Genesis 45:1-28

Genesis 45 Joseph

Genesis 45:1-28

Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Hebrew Interlinear Bible, WLCv, WLC5, CHES, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible'. KJV, alternate versions, Hebrew text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
- Bereshit 45: Massoretic, Hebrew, Aramaic, JPS.
Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
- Navigating the Bible: Text/Rabbinic commentary and Divrei Torah.
- Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
- From the Geneva Notes.
  - "This example teaches that we must by all means comfort those who are truly ashamed and sorry for their sins."
- From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
  - "After the tokens of true reconciliation with the Lord Jesus, sweet communion with him follows."
- From Wesley's Notes.
  - "Sinners must grieve, and be angry with themselves for their sins; yea, though God, by his power, bring good out of them, for that is no thanks to the sinner: but true penitents should be greatly affected with it, when they see God bringing good out of evil. Though we must not with this consideration extenuate our own sins, and so take off the edge of our repentance; yet it may do well thus to extenuate the sins of others, and so take off the edge of our angry resentments. Thus Joseph doth here."
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
  - "The sudden transition from a condemned criminal to a fondled brother, might have occasioned fainting or even death, had not his tumultuous feelings been relieved by a torrent of tears. But Joseph's attentions were not confined to Benjamin. He affectionately embraced every one of his brothers in succession; and by those actions, his forgiveness was demonstrated more fully than it could be by words."
- "Jesus and His Brethren: Genesis 45:1-5," Charles H. Spurgeon, 1897.
  - "I need not say to, you beloved, who are conversant with Scripture, that there is scarcely any personal type in the Old Testament which is more clearly and fully a portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ than is the type of Joseph."
Contemporary References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
- Commentary, Genesis 45:1-15, Wil Gafney, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
  - "Joseph's complicated family history teaches us that Israelite identity was a cultural and religious one and not an ethnic or even national one in his time -- and for some time to come."
- "When God Sends You," Fr. Rick Morley, a garden path, 2011.
  - "Joseph is able to look upon the hardest days of his life and see the hand of God working for himself and all of God’s people."
- "Bold Moves," Kathryn Matthews Huey, ucc.org: Sermon Seeds, lectionary citations, weekly theme, lectionary texts, bulletin back page, 2011.
  - "Perhaps there are two tracks for a sermon on this text (or the second part of a two-part sermon, beginning last week): providence and forgiveness."
- "Insider/Outsider" Mike Stavlund, The Hardest Question, 2011.
  - "Whose side are we on?"
- Commentary, Genesis 45:1-15, Kathryn Schifferdecker, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
  - "The text for today describes a moving scene of reconciliation, the self-revelation of Joseph to the brothers who sold him into slavery many years before, and gives us the theological lens through which to view the whole story of Joseph."
- The Old Testament Readings: Genesis 45:1-15. Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia.
  - "This story presumes a faith in which the sovereignty and activity of God is seen as tightly bound to human agendas, yet at the same time possessing a freedom within certain bounds. It acts with, against, for, and in spite of those creaturely agendas."
- Genesis 45:1-15, Pentecost 14, Commentary, Background, Insights from Literary Structure, Theological Message, Ways to Present the Text. Anna Grant-Henderson, Uniting Church in Australia.
  - "In our lives we cannot avoid being accountable for actions which hurt and give pain to others whether on a personal level or indeed on a global level. However, it is the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit which can overcome our sin, bring new life and possibilities from situations."
- Desert Scribblings, Genesis 45:1-15, Geoff McElroy.
  - "At the center of the Joseph story is the dream, which is God's way of continuing the covenant promises laid out to the generations before."
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
- Genesis 45:3-11, 15, Studies on Old Testament texts from Series C, Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
- "The Awesome Plot," Parshah Vayigash, text, commentary, stories, sermons & articles from Chassidic Masters and others, from Chabad Lubavitch.
- "Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources.
