Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! New Living Translation “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. English Standard Version So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Berean Standard Bible Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! King James Bible And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. New King James Version And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. New American Standard Bible Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold to Egypt. NASB 1995 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. NASB 1977 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Legacy Standard Bible Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” And they came near. And he said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Amplified Bible And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they approached him. And he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Christian Standard Bible Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. Holman Christian Standard Bible Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. American Standard Version And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Contemporary English Version Joseph told them to come closer to him, and when they did, he said: Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. English Revised Version And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. GOD'S WORD® Translation "Please come closer to me," Joseph said to his brothers. When they did so, he said, "I am Joseph, the brother you sold into slavery in Egypt! Good News Translation Then Joseph said to them, "Please come closer." They did, and he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. International Standard Version Joseph implored his brothers, "Please come close to me." So they did. "I'm your brother Joseph, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt!" he told them. Majority Standard Bible Then Joseph said to his brothers, ?Please come near me.? And they did so. ?I am Joseph, your brother,? he said, ?the one you sold into Egypt! NET Bible Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me," so they came near. Then he said, "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. New Heart English Bible Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please. "So they moved closer. And he said, "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Webster's Bible Translation And Joseph said to his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you: and they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. World English Bible Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” They came near. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd Joseph says to his brothers, “Please come near to me,” and they come near; and he says, “I [am] your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt; Young's Literal Translation And Joseph saith unto his brethren, 'Come nigh unto me, I pray you,' and they come nigh; and he saith, 'I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt; Smith's Literal Translation And Joseph will say to his brethren, Come near now to me: and they will come near, and he will say, I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold me into Egypt. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd he said mildly to them: Come nearer to me. And when they were come near him, he said: I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Catholic Public Domain Version And he said to them mildly, “Approach toward me.” And when they had approached close by, he said: “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. New American Bible “Come closer to me,” Joseph told his brothers. When they had done so, he said: “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. New Revised Standard Version Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me; and they came near. And he said to them, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold to the Egyptians. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And Yoseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me”, and they approached him and he said to them, “I am Yoseph your brother whom you sold to the Egyptians. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And Joseph said unto his brethren: 'Come near to me, I pray you.' And they came near. And he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Brenton Septuagint Translation And Joseph said to his brethren, Draw nigh to me; and they drew nigh; and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom ye sold into Egypt. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Joseph Reveals His Identity…3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence. 4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! 5And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.… Cross References Genesis 50:20 As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. Genesis 37:28 So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. Genesis 42:21-22 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” / And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!” Genesis 44:18 Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself. Acts 7:13 On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. Genesis 37:4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Genesis 37:8 “Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements. Genesis 37:18-20 Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. / “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. / “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” Genesis 45:8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 50:15-21 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.” / So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, / ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. ... Acts 7:9-10 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household. Genesis 41:9-13 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. / Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard. / One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning. ... Genesis 42:7-8 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.” / Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Genesis 43:27-30 He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?” / “Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him. / When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” ... Genesis 46:29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely. Treasury of Scripture And 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 into Egypt. I am Joseph. Genesis 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. Genesis 50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. Matthew 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. Jump to Previous Close Closer Egypt Joseph Nigh Please SoldJump to Next Close Closer Egypt Joseph Nigh Please SoldGenesis 45 1. Joseph makes himself known to his brothers.5. He comforts them in God's providence. 9. He sends for his father. 16. Pharaoh confirms it. 21. Joseph furnishes then for their journey. 25. Jacob is revived with the news. Then Joseph said to his brothers, Joseph, now a powerful figure in Egypt, reveals himself to his brothers. This moment is pivotal, as it marks the climax of a narrative that began with Joseph's dreams and his brothers' jealousy. Joseph's authority in Egypt contrasts with his earlier position as a victim of his brothers' betrayal. This phrase highlights the theme of reconciliation and forgiveness, which is central to Joseph's story. “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt!” Persons / Places / Events 1. JosephThe central figure in this passage, Joseph is one of the twelve sons of Jacob. He was sold into slavery by his brothers but rose to become the second most powerful man in Egypt. In Genesis 45:4, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, who had come to Egypt seeking food during a famine. 