They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,
Parallel translations
- KJV And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
- BSB So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
- NKJV When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house,
- NASB So they approached Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house,
- NLT The brothers approached the manager of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the palace.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The anxious brothers approach the steward at the door to explain themselves. They act preemptively to clear their names.
Overview
Rather than wait to be accused, the brothers take initiative to address the matter of the silver. Their honesty contrasts with their earlier deceit and signals real change. The encounter at the door allows the steward to reassure them of an unexpected peace.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 43:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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