  - "Here then are the elements for reconciliation. Looking to God's big plan rather than our pain, genuine repentance and forgiveness."
- "Joseph Comes Out," Torah Commentary by Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman. BeliefNet.
  - "So many people hide their true identities. We must work for a day when everyone can say, 'I am Joseph, your brother.'"
- "Revealing Joseph," Expository Essay, Genesis 45:1-11, 15, Dr. William R. Long. Part 2.
  - "The reunion will not 'solve' all their problems, but it brings to a fitting 'interim' conclusion a narrative of bitterness, favoritism, jealousy and revenge."
- Parshas Vayigash, Divrei Torah from The Project Genesis Torah Study. Index to numerous Orthodox articles and studies on Genesis 44:18 -47:27.
- Parshat Vayigash, articles and commentary by the Jewish Community of Atlanta, at The Torah From Dixie.
Articles & Background:
- "In Each Other's Likeness: Twin Brothers Separated by Faith after the Holocaust," Eugene L. Pogany, Cross Currents.
  - "If only posthumous efforts like reciting the Kaddish could diminish the inner barriers between this devout Christian minister and the quietly courageous Jewish husband, father, and grandfather who was his twin brother. For finally, in each other's sorrow and in each other's passion they would have discerned their own."
- "The Sabbatical/Jubilee Cycle and the Seven Year Famine in Egypt," C. Carmichael, Biblica 80 (1999). Abstract.
  - "The lawgiver formulated rules to ensure that the Israelites do not do what the Egyptians did in their land (Lev 18,3). Borrowing details from the Genesis account of the seven-year famine in Egypt, the lawgiver set out Yahweh’s scheme for his people’s welfare."
- "The Fundamentals of Forgiveness," from the Biblical Studies Foundation.
  - "We live in a society which...is trying to store up anger that sooner or later is going to break forth, causing pain and misery for many."
- "Le temps dans l?histoire de Joseph (Gn 37?50). Repères temporels pour une analyse narrative," Andre Wenin, Biblica 2002. Abstract in English.
  - "The story of Joseph thus appears as a story showing how the healing and humanization of human relations are achieved by telling the story of a life."
- Tears from Jewish Heritage OnLine Magazine.
  - Includes "Joseph's Tears: Retrieving Absence," by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg.
    - "As Judah recalls the rememberings of his father, Joseph is overwhelmed by the reality of his own absence; he weeps for the third time and reveals himself."
- "Exile," program highlights, discussion & reflection questions and more from the Bill Moyers PBS series Genesis: A Living Conversation.
  - "What was the transformation in Joseph that enabled him to forgive and reconcile with his brothers? If Joseph's brothers had not turned up so propitiously, do you think Joseph would have ever gone home to see his family?"
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Broadway Musical Home.
  - "Way, way back many centuries ago, not long after the Bible began..."
- Mysteries of the Nile website from PBS's Nova special. Features historical & archaeological information, panoramic virtual reality photos, and more.
  - "Explore the Pyramids, temples, and other monumental architecture of ancient Egypt through riveting 360° photos shot during this NOVA/PBS Online Adventure."
Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Brueggemann, Walter, "Life and Death in Tenth Century Israel," Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 1972.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Coats, George W., "The Joseph Story and Ancient Wisdom: A Reappraisal," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1973.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Coats, George W., "Redactional Unity in Genesis 37-50," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1974.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Fritsch, Charles T., "'God Was With Him': A Theological Study of the Joseph Narrative," Interpretation, 1955.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Greenberg, Irving, "The Maturation of Covenant in Judaism and Christianity," The Living Pulpit, 2005.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Holladay, William L., "In Solidarity with His Brothers," The Christian Century, 1996.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Hyman, Ronald T., "Questions in the Joseph Story: The Effects and their Implications for Teaching," Religious Education, 1984.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Jacobs, Mignon R., "The Conceptual Dynamics of Good and Evil in the Joseph Story: An Exegetical and Hermeneutical Inquiry," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 2003.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Hyman, Ronald T., "Questions in the Joseph Story: The Effects and Their Implication for Teaching," Religious Education, 1984.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Kaminsky, Joel S., "Reclaiming a Theology of Election: Favoritism and the Joseph Story," Perspectives in Religious Studies, 2004.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- King, J. Robin, "The Joseph Story and Divine Politics: A Comparative Study of a Biographic Formula from the Ancient Near East," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1987.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Layton, Scott C., The Steward in Ancient Israel: A Study of Hebrew ('ASER) 'AL-HABBAYIT in Its Near Eastern Setting," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1990.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Matthews, Victor H., "The Anthropology of Clothing in the Joseph Narrative," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1995.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Morse, Christopher L., "Karl Barth on 'Covenant Partners,'" The Living Pulpit, 2005.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Patterson, Richard D., "Joseph in Pharoah's Court," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2007.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Pogany, Eugene L., "In Each Other's Likeness: Twin Brothers Separated by Faith after the Holocaust," Cross Currents, 1995.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Rendsburg, Gary A., "Literary Structures in the Qur'anic and Biblical Stories of Joseph," Muslim World, 1988.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Smith, Bryan, "The Central Role of Judah in Genesis 37-50," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2005.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Stansell, Gary, "The Gift in Ancient Israel," Semeia, 1999.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Wildavsky, Aaron, "Survival Must Not Be Gained through Sin: The Moral of the Joseph Stories Prefigured through Judah and Tamar," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1994.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
Reviews:
- Review: Ronald S. Wallace, The Story of Joseph and the Family of Jacob. Eerdmans, 2001. Review by Terrance A. Clarke in SBL's Review of Biblical Literature.
- Review: Kevin Walton, Thou Traveller Unknown: The Presence and Absence of God in the Jacob Narrative. Paternoster, 2003. Review by David W. Cotter in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2004.
- Review: Ron Pirson, The Lord of Dreams: A Semantic and Literary Analysis of Genesis 37-50. Sheffield Academic Press, 2003. Review by Barbara Green in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2004.
- Review: Lindsay Wilson, Joseph Wise and Otherwise: The Intersection of Wisdom and Covenant in Genesis 37-50. Paternoster, 2004. Review by Oren Biderman, Review of Biblical Literature, 2006.
- Review: Alan T. Levenson, The Story of Joseph: A Journey of Jewish Interpretation. The College of William and Mary, 2004. Review by Piet Venter, Review of Biblical Literature, 2006.
Sermons:
- Forgiveness And Reconciliation At Last! Arley K. Fadness, SermonStudio
- "The Story of Joseph," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
Poetry, Stories & Literature:
- "Forgiveness," Cross Currents, 2004.
With Children:
- Worshiping with Children, Proper 15, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2011.
- "Children's Literature: A Resource for Ministry," August 14, 2011, Union Presbyterian Seminary. Connections: Genesis 45:1-15 and The Adventures of Granny Clearwater & Little Critter by Kimberly Willis Holt.
- "Joseph in Egypt," Illustrating the Story (lessons, children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's songs. MSSS Crafts.
- The Story of Joseph, activities & crafts for children, DLTK's Printable Crafts for Kids.
- "Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers," "Jacob Moves to Egypt," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
Drama:
- Mustard Seeds, "Getting Along," Proper 15, 2011. A lectionary-based ideas resource for leaders of contemporary worship, Ann Scull, Gippsland, Australia.
- Joseph Reveals Himself To His Brothers, Dallas A. Brauninger, SermonStudio.
Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Clip Art: Story of Joseph, Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld woodcuts, World Mission Collection, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
- Joseph and His Brothers PowerPoint Slide Masters. Henry Martin, sermons4kids.com.
Hymns and Music:
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- At Oremus Hymnal:
Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Joseph
Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
Study links and resources for the Book of Genesis