Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? 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?
- 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?”
- 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 42:13They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.”
- Gen 42:11We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
- 1 Chr 18:10he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to Greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him (for Hadadezer had wars with Tou); and he had with him all kinds of vessels of gold and silver and brass.
- 1 Sam 17:22David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.
- 1 Sam 25:5David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.
- Gen 41:16Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
- Exod 18:7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.
- Gen 37:14He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
- Judg 18:15They turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man, even to the house of Micah, and asked him how he was doing.
- Gen 43:7They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could 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.