!'" Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:
10 "'You will live in the area of Goshen, close to me. You, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you own will be there.'" 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:
11 "'I'll take care of you there, because five more years of famine are coming. Otherwise you, your whole family, and everything you have will be ruined.'" And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
12 "Look with your own eyes — and Benjamin, you too — it's truly me, Joseph, talking to you face to face." And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
13 "Tell my father how important I've become here in Egypt. Tell him everything you've seen. And hurry — bring my father here!" And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
14 Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and cried. Benjamin held onto him and cried too. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Then Joseph went to each of his brothers, hugging and kissing them, weeping over every one. After that, the brothers finally found their voices and began talking with him. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
Pharaoh's Invitation
Study note
News reaches Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers have arrived, and Pharaoh is pleased. He tells Joseph to invite his whole family to Egypt, promising them the best land and the finest food. Pharaoh even sends wagons to carry the women, children, and elderly for the long journey. Joseph gives each brother new clothes, but he gives Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of clothes. He sends his father ten donkeys loaded with Egypt's finest goods and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and other food. As the brothers leave, Joseph warns them not to quarrel along the way.
16 News that Joseph's brothers had arrived spread through Pharaoh's palace. Pharaoh and his officials were thrilled. And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
17 Pharaoh told Joseph, "Tell your brothers to load up their animals and go back to Canaan." And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
18 "Then bring your father and your families here to me. I'll give them the best land in Egypt, and they'll live off the richest food in the country." 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.
19 "And tell them: 'Bring wagons from Egypt for your children and wives. Get your father and come back here.'" Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 "'Don't worry about leaving your belongings behind — the best of everything in Egypt is yours.'" Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
21 The sons of Israel did exactly that. Joseph provided wagons as Pharaoh had ordered, plus supplies for the road. And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
22 He gave each brother a new set of clothes. But Benjamin got special treatment — 300 pieces of silver and five sets of clothes. To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
23 For his father, Joseph sent ten donkeys loaded with Egypt's finest goods. He sent ten more donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for the trip. And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.
24 As he sent his brothers off, he told them, "Don't start fighting with each other along the way!" So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.
Jacob Hears the News
Study note
The brothers return to Canaan and tell their father the incredible news: Joseph is alive and he is the ruler of all Egypt. Jacob is stunned — his heart goes numb because he cannot believe it. But when he sees the wagons Joseph sent and hears all the details, his spirit comes alive again. Israel declares, 'It is enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.' After more than twenty years of grief, Jacob finally has hope restored.
25 They traveled up from Egypt and made it home to their father Jacob in Canaan. And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
26 They blurted out, "Joseph is alive! And he's the ruler of all Egypt!" Jacob stood there in shock. He couldn't process what they were saying. And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.
27 But then they told him everything Joseph had said. And when Jacob saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him back, his spirit came alive again. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
28 Israel declared, "That settles it. My son Joseph is alive. I have to go see him before I die." And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.