Translations
Modern
So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,
Traditional
And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
Literal
And they commanded to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before his death, saying,
Latin
…mandaverunt ei dicentes: Pater tuus præcepit nobis antequam moreretur,
Original
Hebrew
English
So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,
Notes
The brothers begged Joseph to forgive them, referring to themselves as his slaves (compare 37:7; 44:16, 33). They worried that Joseph had only made peace with them earlier because he wanted to see his father again. Now that Jacob and Pharaoh were not there to restrain him, they feared he might seek revenge. But Joseph wept because they still feared he would punish them.
Theme notes and profiles
People
Joseph: Son of Jacob, ruler in Egypt
Glossary
Book of Exodus Genesis, Book of Jacob Patriarchs, Period of the
Topics
Conviction: Joseph's Brother, on Account of Their Cruelty to Joseph