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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 45:1-15

Judah and his brethren were waiting for an answer, and could not but be amazed to discover, instead of the gravity of a judge, the natural affection of a father or brother. I. Joseph ordered all his attendants to withdraw, Gen. 45:1. The private conversations of friends are the most free. When Joseph would put on love he puts off state, and it was not fit his servants should be witnesses of this. Thus Christ graciously manifests himself and his loving-kindness to his people, out of the sight... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 45:1

Then Joseph could not refrain himself ,.... That he should not weep, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; at least he could not much longer refrain from tears, such an effect Judah's speech had on his passions: before all them that stood before him ; his servants that attended him and waited upon him, the steward of his house, and others, upon whose account he put such a force upon himself, to keep in his passions from giving vent, that they might not discover the inward motions of his mind;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 45:2

And he wept aloud ,....; Or "gave forth his voice in weeping" F18 ויתן את קלו בבכי "et dedit vocem suam in fletu", Montanus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt. ; as he wept he cried aloud; for having put such a violent restraint on himself, as the flood of tears was the greater, so his voice was the stronger and louder for it: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard ; the Egyptians, that were in the room or rooms adjoining to that where Joseph was,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 45:3

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph ,.... As soon as he could compose himself a little, and utter his words, the first thing he said was, that he was Joseph; that was his right name, his Hebrew name; though he was called by the Egyptians Zaphnathpaaneah, and by which name Joseph's brethren only knew him, if they knew his name at all; and it must be very startling to them to bear this sound, and to be told by himself that that was his name; and which was not all he meant and they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 45:4

And Joseph said unto his brethren, come near to me, I pray you ,.... Very probably Joseph sat in a chair of state while they were under examination, and through reverence of him they kept at a proper distance; or being frightened at what he had said, he might observe them drawing back, as Jarchi remarks, and so encourages them in a kind and tender manner to return and come nearer to him, and the rather, that they might more privately converse together without being overheard; as also that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 45:5

Now therefore be not grieved ,.... To an excess, so as to be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow; otherwise it became them to be grieved for their sin, and to show a godly sorrow and true repentance for it: nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither ; reflect upon themselves, and afflict themselves in an immoderate way; or break forth into anger and wrath with one another, upbraiding and blaming each other for their conduct in that affair, and so foment contentions and quarrels... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 45:6

For these two years hath the famine been , in the land ,.... In the land of Egypt and in the countries round about: and yet there are five years ; still remaining, which he knew by the above dreams and the interpretation of them: in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest ; that is, no tillage of land, neither ploughing nor sowing, and so no reaping, or gathering in of the fruits of the earth, as used to be in harvest; at least, there would be very little ground... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 45:7

And God sent me before you ,.... This he repeats to impress the minds of his brethren with a sense of the good providence of God in bringing him to Egypt before them, to make provision for their future welfare, and to alleviate their grief, and prevent an excessive sorrow for their selling him into Egypt, when by the overruling hand of God it proved so salutary to them: to preserve you a posterity in the earth ; that they and theirs might not perish, which otherwise, in all human... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 45:8

So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God ,.... Which is to be understood not absolutely, as if they had no concern at all in sending him thither; they sold him to the Ishmaelites, who brought him down to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, and so were instrumental in his coming to Egypt; but comparatively, it was not they so much as God that sent him; whose providence directed, disposed, and overruled all those events, to bring Joseph to this place, and to such an high station, to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 45:1

Joseph could not refrain himself - The word התאפק hithappek is very emphatic; it signifies to force one's self, to do something against nature, to do violence to one's self. Joseph could no longer constrain himself to act a feigned part - all the brother and the son rose up in him at once, and overpowered all his resolutions; he felt for his father, he realized his disappointment and agony; and he felt for his brethren, "now at his feet submissive in distress;" and, that he' might give... read more

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