Genesis 45:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan,

NIV: Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan,

NASB: Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your livestock and go to the land of Canaan,

CSB: Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go on back to the land of Canaan.

NLT: Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Tell your brothers, ‘This is what you must do: Load your pack animals, and hurry back to the land of Canaan.

KJV: And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;

NKJV: And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan.

Joseph had already told his brothers to move the entire family and all they owned to Egypt to survive the famine. Most likely, his intent was to care for them using his own personal resources (Genesis 45:10–11). Pharaoh, the monarch of Egypt, credits Joseph and Joseph's God for saving Egypt from the famine (Genesis 41:55). He takes Joseph's offer even further. He will make it as easy as possible for Joseph's family to move to Egypt and thrive.

Pharaoh begins by telling Joseph to send his brothers back to Canaan, so they can bring their father and the rest of the family back. They are not planning to visit again, but to relocate entirely. Joseph, of course, has already done exactly that. Pharaoh's command provides further confidence to the family that they will find a warm welcome in Egypt.

Genesis 45:16–28 describes Pharaoh's enthusiastic response to learning about Joseph's reunion with his estranged family. With Pharaoh's blessing, Joseph urges his brothers to return to Canaan, pack all they own, and come back to resettle the family in Egypt. Their father Jacob agrees after eventually being convinced the story is true.

Genesis 45 is a series of revelations. Following an emotional breakdown, Joseph finally reveals his identity to his baffled brothers. After they realize the governor of Egypt is the one they sold into slavery two decades earlier, he rushes to tell them he does not hold them responsible. In His own way, God had arranged for Joseph's enslavement, for the purpose of saving many people from famine. With Pharaoh's enthusiastic support, Joseph arranged for his brothers to return to Canaan, pack up Jacob and all they own, and come back to resettle in Egypt. Jacob, finally convinced all this is true, agrees to the move.

Genesis 44 concluded with an impassioned speech from Judah, offering to sacrifice himself for his younger brother. Overwhelmed with emotion, Joseph breaks down and finally reveals his identity to his brothers. He urges them to move Jacob's entire family to Egypt to survive the famine. Jacob agrees, leading to the migration and resettlement depicted in Genesis 46. The remainder of Genesis describes the happy results of this relocation.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/8/2024 8:49:39 PM