וְלֹא־יָכֹל יֹוסֵף לְהִתְאַפֵּק לְכֹל הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיִּקְרָא הֹוצִיאוּ כָל־אִישׁ מֵעָלָי וְלֹא־עָמַד אִישׁ אִתֹּו 45:1
בְּהִתְוַדַּע יֹוסֵף אֶל־אֶחָיו
Gene. 45:1 And Joseph was not able to restrain himself before all standing by him and he cried, “All the men go out from me!” And no man stood with him as Joseph revealed himself to his brothers.
וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־קֹלֹו בִּבְכִי וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ מִצְרַיִם וַיִּשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹה 45:2
Gene. 46:2 And he gave forth his voice in weeping, and the Egyptians heard and the house of Pharoah heard.
וַיֹּאמֶר יֹוסֵף אֶל־אֶחָיו אֲנִי יֹוסֵף הַעֹוד אָבִי חָי וְלֹא־יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו לַעֲנֹות אֹתֹו כִּי נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָיו 45:3
Gene. 45:3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father yet alive?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, for they were amazed by his presence.
וַיֹּאמֶר יֹוסֵף אֶל־אֶחָיו גְּשׁוּ־נָא אֵלַי וַיִּגָּשׁוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי יֹוסֵף אֲחִיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי מִצְרָיְמָה 45:4
Gene. 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, I pray you.” And they came near. And he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold to Egypt.”
וְעַתָּה אַל־תֵּעָצְבוּ וְאַל־יִחַר בְּעֵינֵיכֶם כִּי־מְכַרְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי לְמִחְיָה שְׁלָחַנִי אֱלֹהִים לִפְנֵיכֶם 45:5
Gene. 45:5 “But now you must not grieve or be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God had sent me ahead of you to preserve life.”
כִּי־זֶה שְׁנָתַיִם הָרָעָב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ וְעֹוד חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים אֲשֶׁר אֵין־חָרִישׁ וְקָצִּיר 45:6
Gene. 45:6 “For the famine has been in the midst of the land these two years, and are five years still that there will be no plowing and no harvest.”
וַיִּשְׁלָחֵנִי אֱלֹהִים לִפְנֵיכֶם לָשׂוּם לָכֶם שְׁאֵרִית בָּאָרֶץ וּלְהַחֲיֹות לָכֶם לִפְלֵיטָה גְּדֹלָה 45:7
Gene. 45:7 “And God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to give life to you for a great deliverance.”
וְעַתָּה לֹא־אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים וַיְשִׂימֵנִי לְאָב לְפַרְעֹה וּלְאָדֹון לְכָל־בֵּיתֹו וּמֹשֵׁל 45:8
בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם
Gene. 45:8 “So now it was not you sent me here, but He Who is God, and He has made me as a father to Pharoah, and as a lord of all his house, a ruler in all the land of Egypt.”
מַהֲרוּ וַעֲלוּ אֶל־אָבִי וַאֲמַרְתֶּם אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר בִּנְךָ יֹוסֵף שָׂמַנִי אֱלֹהִים לְאָדֹון לְכָל־מִצְרָיִם רְדָה אֵלַי 45:9
אַל־תַּעֲמֹד
Gene. 45:9 “Hurry and go up to my father and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says your son, Joseph: ‘God has made me as lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; you must not remain.’
וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בְאֶרֶץ־גֹּשֶׁן וְהָיִיתָ קָרֹוב אֵלַי אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וּבְנֵי בָנֶיךָ וְצֹאנְךָ וּבְקָרְךָ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָךְ 45:10
Gene. 45:10 ’And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen and be near to me, you and your children and the children of your children and your sheep and your cattle and all that is yours.’
וְכִלְכַּלְתִּי אֹתְךָ שָׁם כִּי־עֹוד חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים רָעָב פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵשׁ אַתָּה וּבֵיתְךָ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָךְ 45:11
Gene. 45:11 ’And I will sustain you there, for there are yet five years of famine, lest you would come to poverty, you and your house and all that is yours.’
וְהִנֵּה עֵינֵיכֶם רֹאֹות וְעֵינֵי אָחִי בִנְיָמִין כִּי־פִי הַמְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם 45:12
Gene. 45:12 ’And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother, Benjamin, are seeing that it is my mouth speaking to you.’”
וְהִגַּדְתֶּם לְאָבִי אֶת־כָּל־כְּבֹודִי בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר רְאִיתֶם וּמִהַרְתֶּם וְהֹורַדְתֶּם אֶת־אָבִי הֵנָּה 45:13
Gene. 45:13 “And you shall proclaim to my father all my glory in Egypt and all that you have seen, and you shall hasten to bring my father down here.”
וַיִּפֹּל עַל־צַוְּארֵי בִנְיָמִן־אָחִיו וַיֵּבְךְּ וּבִנְיָמִן בָּכָה עַל־צַוָּארָיו 45:14
Gene. 45:14 And he fell upon the shoulders of Benjamin, his brother, and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his shoulders.
