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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comJamieson Fausset Brown Commentary - Genesis 45:1 - 45:1
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Gen 45:1-28. Joseph making himself known.
Then Joseph could not refrain himself - The severity of the inflexible magistrate here gives way to the natural feelings of the man and the brother. However well he had disciplined his mind, he felt it impossible to resist the artless eloquence of Judah. He saw a satisfactory proof, in the return of all his brethren on such an occasion, that they were affectionately united to one another; he had heard enough to convince him that time, reflection, or grace had made a happy improvement on their characters; and he would probably have proceeded in a calm and leisurely manner to reveal himself as prudence might have dictated. But when he heard the heroic self-sacrifice of Judah [Gen 44:33] and realized all the affection of that proposal - a proposal for which he was totally unprepared - he was completely unmanned; he felt himself forced to bring this painful trial to an end.
he cried, Cause every man to go out from me - In ordering the departure of witnesses of this last scene, he acted as a warm-hearted and real friend to his brothers - his conduct was dictated by motives of the highest prudence - that of preventing their early iniquities from becoming known either to the members of his household, or among the people of Egypt.