Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”
- KJV And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
- NKJV Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”
- NASB Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.”
- NLT After washing his face, he came back out, keeping himself under control. Then he ordered, “Bring out the food!”
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 washes his face, regains composure, and orders the meal served. He masters his emotion to continue the careful plan.
Overview
Restraining his tears, Joseph keeps his identity hidden a little longer to complete the testing of his brothers. His self-control serves a redemptive purpose, not pride or distance. The meal he commands becomes a setting of reconciliation in process, awaiting the right moment for the truth.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Gen 45:1Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me!” So none of them were with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
- 1 Pet 3:10For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
- Isa 42:14“I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.
- Jer 31:16This is what the LORD says: “Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come, declares the LORD. Then your children will return from the land of the enemy.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 43:31 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.