וַיְנַשֵּׁק לְכָל־אֶחָיו וַיֵּבְךְּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן דִּבְּרוּ אֶחָיו אִתֹּו 45:15
Gene. 45:15 And he gave kisses to all his brothers and wept on them. And after that his brothers spoke with him.
וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר בָּאוּ אֲחֵי יֹוסֵף וַיִּיטַב בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָיו 45:16
Gene. 45:16 And the report was heard in the house of Pharoah saying, “The brothers of Joseph have come,” and it was pleasing in the eyes of Pharoah and the eyes of his servants.
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל־יֹוסֵף אֱמֹר אֶל־אַחֶיךָ זֹאת עֲשׂוּ טַעֲנוּ אֶת־בְּעִירְכֶם וּלְכוּ־בֹאוּ אַרְצָה כְּנָעַן 45:17
Gene. 45:17 And Pharoah said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your beasts and leave, go to the land of Canaan
וּקְחוּ אֶת־אֲבִיכֶם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיכֶם וּבֹאוּ אֵלָי וְאֶתְּנָה לָכֶם אֶת־טוּב אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְאִכְלוּ אֶת־חֵלֶב 45:18
הָאָרֶץ
Gene. 45:18 and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give the good of the land of Egypt to you. And eat the fat of the land.’”
This verse contains a verb, וְאֶתְּנָה, in the 8th word translated as and I will give, with a non-inverting vav prefix. The verb is first- person imperfect.
וְאַתָּה צֻוֵּיתָה זֹאת עֲשׂוּ קְחוּ־לָכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עֲגָלֹות לְטַפְּכֶם וְלִנְשֵׁיכֶם וּנְשָׂאתֶם אֶת־אֲבִיכֶם 45:19
וּבָאתֶם
Gene. 45:19 “Now you are commanded, do this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for yourselves, for your children and for your wives, and you shall lift up your father and come.”
וְעֵינְכֶם אַל־תָּחֹס עַל־כְּלֵיכֶם כִּי־טוּב כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לָכֶם הוּא 45:20
Gene. 45:20 “And let your eye have no regard for your stuff, for the good of all the land of Egypt, it is yours.
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־כֵן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם יֹוסֵף עֲגָלֹות עַל־פִּי פַרְעֹה וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם צֵדָה לַדָּרֶךְ 45:21
Gene. 45:21 And the sons of Israel did so. And Joseph gave wagons to them according to the mouth of Pharoah and gave provision to them for the road.
לְכֻלָּם נָתַן לָאִישׁ חֲלִפֹות שְׂמָלֹת וּלְבִנְיָמִן נָתַן שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאֹות כֶּסֶף וְחָמֵשׁ חֲלִפֹת שְׂמָלֹת 45:22
Gene. 45:22 He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes.
וּלְאָבִיו שָׁלַח כְּזֹאת עֲשָׂרָה חֲמֹרִים נֹשְׂאִים מִטּוּב מִצְרָיִם וְעֶשֶׂר אֲתֹנֹת נֹשְׂאֹת בָּר וָלֶחֶם וּמָזֹון 45:23
לְאָבִיו לַדָּרֶךְ
Gene. 45:23 And he sent to his father like this: Ten asses carrying some of the goodness of Egypt and ten she-asses carrying corn and bread and meat for his father on the way.
וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת־אֶחָיו וַיֵּלֵכוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַל־תִּרְגְּזוּ בַּדָּרֶךְ 45:24
Gene. 45:24 Then he sent his brothers away. And they left and he said to them, “You should not be afraid on the way.”
וַיַּעֲלוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֶל־יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם 45:25
Gene. 45:25 And they went up from Egypt and they came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob, their father.
וַיַּגִּדוּ לֹו לֵאמֹר עֹוד* יֹוסֵף חַי וְכִי־הוּא מֹשֵׁל בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וַיָּפָג לִבֹּו כִּי לֹא־הֶאֱמִין לָהֶם 45:26
Gene. 45:26 And they told him saying, “Joseph yet lives and indeed he is ruler in all the land of Egypt.” And his heart grew feeble -- though he did not believe them.
וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו אֵת כָּל־דִּבְרֵי יֹוסֵף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵהֶם וַיַּרְא אֶת־הָעֲגָלֹות אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח יֹוסֵף לָשֵׂאת אֹתֹו 45:27
וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם
Gene. 45:27 But they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Jacob, their father, was revived.
וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב עֹוד־יֹוסֵף בְּנִי חָי אֵלְכָה וְאֶרְאֶנּוּ בְּטֶרֶם אָמוּת 45:28
Gene. 45:28 And Israel said, “It is enough: My son Joseph yet lives. I will go, and I will see him before I must die.”
The third from the last word in this verse, וְאֶרְאֶנּוּ, has a non-inverting vav prefix. The verb is first-person imperfect.
Meanwhile, Jacob/Israel sounds like a very tired old man in this verse. He appears somewhat reluctant to make the journey; he needed quite a bit of coaxing. We shall see more evidence of this reluctance at the start of the next chapter. I believe that Jacob knows much more than we would understand. Is it possible that he senses the difficulty ahead for his descendants? Or is it possible that he still doesn’t trust his sons?
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