Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely 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.
- 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.
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 15:20“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
- 1 Sam 20:41As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another, and wept one with another, and David wept the most.
- 1 Sam 10:1Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?
- Ruth 1:9May Yahweh grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept.
- Ruth 1:14They lifted up their voices, and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with 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 20:37They all wept a lot, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
- Gen 45:2He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
- Gen 33:4Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.
- Gen 29:13When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.
- Gen 29:11Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
- Exod 4:27Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.
- Ps 77:4You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t 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.