Verse

Genesis 46:29

ESV Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.
NIV Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.
NASB And Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared to him, Joseph threw himself on his neck and wept on his neck a long time.
CSB Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.
NLT Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob. When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time.
KJV And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
NKJV 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.

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.
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