Genesis 44-45
21 Feb 2026 - Theology
Joseph Reveals His Identity
Genesis 44
Genesis 44:13 - “Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.”
Why did the brothers tear their clothes? The brothers tore their clothes as if someone had died, for they knew that their father would truly die if Benjamin was enslaved in Egypt.
Genesis 44:16 - “And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.”
Here Judah says that all of the brothers were guilty, not only Benjamin, and were ready to be servants to Joseph. Joseph responds by saying that only Benjamin should be his slave because the cup was found in his sack, and the rest of the brothers can return to their father in peace (17).
Genesis 44:33 - “Now therefore, I [Judah] pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.”
Joseph now learns how his father loves and cares for him. Joseph is also seeing a changed brother in Judah, one who is willing to lay his own life down for the sake of his brother Benjamin. It was only when Judah offered himself in place of Benjamin that Joseph knew the brothers were truly sorry for what they had done to him. It was then that he revealed to them that he was their brother Joseph.
The hero of the Joseph story is Judah. Judah chose to engage in confession and repentance early in the story in Genesis 38 and be transformed into someone who is willing to put his own life on the line for Benjamin. This first got his father Jacob’s attention, and now it gets Joseph’s attention. It is Judah’s willingness to repent that catalyzes Joseph to reveal himself, which brings about the reconciliation of the family.
Genesis 45
Genesis 45:1-2 - “Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.”
This is the third instance of Joseph weeping in the story, this time whilst revealing himself to his brothers. The Biblical commentator Sforno (1475-1549) explains that the brothers did not believe that it was their brother Joseph, so he had to remind them how they had sold him into slavery. This was a family secret - one that only Joseph and his brothers could possibly know.
Genesis 45:5 - “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.”
Joseph does not excuse the brothers for what they did, but he chooses to focus on the goodness of God and His sufficiency for our needs (5, 7-8). Forgiveness is the ultimate act of trusting the story.
Joseph will not replay the story of Cain and Abel - strife between brothers that ends in murder. We have the choice to break familial patterns by engaging in the work of forgiveness.
Judah laid his life on the line for Benjamin in this story. Rabbi David Fohrman notes how all throughout the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) we will see a Benjamin descendant lay his life down for a Judah descendant:
- Jonathan for David
- Mordecai and Esther for the Judeans
- and more!
It is worthy of note that Jesus comes from the line of Judah (see Matthew 1:1-16, Luke 3:23-38, and Hebrews 7:14).
Genesis 45:14-15 - “And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.”
This is the fourth instance of Joseph weeping in the story.
The story of Joseph’s brothers teaches us that lying is a bad choice. When the brothers told Jacob that his son Joseph had been eaten by a wild animal, they were lying, but Jacob believed them. Now, when they told Jacob that his son Joseph was alive and was governor of Egypt, Jacob did not believe them (26). The ancient Rabbis believed it is always this way - when liars tell the truth, no one believes them.
References
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The BEMA Podcast, Episode 16: Out of the Pit
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)