Skip to Content

Commentary Search

1583 matching verse commentaries

Genesis 44:32

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father,.... Which is another argument used for the release of Benjamin, though he should be detained for him, which he offers to be: saying, if I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame unto my father for ever; [See comments on Genesis 43:9].

Genesis 44:33

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord,.... Being, as Jarchi observes preferable to Benjamin for strength, for war, and for service: in this Judah was a type of Christ, from whose tribe he sprung, who became the surety of God's Benjamins, his children who are beloved by him, and as dear to him as...

Genesis 44:34

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad [be] not with me?.... Signifying that he must abide in Egypt, and chose to do it, and could not go up to the land of Canaan any more or see his father's face without Benjamin along with him, to whom he was a surety for him: lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father; see him die,...

Genesis 45

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

INTRODUCTION TO Genesis 45 This chapter contains an account of Joseph's making himself known to his brethren, which was done when they were alone, Genesis 45:1; when he encouraged them not to distress themselves on account of their selling him into Egypt, for God in his providence had sent him there for their good, Genesis 45:5; and he ordered...

Genesis 45:1

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

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...

Genesis 45:2

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And he wept aloud,....; Or "gave forth his voice in weeping" (r); 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...

Genesis 45:3

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

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;...

Genesis 45:4

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

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...

Genesis 45:5

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

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...

Genesis 45:6

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

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...

Genesis 45:7

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

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...

Genesis 45:8

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

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...

Genesis 45:9

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Haste you, and go up to my father,.... In Canaan, which lay higher than Egypt; being desirous he should know as soon as possible that he was alive, and in what circumstances he was: and say unto him, thus saith thy son Joseph; without any title, such as the father and counsellor of Pharaoh and governor of Egypt, only Joseph his son, which would be...

Genesis 45:10

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And thou shall dwell in the land of Goshen,.... Called by Artapanus (t) Kaisan or Kessan; the Septuagint version Gesan of Arabia, as it was that part of Egypt which bordered on Arabia: it seems to be the same with the land of Rameses, see Genesis 47:11; and the Heliopolitan home, which, Strabo (u) says, was reckoned to be in Arabia, and in which...

Genesis 45:11

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And there will I nourish thee,.... Provide for him and his family: for yet [there are] five years of famine; still to come, two of the seven only being past: lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty; his whole posterity be consumed, as it would be in all probability, if he did not procure food for his family during the...

Genesis 45:12

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin,.... They were eyewitnesses of his being alive, having themselves seen him, and even Benjamin, who could not be suspected by his father of a fraud in imposing on him; and some of them could doubtless remember his features, and had an ocular proof of his being the very person, which...

Genesis 45:13

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt,.... His wealth and riches, his grandeur and dignity, his power and authority: and of all that you have seen; what a magnificent house he dwelt in; what a numerous train of servants he had; in what majesty he rode in the second chariot to the king; and what authority he exercised over the...

Genesis 45:14

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept,.... On his neck first, because he was his own brother by father and mother's side; and he wept over him for joy that he had a sight of him once more: the word for "neck" is in the plural number, and being used, may signify that he fell first on one side of his neck, and then on the other, to...

Genesis 45:15

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Moreover, he kissed all his brethren,.... In their turns, to testify his real affection for them, and hearty reconciliation to them: and wept upon them; that is, upon their necks, as he had on Benjamin's: and after that his brethren talked with him: being emboldened by this carriage of his to them, and encouraged to believe that he really forgave...

Genesis 45:16

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house,.... The report was carried to court, and there it was told by some from Joseph's house, who had overheard what had passed, at least somewhat of it: saying, Joseph's brethren are come; perhaps they might call him by his Egyptian name, though the historian gives him his Hebrew name, and which was...