And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
Parallel translations
- WEB His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
- BSB His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
- NKJV Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
- NASB Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
- NLT Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.
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 fall before Joseph, offering themselves as his servants.
Overview
In humble submission they bow down, unknowingly fulfilling Joseph's early dreams (Genesis 37). Their posture expresses both fear and repentance before the brother they wronged. The scene magnifies the contrast between their guilt and the undeserved grace Joseph is about to extend.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Gen 37:7–11For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
- Gen 27:29Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
- Gen 42:6And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.
- Gen 44:14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
- Gen 45:3And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
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 50:18 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.