1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, “Cause every man to go out from me.” And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
Imagine being his brothers right now; They have been set up, accused of being spies and thieves. They are fixing to lose their brother which will kill their father. And now their enemy stands up and starts yelling in the Egyptian language and all the servants in the room start rushing out. What were they thinking? Were they expecting the army to come charging back in to kill them all?
2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, “I am Joseph; does my father yet live?” And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
This was probably the last thing they were expecting. And they were, understandably, upset by this revelation. They probably really expected the army to come kill them now after what they had done to Joseph.
4 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.
5 “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me here: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Joseph had a beautiful view of God’s providence. Even though his brothers meant to kill Joseph, God used their actions to bring salvation not only of Jacob’s family but of their entire known world. Joseph has no bitterness.
6 “For these two years has the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 “And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 “So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and boss of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
“This was all in God’s plans. I am the most powerful man in the country now.”
9 “Hurry ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, ‘This is what thy son Joseph says, “God has made me boss of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:” ‘
10 “And thou shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shall be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou has:
11 “And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou has, come to poverty.
12 “And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaks unto you.
13 “And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall hurry and bring down my father here.”
“Hurry up, will you!?” Joseph was anxious to take care of his whole family.
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brothers talked with him.
I bet he had some exciting stories to tell.
16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, “Joseph's brothers are come:” and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
Pharaoh was pleased that Joseph has gotten his family back. The statues of Sesostris I show a very pleasant looking man; a real nice guy.
17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, “Say unto thy brothers, ‘This do ye; load your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
Pharaoh has the same idea that Joseph had.
18 “ ‘And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
19 “ ‘Now thou are commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
20 “ ‘Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.’“
This is all done not only with Pharaoh’s blessing, but under his direct command.
21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them food for the way.
22 “To all of them he gave each man changes of clothes; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of clothes.
A change of clothes might take three months of work to make and thus cost three month’s salary. It was a rich man who had more than two sets of clothes.
23 And to his father he sent after this manner; ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten she donkeys loaded with grain and bread and meat for his father by the way.
24 So he sent his brothers away, and they left: and he said unto them, “See that ye argue not by the way.”
“Now, don’t fight!” A joke?
25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
26 And told him, saying, “Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.
27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.”
Jacob did believe them though it took some convincing. I wonder how exactly they explained how Joseph got there?