Genesis 43-46 - Jacob Moves to Egypt

The Brothers Return to Egypt

Gen 43:14 LSB - [14] and may God Almighty grant you compassion before the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

Joseph Sees Benjamin

Gen 43:30 LSB - [30] And Joseph hurried [out] for he was deeply stirred with compassion over his brother, and he sought [a place] to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there.

The Brothers Fall Before Joseph

Gen 44:14 LSB - [14] Then Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. So they fell to the ground before him.

Judah Remains Instead of Benjamin

Gen 44:33 LSB - [33] "So now, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a slave to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brothers.

Joseph Sends for Jacob

Gen 45:8 LSB - [8] "So now, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has set me as a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Gen 45:28 LSB - [28] And Israel said, "It is enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."

Jacob Moves to Egypt

Gen 46:1-4 LSB - 

[1] So Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 

[2] And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." [3] And He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 

[4] "I Myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I Myself will also bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes with his hand."

Gen 46:26-27 LSB - [26] All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, who came out of his loins, excluding the wives of Jacob's sons, [were] sixty-six persons in all, [27] and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, [were] seventy.

Deu 10:22 LSB - [22] "Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons [in all], and now Yahweh your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Act 7:14 LSB - [14] "Then Joseph sent [word] and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons [in all].

ESV Global Study Bible

When Stephen cites the number of Jacob’s kindred at seventy-five instead of seventy, he follows the Greek translation of the OT rather than Hebrew text for Ex. 1:5. The different texts were apparently based on different decisions regarding whether to include Jacob and his wife and the additional descendants born to Ephraim and Manasseh in Egypt.

 

Jo­seph made known to his breth­ren from Olney Hymns by John Newton

When Jo­seph his breth­ren beheld,

Afflicted and trem­bling with fear;

His heart with com­passion was filled,

From weep­ing he could not for­bear.

Awhile his be­hav­ior was rough,

To bring their past sin to their mind;

But when they were hum­bled enough,

He hast­ed to show him­self kind.

How lit­tle they thought it was he,

Whom they had ill treat­ed and sold!

How great their con­fu­sion must be,

As soon as his name he had told!

I’m Joseph, your bro­ther, he said,

And still to my heart you are dear;

You sold me, and thought I was dead,

But God, for your sakes, sent me here.

Though great­ly distressed before,

When charged with pur­loin­ing the cup;

They now were con­found­ed much more,

Not one of them dared to look up.

Can Joseph, whom we would have slain,

Forgive us the ev­il we did?

And will he our house­holds main­tain?

O this is a bro­ther indeed!

Thus dragged by my con­science, I came,

All la­den with guilt, to the Lord;

Surrounded with ter­ror and shame,

Unable to ut­ter a word.

At first He looked stern and sev­ere,

What ang­uish then pierced my heart!

Expecting each mo­ment to hear

The sen­tence, Thou cursed, de­part!

But O! what sur­prise when He spoke,

While ten­der­ness beamed in His face;

My heart then to piec­es was broke,

O’erwhelmed and con­found­ed by grace:

“Poor sin­ner, I know thee full well,

By thee I was sold and was slain;

I died to re­deem thee from hell,

And raise thee in glo­ry to reign.

“I am Je­sus, whom thou hast blas­phemed,

And cru­ci­fied oft­en afresh;

But let Me hence­forth be es­teemed,

Thy bro­ther, thy bone, and thy flesh:

My par­don I free­ly be­stow,

Thy wants I will ful­ly sup­ply;

I’ll guide thee and guard thee be­low,

And soon will re­move thee on high.

Go, pub­lish to sin­ners around,

That they may be will­ing to come,

The mer­cy which now you have found,

And tell them that yet there is room.

O, sin­ners, the mes­sage ob­ey!

No more vain ex­cus­es pre­tend;

But come, with­out fur­ther de­lay,

To Je­sus, our bro­ther and friend.