Genesis 45:21

Gen 45:21 And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

Ver. 21. And gave them provision for the way.] So doth God give all his; meat that the world knows not of; joy that the natural heart never tasted of; the white stone; the hidden manna; the continual feast; the foretaste of eternal life, to hold up their hearts till they come home to heaven. On the cares of a good conscience, he goes on feeding, as Samson did on his honeycomb, till he came to his parents; as Joseph’s brethren here did on their venison, till they came to their father Jacob.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen_45:21-24

Provision for the way

Divine provision for human wants

I.

But for the provision Joseph sent them for the way, Jacob and his sons sons and daughters could never have crossed the hot desert. But the impossible had been made possible by the command of Pharaoh and the love of Joseph. The journey was accomplished successfully, the desert was traversed without peril, without excessive fatigue, by means of the waggons sent out of the land of Egypt. When Jacob saw the waggons his heart revived.

II. Let us apply this to our Lord and to ourselves. Jesus Christ, the true Joseph, remembers us in His prosperity, and He sends an invitation to us by the desire of God the Father, who loveth us. He dots not bid us come to Him in our own strength, relying only on the poor food which a famine-struck land yields--does not bid us toil across a burning desert, prowled over by the lion, without provision and protection. There are sacraments and helps and means of grace, which He has sent to relieve the weariness of the way, to carry us on, to support us when we faint, to encourage us lest we should despair.

III. Let us not despise the means of grace. We may not ourselves want them, but others do. Go in your own waggon, or on your feet, if you can and dare, but upbraid not those who take refuge in means of transport you have not tried, or do not require. Those sacraments, those means of grace, those helps, ever new, yet old as Christianity, have borne many and many a blessed one along to the good land, who is now resting in Goshen and eating the fat of the land. (S. Baring-Gould, M. A.)

Joseph equips his brethren for their journey

I. HIS RESPECT AND HONOUR FOR HIS FATHER. This is seen--

1. In the portion he gave to Benjamin

2. In the portion he sent to his father.

II. HIS SHREWD WISDOM (Gen_45:24). (T. H. Leale.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CRITICAL NOTES.—

Gen_45:21. Joseph gave them waggons.] Two-wheeled cars, fit for driving over a rough country, where roads were not found. Wheeled vehicles are scarcely seen in Palestine.—

Gen_45:24. See that ye fall not out by the way.] Some maintain that the sense is, “Be not afraid.” They were not to be in dread lest any after-plot of his should bring them back again. The Heb. word means, to be stirred by any passion, whether of fear or anger; and is interpreted in the sense of quarrelling, or falling out, in Pro_29:9; Isa_28:21. The word is so rendered here, and it best suits the sense. Onkelos gives to it the same signification, “Do not contend.”—

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Gen_45:21-24

JOSEPH EQUIPS HIS BRETHREN FOR THEIR JOURNEY

His bounty towards them was most liberal. They are supplied not only with necessaries, but even with luxuries, and furnished in a style calculated to make an impression upon spectators. The richness and splendour of this outfit was worthy of a brother raised to such high eminence in a great nation. But the whole of this incident brings out these two things especially:—

I. His respect and honour for his father. This is seen:—

1. In the portion he gave to Benjamin. He was furnished more liberally than the rest, distinctly marked out as a peculiar object of favour. (Gen_45:22.) This would touch the heart of the doting father.

2. In the portion he sent to his father. (Gen_45:23). He could not fetch him himself, but he sends him the richest presents of Egypt. In this way he expressed his peculiar affection for his father. The old man would need the strongest proof of the reality of those strange things he was about to hear, and the style in which his sons were sent to him from Egypt would naturally make a strong impression upon him.

II. His shrewd wisdom. Another point brought out in this incident. Joseph charged his brethren, as they were leaving, “See that ye fall not out by the way.” (Gen_45:24.) This advice was founded upon deep wisdom, and showed great knowledge of human nature in the man who gave it. Joseph had heard already from Reuben some severe reflections upon his brethren. (Gen_42:22.) He might well suppose that they would repeat these things when they were alone. Reuben might have told them how different the result would have been had they taken his advice. Each one would have his cause of quarrel. The unexpected prosperity into which they had fallen would only have served to arouse old feelings of enmity. But they were now restrained by Joseph’s sober and timely advice. It is sad to think how that through the fault of human nature, even the manifestations of God’s goodness towards us may be made the occasion of wrangling and angry strife. Even when the Gospel message was first announced to the world, men soon began to quarrel with each other. The very terms of salvation were disputed. Men were not content to receive the truth as it was told them, but they must make it the subject of endless and fruitless controversy. Let us be satisfied with the bountiful provision God makes for us by the way, spending our energy in praising Him, and refusing to waste it in the mean warfare of human strifes.

SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES

Gen_45:21. Provision for the way. So doth God give all His; meat that the world knows not of; joy that the natural heart never tasted; the white stone; the hidden manna; the continual feast; the foretaste of eternal life, to hold up their hearts till they come home to heaven. On the cates of a good conscience, he goes on feeding as Samson did on his honeycomb, till he came to his parents; as Joseph’s brethren here did on their venison, till they came to their father Jacob.—(Trapp.)

Gen_45:22. As the fashion of clothes never changes in the East as with us, they do not become useless as long as they last. Joseph virtually published to his brethren the superior regard which he entertained for Benjamin as the son of his mother, as well as of his father. He showed his confidence in their good dispositions towards Benjamin.—(Bush.)

Gen_45:23. It was, no doubt, a pleasure to Jacob to partake of the fruits of the attention and kindness of his long-lost Joseph. Yet we may safely suppose he derived more pleasure from Joseph’s goodness to his brethren than from the presents sent to himself. He had no reason to doubt of Joseph’s warm, filial affection, but it would fill him with unspeakable joy to find his son exhibiting the highest pattern of meekness and of the forgiveness of injuries that the world had ever yet beheld.—(Bush.)

Gen_45:24. On the journey to eternity we must not become angry, either with our companions, or with God. Christians, as brethren, ought not to quarrel with each other on the way of life.—(Lange.)

Joseph’s brethren send him naked to strangers, he sends them in new and rich liveries to their father; they took a small sum of money for him, he gives them great treasures; they sent his torn coat to his father, he sends variety of costly raiments to his father by them; they sold him to be the lead of camels, he sends them home with chariots. It must be a great favour, that can appease the consciousness of a great injury.—(Bp. Hall.)

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joseph gave them wagons--which must have been novelties in Palestine; for wheeled carriages were almost unknown there.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 21. Joseph gave them wagons] עגלות agaloth, from עגל agal, which, though not used as a verb in the Hebrew Bible, evidently means to turn round, roll round, be circular, &c., and hence very properly applied to wheel carriages. It appears from this that such vehicles were very early in use, and that the road from Egypt to Canaan must have been very open and much frequented, else such carriages could not have passed by it.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And the children of Israel did so,.... As Pharaoh commanded, and Joseph from him directed them to do:

and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh: and beasts, either horses or oxen to draw them, and these not empty, though the principal use of them was to fetch his father and his family, and their goods:

and gave them provision for the way: both going and returning, as much as would suffice for both.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And the children (better, sons) of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment (literally, the mouth) of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The sons of Israel carried out the instructions of Joseph and the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen 45:25-27). But Joseph not only sent carriages according to Pharaoh's directions, and food for the journey, he also gave them presents, changes of raiment, a suit for every one, and five suits for Benjamin, as well as 300 shekels of silver. שׂמלות חלפות: change of clothes, clothes to change; i.e., dress clothes which were worn on special occasions and frequently changed (Jdg 13:12-13, Jdg 13:19; Kg2 5:5). "And to his father he sent like these;" i.e., not changes of clothes, but presents also, viz., ten asses "carrying of the good of Egypt," and ten she-asses with corn and provisions for the journey; and sent them off with the injunction: אל־תּרגּזוּ :noitcnu, μὴ ὀργἱζεσθε (lxx), "do not get angry by the way." Placatus erat Joseph fratribus, simul eos admonet, ne quid turbarum moveant. Timendum enim erat, ne quisque se purgando crimen transferre in alios studeret atque its surgeret contentio (Calvin).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

gave them provisions for the journey

"gave them what they needed for traveling"

he gave each man changes of clothing

Each man received a set of clothes except for Benjamin who received 5 sets of clothes. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

three hundred pieces

"300 pieces" (See: Numbers)

ten donkeys ... and ten female donkeys

The donkeys were included as part of the gift. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

Jacob

Joseph (OT)

command

Pharaoh

Benjamin

silver

donkey

Egypt

grain

bread

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ויעשו כן. They did in accordance with what Joseph had told them to do. They loaded their beasts and they were quick about it in order to get started on the way home to Canaan.

על פי פרעה, these words prove what my father wrote that without Pharaoh’s express permission it was not possible for these carriages to be removed beyond Egypt’s borders.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.