Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.
Parallel translations
- KJV And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
- BSB When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.
- ESV When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground.
- NKJV So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground.
- NASB When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell down to the ground before him.
- NLT Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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
Judah leads his brothers back to Joseph, and they fall to the ground before him. Joseph's boyhood dreams of their bowing are again fulfilled.
Overview
Judah, who once proposed selling Joseph, now leads the brothers in humble submission before him. Their prostration once more fulfills the dreams God gave Joseph long ago. The scene shows both the certainty of God's word and the providential reversal that places Judah at the forefront of intercession.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Phil 2:10–11that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
- Gen 50:18His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
- Gen 43:16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine with me at noon.”
- Gen 43:25They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
- Gen 37:7–10for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
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 44:14 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.