What does Genesis 46:29 mean?

This moment has been more than twenty years in the making. Joseph's older brothers had jealously sold him into slavery when he was a teenager (Genesis 37:24–28). They then lied, telling their father Jacob that his favorite son was dead (Genesis 37:31–34). Joseph's experiences with slavery and false imprisonment improbably ended with him becoming the second most powerful man in the nation of Egypt (Genesis 41:44). This presented an opportunity to rescue his estranged family from starving during an intense famine (Genesis 46:9–11). Jacob's large family and all they own has arrived in the Egyptian region of Goshen. They will settle in with the blessing of Egypt's ruler, Pharaoh (Genesis 45:16–20).

Joseph rides out in his chariot (Genesis 41:43) to meet his family. Joseph again becomes very emotional, as he did after revealing his identity to his brothers and when he embraced Benjamin (Genesis 45:14). As one might expect, his immediate reaction to seeing his father is intense. Joseph embraces Jacob and sobs. English translations such as "a long time" or "a good while" come from a single Hebrew word, 'owd, which literally means "continually," or "yet," or "longer." Two decades of suffering and separation required more than a few moments to express.

This reunion clearly means as much to Joseph as it does to Jacob.