Första MosebokenKapitel 45

Detta kapitel finns ännu inte på svenska — visar originaltexten.

+ Sekundärtext Grundtext ← Föregående Nästa →Bidra

Joseph could no longer control himself before all who stood attending him, and he called out, "Send everyone away from me!" So no one was with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

He wept aloud, and the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.

Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

And now, do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves that you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.

For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.

God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant in the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Hurry, go up to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord over all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay.

You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me—you, your children and your grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all that you have.

There I will provide for you, for there are five more years of famine, so that you and your household and all that you have will not come to poverty.'

And look, your own eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my own mouth speaking to you.

Tell my father of all my honor in Egypt and of everything you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.

Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.

He kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

News reached Pharaoh's house: "Joseph's brothers have come." It pleased Pharaoh and his servants.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers: Do this—load your animals and go back to the land of Canaan.

Get your father and your households and come to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.

And you are commanded: Do this—take wagons from the land of Egypt for your children and your wives, and bring your father and come.

Do not worry about your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours."

So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them provisions for the journey.

To each of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes.

And to his father he sent the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provisions for his father's journey.

Then he sent his brothers on their way, saying to them, "Do not quarrel on the road."

So they went up from Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob.

They told him, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!" But his heart went numb, for he did not believe them.

Then they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

And Israel said, "Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."

Uppslag

Sammanfattning2

Kapitel 45

Main Theme: Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers and invites the family to settle in Egypt.

Content: Joseph can no longer hold back his emotions and tearfully reveals his identity to his brothers, who are stunned. He forgives them and explains that God sent him to Egypt to preserve life during the famine. Pharaoh is pleased with the news and invites the entire family to settle in Goshen. The brothers return to Canaan with gifts and wagons, and although Jacob initially does not believe them, his spirit is revived when he sees the evidence.

Key Words/Images:

Joseph's weeping: Expresses deep emotional release after years of separation and secrecy.
God's providence: Joseph interprets his suffering as part of God's plan to save many lives (vv. 5–8).
Goshen: The region in Egypt where the family will live, near Joseph and with good grazing conditions.
Jacob's spirit revived: Symbolizes the transition from grief and unbelief to hope and joy.

Historisk kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Genesis 45

People

Joseph now reveals his identity as the second most powerful man in Egypt after Pharaoh. The title "father to Pharaoh" (verse 8, Hebrew: אָב לְפַרְעֹה, av le-far'oh) was an actual Egyptian court title denoting a high-ranking advisor with close access to the king. Similar titles are attested in Egyptian sources from this period, especially regarding those who served as guides or mentors to Pharaoh. Joseph’s combination of this title with "lord over all his house" and "ruler over all the land of Egypt" (verse 8) reflects the Egyptian practice of accumulating multiple titles to express comprehensive authority.

Benjamin is highlighted particularly in the reunion (verses 12, 14, 22). As Joseph’s only full brother (both sons of Rachel), he holds a special position. The special treatment Benjamin receives—five changes of clothing and three hundred silver pieces (verse 22), while his other brothers received one change each—follows the pattern from Genesis 43:34, where he received five times as large a portion of food.

Places

Goshen (verse 10) is mentioned here for the first time in the Bible as the area where Jacob’s family will settle. The region was located in the eastern Nile Delta, in what Egyptians called the "Wadi Tumilat" region. This was a fertile area with good pastureland, ideal for a pastoral people. Egyptian sources note that Semitic nomadic groups were permitted to settle in this region during periods of drought and famine. Its location also provided some geographical distance from the Egyptian heartland, which fit culturally since Egyptians regarded shepherds as unclean (cf. Gen 46:34).

Events and Customs

The gifts Joseph sends with his brothers reflect Egyptian court etiquette and gift-exchange culture. The wagons (עֲגָלוֹת, agalot) mentioned in verses 19–21 were a valuable means of transport used primarily by the Egyptian upper class. That Pharaoh offers royal wagons to bring Jacob’s family underscores the high honor bestowed upon them. Egyptian depictions show that such wagons were used for transporting families and belongings.

The exchange of clothing (חֲלִפוֹת שְׂמָלֹת, chalifot smalot, "changes of garments") in verse 22 was an important custom in the ancient Near East. Clothing represented significant economic value and social status. Giving clothing as a gift was a sign of honor and goodwill, especially in diplomatic and family contexts. This practice is documented in both Egyptian and Mesopotamian sources.

Key Terms

The expression "the fat of the land" (חֵלֶב הָאָרֶץ, chelev ha-arets) in verse 18 uses the word for "fat" as a metaphor for the richest and most valuable part. In a culture where fat represented wealth and abundance, this was a powerful expression of Pharaoh’s generosity.

Joseph’s exhortation "do not be distressed on the way" (אַל־תִּרְגְּזוּ בַּדָּרֶךְ, verse 24) uses the verb רגז (ragaz), which can mean both "to tremble/fear" and "to become agitated/quarrel." The context suggests that Joseph warns his brothers against blaming each other for past events now that the truth has been revealed.

The expression "his heart grew faint" (וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ, verse 26) regarding Jacob’s reaction to the news is a rare Hebrew expression describing a state of numbness or shock, where the mind temporarily ceases to function normally due to overwhelming emotions.

Personer4

Pharaoh (Pharaoh in Abram's time (Gen 12))3 Benjamin (Rachel's son)3 Joseph10 Jacob3

Alla personer →

Nyckelord8

Joseph — One of Jacob's sons, sold as a slave by his brothers and later became governor in Egypt.
The Brothers — The sons of Jacob who betrayed Joseph and sold him into slavery.
Egypt — The land where Joseph became governor and where his family sought help during the famine.
Famine — A lack of food that strikes Egypt and Canaan, leading Joseph's brothers to travel to Egypt to buy grain.
Reunion — When Joseph is reunited with his brothers and forgives them for their actions against him.
Jacob — The patriarch and father of Joseph and his brothers, also known as Israel.
The Land of Goshen — A region in Egypt where Joseph invites his family to live and survive the famine.
Forgiveness — The act of accepting others' mistakes and letting go of the past, as Joseph does with his brothers.