Genesis 45

This chapter is the climax of the Joseph narrative, which spans chapters 37–50 of Genesis. After Judah pleads in Genesis 44 to become a slave in Benjamin's place, Joseph finally reveals his identity.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 Joseph sends his attendants away, weeps aloud, declares, "I am Joseph," and asks after his father. His brothers are so dismayed that they cannot answer him.
• Verses 4–8 Joseph tells his brothers not to be grieved that they sold him. He explains that the famine has lasted two years, that five more years remain, and that God sent him ahead of them to preserve life.
• Verses 9–15 He tells them to bid his father come down to the land of Goshen without delay. Joseph falls on Benjamin's neck and weeps, and he kisses all his brothers and weeps over them as well.
• Verses 16–20 When Pharaoh hears the news, he is pleased. He orders that wagons be taken from Egypt to bring the family and promises them the good of the land of Egypt.
• Verses 21–24 Joseph gives his brothers wagons, provisions for the journey, and a change of clothing each; to Benjamin he gives three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. To his father he sends ten male donkeys and ten female donkeys laden with goods and provisions, and he charges his brothers, "See that ye fall not out by the way."
• Verses 25–28 Jacob at first does not believe them, but when he sees the wagons Joseph has sent, his spirit revives, and he says, "I will go and see him before I die."

Key Verses

• Genesis 45:3 "I am Joseph" — the turning point at which the long concealment ends and the brothers are reunited.
• Genesis 45:8 "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God" — the central statement that interprets the entire Joseph narrative as the work of God.
• Genesis 45:28 "Joseph my son is yet alive" — this leads into Genesis 46, in which Jacob's family goes down to Egypt.

Characters and Places

• Joseph: A son of Jacob who was sold by his brothers and rose to become ruler over Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.
• Benjamin: Joseph's youngest brother, born of the same mother. Their mother was Rachel.
• Jacob: Joseph's father, who is also called "Israel" at the end of this chapter.
• Pharaoh: The king of Egypt.
• Egypt and Canaan: The place where Joseph lives and the land where Jacob's family dwells, respectively.
• Goshen: The region within Egypt where Joseph intends his family to settle.

Points for Reflection

• Genesis 45:5–8, together with Genesis 50:20, is frequently cited in discussions of providence. Theological traditions differ in how they explain the relationship between the brothers' wrongdoing and God's plan. The Reformed tradition emphasizes God's sovereign decree, while the Wesleyan tradition and others tend to emphasize human freedom and responsibility alongside it.
• There is a long-standing tradition of reading Joseph as a type (a foreshadowing figure) of Jesus Christ, although the text itself does not make this claim.
• The Hebrew word rendered "fall not out" in verse 24 can also mean "to tremble" or "to be agitated." For this reason, some translations render the verse in the sense of "do not be afraid."
• In the New Testament, Stephen's speech in Acts 7 mentions Joseph making himself known to his brothers.

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, this chapter is frequently used as a sermon text on forgiveness and reconciliation and on providence in the midst of suffering. It is also treated as a central scene in Sunday school lessons on the story of Joseph.