5
And now,וְעַתָּהdo notאַלbe distressed,תֵּעָצְבוּand do notוְאַלbe angryיִחַרwith yourselvesבְּעֵינֵיכֶםbecauseכִּיyou soldמְכַרְתֶּםmeאֹתִיhere,הֵנָּהforכִּיto preserve lifeלְמִחְיָהElohimאֱלֹהִיםsent meשְׁלָחַנִיbefore you.לִפְנֵיכֶם
Genesis 45:5
Study it in the app“And 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.”
Joseph to his brothers: it was not you who sent me here, but GodProvidence
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 45:5, word by word
- be distressedתֵּעָצְבוּteatsvu
grieve
To feel pain or grief in the heart, or to cause it to someone.
Where else “teatsvu” appears- be angryיִחַרyichar
be angry
For a person to feel strong anger at someone or something.
Where else “yichar” appears- with yourselvesעֵינֵיene
sight
"In the eyes of" someone: in their view.
Where else “ene” appears- you soldמְכַרְתֶּםmechartem
sell
To give something or someone to another in exchange for payment.
Where else “mechartem” appears- to preserve lifeמִחְיָהmichya
life
Keeping someone alive; a little new strength.
Where else “michya” appears- Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohim” appears- sent meשְׁלָחַshelaach
send
To send someone or something.
Where else “shelaach” appears- before youפְנֵיfene
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fene” appears
The context
4Then 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.
5 · This verse (above)
6For these two years the famine has been in the midst of the land, and there are still five years in which there will be no plowing or harvest.
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?