Genesis 45:9

Gen 45:9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

Ver. 9. Come down unto me, tarry not.] Christ seems to send from heaven, and say unto us in like sort, God hath made me Lord of all; come up unto me, tarry not. Should the king call us to court, upon no other condition than to have and enjoy the pleasures and treasures there to be had, old Jacob never went so willingly into Egypt, as we should gladly accept and embrace such a motion.

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_45:9-13

Thus saith thy son Joseph

Lessons

1.

Providence may order traitors to be messengers of better news than they intended.

2. Gracious children are speedy to take off grief from their parents hearts.

3. God orders those events of mercy to be declared unto His, which they sometimes would not believe.

4. Josephs spirit owneth his afflicted father in all his own glory.

5. Josephs heart ascribes all his glory unto God only.

6. Joseph contents not himself to be in plenty and glory, but to have his father with him (Gen_45:9).

7. Certain and fertile habitations are human motives to draw from barren places.

8. Nearness to dearest relations may persuade to change habitations (Gen_45:10).

9. Alimony is a duty of children to parents in straights.

10. Assurance of nourishment may well draw from places where bread is wanting.

11. Gods continuance of famine should move souls to follow His providence for food.

12. It is beseeming Gods servants to provide under Him against impoverishing of their families. So Joseph (Gen_45:11).

13. Eyewitnesses and they dear ones of Gods gracious events, should persuade good souls to believe them (verse 121.

14. Gracious souls may urge their dignity to help the distressed, but not in vain glory.

15. Grace makes nature speedy in the execution of its duty.

16. Gracious children desire earnestly their parents with them in their fulness (Gen_45:13). (G. Hughes, B. D.)

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

Gen 45:9. Haste you, and go to my father — He desires that his father might speedily be made glad with the tidings of his life and honour. He knew it would be a refreshing oil to his hoary head, and a sovereign cordial to his spirits. He desires them to give themselves, and take with them to their father, all possible satisfaction of these surprising tidings.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45:9-13 Joseph instructed his brothers to inform Jacob. The whole family was to move to Egypt and live in Goshen, a fertile region in the Nile delta (see 47:1-12). If they did not come to Egypt, they would not survive the five years of famine ahead.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

9. Thus saith thy son Joseph. In giving this command, he shows that he spoke of his power in order to inspire his father with stronger confidence. We know how dilatory old men are; and, besides, it was difficult to tear holy Jacob away from the inheritance which was divinely promised to him. Therefore Joseph, having pointed out the necessity for the step, declares what a desirable relief the Lord had offered. It may, however, be asked, why the oracle did not occur to their minds, concerning which they had been instructed by their fathers, namely, that they should be strangers and servants in a strange land. (Genesis 15:13.) For it seems that Joseph here promises nothing but mere pleasures, as if no future adversity was to be apprehended. But though nothing is expressly declared on this point by Moses, yet I am induced, by a probable conjecture, to believe that Jacob was not forgetful of the oracle. For, unless he had been retained by some celestial chain, he never could have remained in Egypt after the expiration of the time of scarcity. For by remaining there voluntarily, he would have appeared to cast away the hope of the inheritance promised him by God. Seeing, then, that he does not provide for his return into the land of Canaan, but only commands his corpse to be carried thither; nor yet exhorts his sons to a speedy return, but suffers them to settle in Egypt; he does this, not from indolence, or because he is allured by the attractions of Egypt, or has become weary of the land of Canaan; but because he is preparing himself and his offspring to bear that tyranny, concerning which he had been forewarned by his father Isaac. Therefore he regards it as an advantage that, at his first coming, he is hospitably received; but, in the meantime, he revolves in his mind what had been spoken to Abraham.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

Haste you, and go up to my father,.... In Canaan, which lay higher than Egypt; being desirous he should know as soon as possible that he was alive, and in what circumstances he was:

and say unto him, thus saith thy son Joseph; without any title, such as the father and counsellor of Pharaoh and governor of Egypt, only Joseph his son, which would be enough to revive the heart of Jacob:

God hath made me lord over all Egypt: his exaltation to this dignity he ascribes, not to Pharaoh, but to God; civil honour and promotion to worldly grandeur and dignity are from God, and not from man:

come down unto me, tarry not; the great business on his hands not permitting him to go to his father and fetch him to Egypt, he desires that he would come to him without delay, which would be greatly to the advantage of him and his family, and to their mutual comfort.

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

9. Haste ye… tarry not — The emotion of a consuming filial love is in these words. How long will seem the days until son and father meet again!

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

go up to my father

It was common to use the phrase "go up" when speaking about going from Egypt to Canaan. AT: "go back to my father"

say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says, "God has ... all that you have

This is a quotation with three layers. It can be simplified to two layers. AT: "tell him that this is what I said: 'God has ... all that you have" (See: Quotes Within Quotes and Direct and Indirect Quotations)

Come down to me

It was common to use the phrase "come down" when speaking about going from Canaan to Egypt. AT: "Come here to me"

come to poverty

This speaks about "poverty" as if it were a destination. AT: "waste away" or "starve" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

Goshen

children

flocks

year

famine

household

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

ועלו אל אבי AND GO UP TO MY FATHER — he said “go up” because the land of Israel is situated higher than all the neighbouring countries (Kiddushin 69a).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.