2. Joseph's Brothers The brothers who sold Joseph into slavery out of jealousy. They come to Egypt to buy grain during a famine, unaware that the man they are dealing with is their brother. 3. Egypt The land where Joseph was taken as a slave and where he eventually rose to power. It is also the place where his brothers come to buy grain. 4. Famine A severe famine that affected the entire region, prompting Joseph's brothers to travel to Egypt for food. 5. Jacob The father of Joseph and his brothers, who remains in Canaan during this encounter. His sons' journey to Egypt is part of God's plan to reunite the family. Teaching Points Forgiveness and ReconciliationJoseph's willingness to forgive his brothers is a powerful example of grace and reconciliation. Believers are called to forgive others as Christ forgave us. God's Sovereignty Joseph's account illustrates God's control over circumstances. Even when situations seem dire, God is working behind the scenes for His purposes. Identity in Christ Just as Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers, Christians are called to live out their identity in Christ, being transparent and authentic in their relationships. Providence in Adversity Joseph's rise to power in Egypt, despite his brothers' betrayal, shows how God can use adversity to fulfill His plans. Believers can trust God in difficult times. Family Restoration The reunion of Joseph with his brothers underscores the importance of family unity and restoration, a theme that resonates with the biblical call to love and support one another.(4) I am Joseph your brother.--There is much force in the assurance that he was still their brother. For they stood speechless in terrified surprise at finding that the hated dreamer, upon the anguish of whose soul they had looked unmoved, was now the ruler of a mighty empire. But with magnanimous gentleness he bids them neither to grieve nor be angry with themselves; for behind their acts there had been a watchful Providence guiding all things for good.Verses 4-13. - And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. It is probable they had instinctively shrunk from his presence on learning the astounding fact that he was Joseph, but felt reassured by the kindly tone of Joseph's words. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. It was impossible to evade allusion to their early wickedness, and this Joseph does in a spirit not of angry upbraiding, but of elevated piety and tender charity. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves (literally, let it not burn in your eyes, as in Genesis 31:35), that ye sold me hither (their self-recriminations and heart upbraidings for their former wickedness Joseph in all probability saw depicted in their faces): for God (Elohim) did send me before you to preserve life (literally, for the preservation of life). For these two years hath the famine been in the land (literally, in the midst of the land): and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earning nor harvest - literally, neither ploughing nor reaping, the term ploughing, or earing, charish (cf. ἄροσις, aratio, Anglo-Saxon, origin), being derived from a root signifying to cut. And God (Elohim, the use of which here and in Ver. 5 instead of Jehovah is sufficiently explained by remembering that Joseph simply desires to point out the overruling providence of God in his early transportation to Egypt) sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth (literally, to keep for you a remnant on the earth, i.e. to preserve the family from extinction through the famine), and to save your lives by a great deliverance - literally, to preserve life to you to a great deliverance, i.e. by a providential rescue (Rosenmüller, Kalisch, Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary'), which is better than to a great nation or posterity, פְלֵיטָה being understood, as in 2 Samuel 15:14; 2 Kings 19:30, 31, to mean a remnant escaped from slaughter (Bohlen), an interpretation which Rosenmüller thinks admissible, but Kalisch disputes. So now (literally, and now) it was not you that sent me hither, but God - literally, for the Elohim (sent me). Joseph's brethren sent him to be a slave; God sent him to be a savior (Hughes). And he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, - i.e. a wise and confidential friend and counselor (Keil, Kalisch, 'Speaker's Commentary;' cf. 1 Macc. 11:32). Murphy explains the term as signifying "a second author of life," with obvious reference to the interpretation of his dreams and the measures adopted to provide against the famine - and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land Egypt (vide Genesis 41:40, 41). Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God (Elohim) hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen. Goshen, Γεσὲμ Αραβίας (LXX.), was a region on the east of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, extending as far as the wilderness of Arabia, a land of pastures (Genesis 46:34), exceedingly fertile (Genesis 47:6), styled also the land of Rameses (Genesis 47:11), and including the cities Pithon and Rameses (Exodus 1:11), and probably also On, or Heliopolis (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 2:07, 6; Hengstenberg's 'Egypt and the Books of Moses,' p. 42; Gesenius, 'Lexicon,' p. 183). And thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: and there will I nourish thee (the verb is the Pilpel of כּול, to hold up, hence to sustain); for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty - liter-ally, be robbed, from יָרַשׁ, to take possession (Keil), or fall into slavery, i.e. through poverty (Knobel, Lange). And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of (literally, ye shall relate to my father) all my glory (cf. Genesis 31:1) in Egypt, and of all (literally, ail) that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. Calvin thinks that Joseph would not have made such liberal promises to his brethren without having previously obtained Pharaoh's consent, nisi regis permissu; but this does not appear from the narrative. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Then Josephיוֹסֵ֧ף (yō·w·sêp̄) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites said וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to his brothers, אֶחָ֛יו (’e·ḥāw) Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 251: A brother, ) “Please נָ֥א (nā) Interjection Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then' come near me.” גְּשׁוּ־ (gə·šū-) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach And they [did so]. וַיִּגָּ֑שׁוּ (way·yig·gā·šū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach “I אֲנִי֙ (’ă·nî) Pronoun - first person common singular Strong's 589: I am Joseph, יוֹסֵ֣ף (yō·w·sêp̄) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites your brother,” אֲחִיכֶ֔ם (’ă·ḥî·ḵem) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 251: A brother, ) he said, וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “the one אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-) Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that you sold מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם (mə·ḵar·tem) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 4376: To sell into Egypt! מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃ (miṣ·rā·yə·māh) Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa Links Genesis 45:4 NIVGenesis 45:4 NLT Genesis 45:4 ESV Genesis 45:4 NASB Genesis 45:4 KJV Genesis 45:4 BibleApps.com Genesis 45:4 Biblia Paralela Genesis 45:4 Chinese Bible Genesis 45:4 French Bible Genesis 45:4 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 45:4 Joseph said to his brothers Come near (Gen. 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