Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
Parallel translations
- WEB He kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. After that his brothers talked with him.
- BSB Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept over them. And afterward his brothers 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 15:20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
- 1 Sam 20:41And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
- 1 Sam 10:1Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
- Ruth 1:9The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
- Ruth 1:14And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
- 2 Sam 14:33So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.
- Acts 20:37And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him,
- Gen 45:2And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
- Gen 33:4And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
- Gen 29:13And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
- Gen 29:11And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
- Exod 4:27And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
- Ps 77:4Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
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 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.