Genesis 45:16–24

45 16 The news was heard in Pharaoh’s house—“Joseph’s brothers have come.” It was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and the eyes of his servants.  17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your pack animals and return to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your households and come back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will live off the fat of the land.’ 19 And you are commanded: “Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and wives, and carry your father and come. 20 Do not regret seeing your possessions left, because the good things from all the land of Egypt are yours.”
     21 The sons of  Israel did this. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh instructed, and he gave them provisions for their journey. 22 To all of them, each one, he gave a change of clothing, but to Benjamin, he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father, he sent ten donkeys carrying good things from Egypt, ten she-asses carrying grain and bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24 He sent his brothers off, and as they went, he told them, “Don’t be worried about a trap on the trip.”


Referring to Creation, G*D claims it to be good, day by day; Referring to the presence of Joseph’s brothers, Pharaoh claims it to be good.

At the end of the 6th day, G*D claims it to be very good. One tradition has Lilith coming forth from G*D’s lung on the word “very”. Unconscious chaos and wisdom follow in her wake. A question for Pharaoh as to what might be “very good” added to a “good” would be the bringing of all of Joseph’s family to Egypt. Pharaoh offers the best land available. The presence of one person, Joseph, in Egypt, is one thing, particularly as they have brought such a surplus to Pharaoh and put all of Egypt in Pharaoh’s debt—complements of Joseph. It will be the story of a next book or sequel to describe how different it would be to have a multitude of non-Egyptians in Egypt.

Pharaoh not only invites Jacob/Israel and his extended family to come, but facilitates their move by supplying them with wagons to convey children, women, and an elderly patriarch from Canaan to Egypt by way of travel through Sinai’s wilderness.

Joseph, Pharaoh’s number two, provides his administrative skill to provision the brothers to return to Canaan and return with the extended family.

Joseph, favored as Rachel’s firstborn, doesn’t seem to be able to leave his perceived center of power and privilege. He continues the entitlement cycle by giving Benjamin, Rachel’s second-born, 300 silver coins (15 times what his brothers received when they sold Joseph), and 5 changes of garments (5 times the number of clothing items given each half-brother). Joseph, additionally, sends 20 donkey loads of Egyptian luxuries and grain to his father (more than any other brother could begin to comprehend, much less give.

Finally, Joseph has a word for his brothers as they leave. It was a word that is difficult to translate. Its general use is the opposite of “peace”. Alter suggests it’s meaning may simply be that Joseph has given over his desire for vengeance upon them, and there will be no trap of hidden silver or goblet, this time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.