When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to him to the earth.
Parallel translations
- KJV And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
- BSB When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
- NKJV And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth.
- NASB When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the gift which was in their hand, and they bowed down to the ground before him.
- NLT When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him.
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
When Joseph arrives, the brothers present their gift and bow to the ground before him. The dreams of his youth are again fulfilled.
Overview
The brothers' homage with the gift fulfills once more the dreams of sheaves and stars bowing to Joseph (Gen 37). Their posture of submission confirms God's word and Joseph's foreseen exaltation. The scene quietly testifies that God brings his purposes to pass despite human opposition.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Phil 2:10–11that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
- Gen 42:6Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
- Gen 37:19–20They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
- Gen 27:29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
- Ps 72:9Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.
- Gen 37:7–10for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
- Rom 14:11For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’”
- Gen 43:28They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.
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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 43:26 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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