Genesis 45:4–8
Joseph to his brothers: it was not you who sent me here, but God
Study it word by word4Then 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.
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.
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.
7Elohim sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
8So now it was not you who sent me here, but Elohim; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
In its context
2He raised his voice in weeping, and the Egyptians heard, and the household of Pharaoh heard.
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.
…
9Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: Elohim has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me; do not delay.
10You will live in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me, you and your sons and the sons of your sons, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have.
Its words in the original
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- יוֹסֵףyosef· 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".
- אֶחָיechay· brother
Brother; also a close relative, or someone of the same people.
- גְּשׁוּgeshu· come near, bring near
Come near, approach; in the causative form, bring near, present. Also come near to attack, or to worship.
- מְכַרְתֶּםmechartem· sell
Sell; figuratively, hand someone over.
- מִצְרָיְמָmitsrayma· Egypt, Mizraim
Mizraim, the Hebrew name of Egypt; also the Egyptians. As a person, a son of Ham, ancestor of the Egyptians.
- תֵּעָצְבוּteatsvu· be grieved
Grieve, be deeply distressed; also cause pain.
- יִחַרyichar· burn with anger
Burn, be kindled; said of a person, become very angry.
- עֵינֵיene· eye
Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.
- מִחְיָהmichya· preserving life; raw flesh
Preservation of life; the sustenance that keeps one alive. Also raw flesh in a sore.
- שְׁלָחַshelaach· send, stretch out
Send; stretch out (the hand); let go, send away, set free.
- אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- פְנֵיfene· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- שְׁנָתַיִםshenatayim· year
Year.
- רָעָבraav· famine, hunger
Hunger; famine, a shortage of food in a region.
- קֶרֶבkerev· inside, midst
The inside, what is within; "in the midst of", "within".
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- חָמֵשׁchamesh· five
Five.
- חָרִישׁcharish· plowing
Plowing; the season of plowing and sowing.
- קָצִּירkatsir· harvest
Harvest, reaping; the crop and its season; also a branch.
- שׂוּםsum· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint, establish; make something into something.
- שְׁאֵרִיתsheerit· remnant
Remnant: those left alive after a disaster.
- הַחֲיוֹתhachayot· live
Live, have life; recover. In the causative form, give life, keep alive, revive.
- פְלֵיטָהfeleta· escape, survivors
Escape, deliverance; those who escape, the survivors.
- גְּדֹלָהgedola· great
Great in size, number, age or importance; also "the elder" of two; "high priest" is "great priest".
- אָבav· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- פַרְעֹהfaro· Pharaoh
Pharaoh: the title of the kings of Egypt, not a personal name.
- אָדוֹןadon· lord, master
Lord: one who has authority over another (an owner, a husband, a superior). It is also a polite form, "my lord". Said of God, "the Lord".
- בֵּיתbet· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- מֹשֵׁלmoshel· rule
Rule, have dominion or authority over something or someone.