He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
Parallel translations
- WEB He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”
- KJV And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
- NKJV Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
- NASB Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
- NLT After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”
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
Joseph asks after their welfare and whether their aged father still lives. His tender concern reveals his longing for Jacob.
Overview
Beneath his official manner, Joseph's heart reaches toward his father, asking specifically if Jacob is alive. The question shows the family love that survived his suffering and exile. It heightens the emotional pressure that will soon move Joseph to reveal himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Gen 42:13But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
- Gen 42:11We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
- 1 Chr 18:10he sent his son Hadoram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze,
- 1 Sam 17:22Then David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.
- 1 Sam 25:5So David sent ten young men and instructed them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel. Greet him in my name
- Gen 41:16“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”
- Exod 18:7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.
- Gen 37:14Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,
- Judg 18:15So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
- Gen 43:7They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 43:27 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.