And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet 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?”
- BSB He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still 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 42:13And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
- Gen 42:11We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.
- 1 Chr 18:10He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to enquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.
- 1 Sam 17:22And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
- 1 Sam 25:5And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
- Gen 41:16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
- Exod 18:7And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
- Gen 37:14And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
- Judg 18:15And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
- Gen 43:7And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
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.