They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
Parallel translations
- WEB They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another.
- KJV And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
- NKJV And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another.
- NASB Now they were seated before him, from the firstborn according to his birthright to the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
- NLT Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them according to age, from oldest to youngest.
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
The brothers are seated in exact birth order, astonishing them. The uncanny knowledge hints that this lord is no ordinary man.
Overview
Being arranged from oldest to youngest, against all odds, leaves the brothers amazed and uneasy. The seating quietly signals that the Egyptian ruler knows more about them than he should. It builds suspense toward the revelation that this man is their long-lost brother.
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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 43:33 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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