4
Then Josephוַ יוֹסֵףsaidיֹּאמֶרto his brothers,אֶל אֶחָיו“Come nearגְּשׁוּto me,אֵלַיplease.”נָאAnd they came near.וַיִּגָּשׁוּHe said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Iאֲנִיam Josephיוֹסֵףyour brother,אֲחִיכֶםwhomאֲשֶׁר אֹתִיyou soldמְכַרְתֶּםinto Egypt.מִצְרָיְמָה
Genesis 45:4
Study it in the app“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. He said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.”
Joseph to his brothers: it was not you who sent me here, but GodProvidence
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 45:4, word by word
- Then Josephיוֹסֵףyosef
Joseph
Joseph, a name borne by several Israelites, above all the son of Jacob and Rachel, sold into Egypt, who became ruler there and saved his family; his sons Ephraim and Manasseh became tribes. The name means "may he add".
Where else “yosef” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- to his brothersאֶחָיechay
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “echay” appears- “Come nearגְּשׁוּgeshu
come near
To go until one is near someone or something.
Where else “geshu” appears- you soldמְכַרְתֶּםmechartem
sell
To give something or someone to another in exchange for payment.
Where else “mechartem” appears- into Egyptמִצְרָיְמָmitsrayma
Egypt, Mizraim
See it on the mapWhere else “mitsrayma” appears
Places in this verse
Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
The context
3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him.
4 · This verse (above)
5And now, do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for to preserve life Elohim sent me before you.
To study Genesis 45 in a group
1. What it says
What did Joseph say to his brothers when he made himself known (vv. 3-5)?
2. What it means
What does it mean that Joseph says Elohim sent him ahead of them to preserve life (vv. 5-8)?
3. How I live it
How can you look with a wider view at someone who hurt you, without denying the pain?