Genesis-Chapter-44
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“Ye shall NOT ADD TO
THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL
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“Genesis Chapter 45”
With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Genesis
45 marks the emotional climax of the entire patriarchal cycle. Unable to
maintain his disguise after Judah’s
display of sacrificial love, Joseph breaks down and reveals his identity to his
terrified brothers. This chapter contains a profound theological framework for
understanding suffering, as Joseph reinterprets his years of betrayal and
slavery through the lens of Divine purpose. The focus shifts from survival to
total family restoration, culminating in Pharaoh’s generous invitation and
Jacob’s miraculous emotional revival upon hearing that his long-lost son lives!
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Let us read
Genesis Chapter 45, verses 1 to 28: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah). Below this chapter you will find my
commentary for this study.
1 “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 And he wept aloud; and the Egyptians heard,
and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto
his brethren: ‘I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?’ And his brethren could
not answer him; for they were affrighted at his presence. 4 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 And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold
me hither; for אֱלֹהִים – Elohim (God) did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For
these two years hath the famine been in the land; and there are yet five years,
in which there shall be neither ploughing nor harvest. 7 And
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth,
and to save you alive for a great deliverance. 8 So now
it was not you that sent me hither, but אֱלֹהִים - Elohim; and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh,
and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hasten ye, and go up to my father,
and say unto him: Thus saith thy son Joseph: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry
not. 10 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 and there will I sustain thee; for there are yet five years of famine;
lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, and all that thou
hast. 12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of
my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh
unto you. 13 And ye shall tell my father of all my
glory in Egypt,
and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall hasten and bring down my father
hither’. 14 And he fell upon his brother
Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And
he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren
talked with him. 16 And the report thereof was heard
in Pharaoh's house, saying: ‘Joseph’s brethren are come’; and it pleased
Pharaoh well, and his servants. 17 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 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 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 Also regard not your stuff; for the good
things of all the land
of Egypt are
yours’. 21 And the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them
wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for
the way. 22 To all of them he gave each man changes of
raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver, and five
changes of raiment. 23 And to his father he sent in
like manner ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses
laden with corn and bread and victual for his father by the way. 24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he
said unto them: ‘See that ye fall not out by the way’. 25 And
they went up out of Egypt,
and came into the land
of Canaan unto Jacob
their father. 26 And they told him, saying: ‘Joseph is
yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt’.
And his heart fainted, for he believed them not. 27 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 And Israel said: ‘It is enough; Joseph
my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I
die’.
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My Commentary on Verses
1-28:
Verses 1-3: Joseph can no longer
control his emotions in front of his attendants and commands everyone to leave
the room. He weeps so loudly that the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s household hear
him, and he finally declares to his brothers: “I am Joseph! Is my father still
alive?” The brothers are utterly paralyzed with terror and unable to answer.
Verses 4-5: Joseph bids his brothers
to come closer and repeats: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt”. He
immediately comforts them, telling them not to be grieved or angry with
themselves for selling him, because אֱלֹהִים - Elohim sent him ahead of them to
preserve life.
Verses 6-8: Joseph explains that the
famine has lasted two years, with five more years remaining without ploughing or harvesting. He emphasizes three times that it
was not they who sent him to Egypt, but אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, who made him a father to
Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all Egypt to preserve a
remnant on earth.
Verses 9-11: Joseph commands them to
hurry back to Jacob with a message to come down to Egypt without delay. He promises to
settle them in the fertile land
of Goshen, where they,
their children, flocks, and herds can live near him and be sustained through
the remaining five years of famine.
Verses 12-15: Joseph points out that
their own eyes, and Benjamin’s eyes, see that it is truly his own mouth
speaking to them. He tells them to report all his glory in Egypt to Jacob, throws his arms
around Benjamin and weeps, kisses all his brothers, and weeps over them, after
which his brothers finally find the words to speak with him.
Verses 16-20: News reaches Pharaoh’s
palace that Joseph’s brothers have arrived, pleasing Pharaoh and his officials.
Pharaoh commands Joseph to tell his brothers to load their animals, return to
Canaan, and bring their father and families back to enjoy the fat of the land,
advising them not to worry about their belongings because the best of Egypt
is theirs.
Verses 21-23: The sons of Israel comply,
and Joseph provides them with wagons according to Pharaoh’s command, along with
provisions for the journey. He gives each brother a change of clothes, but
gives Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes,
sending his father ten donkeys loaded with Egyptian goods and ten female
donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provisions.
Verses 24-26: Joseph sends his brothers
off, offering a final warning: “Do not quarrel on the way”. They travel up from
Egypt, arrive in Canaan, and
break the news to Jacob, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over
all the land of Egypt!” Jacob’s heart goes numb because
he does not believe them.
Verses 27-28: The brothers repeat
everything Joseph said, and when Jacob sees the Egyptian wagons sent to carry
him, his spirit revives. Israel
declares, “It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him
before I die”.
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My Closing Message:
Genesis
45 offers one of the grandest descriptions of faith in our Scriptural text:
human malice cannot thwart Divine destiny. Joseph refused to live as a victim
of his brothers’ past cruelty, choosing instead to see אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s
hand directing his steps to save lives. This perspective frees us from
bitterness and enables genuine forgiveness. When life brings unexpected pain or
betrayal, look for the greater purpose. Trust that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim can weave even the
darkest threads of your history into a beautiful tapestry of redemption and
life.
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Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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