Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers talked with him.
Parallel translations
- WEB He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
- KJV Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
- NKJV Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
- NASB And he kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
- NLT Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him.
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 kisses and weeps over all his brothers, and only then do they talk freely with him. Forgiveness opens the way to renewed fellowship.
Overview
Joseph extends affection to every brother, not only Benjamin, weeping over those who had wronged him. His tears and kisses dissolve their fear so that conversation can finally flow. The restored fellowship pictures how grace and forgiveness reopen broken relationships.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Luke 15:20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
- 1 Sam 20:41When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
- 1 Sam 10:1Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?
- Ruth 1:9May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud
- Ruth 1:14Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
- 2 Sam 14:33So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.
- Acts 20:37They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.
- Gen 45:2But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household soon heard of it.
- Gen 33:4Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
- Gen 29:13When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.
- Gen 29:11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
- Exod 4:27Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.
- Ps 77:4You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak.
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 45:15 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.