Year of the Bible
Genesis 45
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Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 45:
Overcome by Judah’s generosity, Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers. The brothers, having sold him into slavery some twenty years earlier, are naturally dismayed. But Joseph assures them that he has seen God’s hand at work: Joseph being taken to Egypt is what actually saved his family from death during the famine! Joseph also credits God for guiding him into his current position of power and influence in Egypt. With Pharoah’s blessing, Joseph is able to offer land to his family and invites them to live in Egypt so that they may survive the next five years of famine. Egyptian wealth is given to the brothers, and they return home to gather their households and their father for the journey back to Egypt.
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 45:
Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brothers
1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, “Make every one go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And 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.
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, I beg you.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Make haste and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry; 10 you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have; 11 and there I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come; lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Make haste and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.
16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan; 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19Command them r also, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Give no thought to your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 The sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave festal garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five festal garments. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.” 25 So they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart fainted, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived; 28 and Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive; I will go and see him before I die.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
What lavish gifts and profound forgiveness Joseph offers his brothers. Jesus offers many parallel stories to remind us how to forgive and celebrate those who come home. How quick are we to forgive? And is there anyone in our families that we can lavishly bless with our time or attention?
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Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
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1 José ya no podía contenerse ante
todos sus asistentes y ordenó:
–Salid todos de mi presencia.
Y no quedó nadie con él cuando
José se dio a conocer a sus hermanos.
2 Al llorar levantó la voz, y lo oyeron los
egipcios y la casa del faraón.
3 José dijo a sus hermanos:
–Yo soy José; ¿vive aún mi padre?
Sus hermanos no podían responderle,
porque quedaron aterrados ante
él. 4 Entonces José dijo a sus hermanos:
–Acercaos a mí.
Se acercaron y les dijo:
–Yo soy José, vuestro hermano, el
que vendisteis a los egipcios; 5 pero ahora
no os preocupéis, ni os parezca odioso
el haberme vendido aquí, pues Dios me
envió por delante para vuestra salvación.
6 Llevamos dos años de hambre dentro
del país y todavía quedan cinco años
en los que no habrá ni siembra ni siega.
7 Dios me envió delante de vosotros para
aseguraros la subsistencia en la tierra, y
conservaros la vida mediante una gran
liberación. 8 No me enviasteis, por tanto,
vosotros aquí, sino que es Dios quien me
ha puesto como un padre para el faraón,
como señor de toda su casa, y como gobernador
de todo el país de Egipto. 9 Daos
prisa, subid a donde está mi padre y decidle:
«Así dice tu hijo José: Dios me ha
hecho señor de todo Egipto, baja adonde
estoy yo, sin detenerte; 10 te instalarás en
la región de Gosen, vivirás cerca de mí,
tú, tus hijos y los hijos de tus hijos; tu ganado
mayor y menor, y todo lo que poseas.
11 Yo te mantendré allí, pues todavía
quedan cinco años de hambre, para que
no perezcas ni tú, ni tu casa, ni nada de
lo que posees». 12 Estáis viendo con vuestros
propios ojos, y también lo ve mi hermano
Benjamín, que os hablo yo personalmente.
13 Contadle a mi padre toda mi
gloria en Egipto y todo lo que habéis visto,
y daos prisa en bajar aquí con mi padre.
14 Luego se echó al cuello de su hermano
Benjamín y rompió a llorar; Benjamín
lloró también abrazado a él.
15 Besó José a todos sus hermanos y lloró
abrazado a ellos. Después de esto sus
hermanos comenzaron a hablarle.
16 Llegó a casa del faraón la noticia
de que habían venido los hermanos de
José, y les pareció bien al faraón y a sus
servidores. 17 El faraón dijo a José:
–Di a tus hermanos: «Haced lo siguiente:
Cargad vuestras caballerías y volved
al país de Canaán, 18 recoged a vuestro
padre y a vuestras familias y venid a mí;
yo os daré lo mejor del país de Egipto, y
comeréis lo más excelente de la tierra».
19 Ordénales también: «Haced lo siguiente:
Llevaos del país de Egipto carros para
vuestros niños y vuestras mujeres, montad
a vuestro padre y venid. 20 No os preocupéis
de vuestras cosas, porque tendréis
lo mejor de todo el país de Egipto».
21 Así lo hicieron los hijos de Israel;
José les dio carros según la orden del
faraón, y les proporcionó provisiones
para el viaje. 22 A cada uno de ellos le regaló
un vestido nuevo, pero a Benjamín
le dio trescientos siclos de plata y cinco
vestidos nuevos. 23 A su padre le mandó
lo siguiente: diez asnos cargados de lo
mejor de Egipto, y diez asnas cargadas
de grano, pan y provisiones para el viaje
de su padre. 24 Despidió a sus hermanos,
y cuando se marchaban les dijo:
–No os enfadéis en el camino.
25 Subieron de Egipto y llegaron al
país de Canaán donde estaba su padre
Jacob. 26 Le dieron la noticia:
–José vive todavía y él es quien manda
en todo el país de Egipto.
Jacob no se conmovió porque no
les creía. 27 Entonces le contaron todo lo
que les había dicho José y, al ver los carros
que José mandaba para transportarle,
Jacob, su padre, recobró el ánimo.
28 Israel exclamó:
–Es suficiente; mi hijo José vive todavía.
Iré a verle antes de morir.
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La Biblia de Navarra
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