Genesis 45:4

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come closer to me.' They came closer, and he said, 'I am Joseph, your brother, the one you sold into Egypt.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֧ף אֶל־אֶחָ֛יו גְּשׁוּ־נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י וַיִּגָּ֑שׁוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֲנִי֙ יוֹסֵ֣ף אֲחִיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם אֹתִ֖י מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

Transliteration

Wayyōʾmer Yôsēp̄ ʾel-ʾeḥāyw gəšû-nāʾ ʾēlay wayyiggāšû wayyōʾmer ʾănî Yôsēp̄ ʾăḥîḵem ʾăšer-məḵartem ʾōtî miṣrāyəmāh

Grammar Details

• וַיֹּ֨אמֶר: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - 'and he said'
• יוֹסֵ֧ף: proper noun, masculine singular - 'Joseph'
• אֶל־אֶחָ֛יו: preposition + noun masculine plural construct + 3rd masculine singular suffix - 'to his brothers'
• גְּשׁוּ־נָ֥א: Qal imperative masculine plural + particle of entreaty - 'please come near'
• אֵלַ֖י: preposition + 1st person singular suffix - 'to me'
• וַיִּגָּ֑שׁוּ: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd common plural - 'and they came near'
• וַיֹּ֗אמֶר: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - 'and he said'
• אֲנִי֙: pronoun 1st person singular - 'I'
• יוֹסֵ֣ף: proper noun, masculine singular - 'Joseph'
• אֲחִיכֶ֔ם: noun masculine singular construct + 2nd masculine plural suffix - 'your brother'
• אֲשֶׁר־מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם: relative pronoun + Qal perfect 2nd masculine plural - 'whom you sold'
• אֹתִ֖י: direct object marker + 1st person singular suffix - 'me'
• מִצְרָֽיְמָה: proper noun + directional ה - 'to Egypt'

Word Meanings

• *gəšû-nāʾ*: please come near, please approach, draw near please
• *wayyiggāšû*: and they came near, and they approached
• *ʾăḥîḵem*: your brother, your kinsman
• *məḵartem*: you sold, you traded, you exchanged
• *miṣrāyəmāh*: to Egypt, toward Egypt

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethern: come nere to me and they came nere. And he sayde: I am Ioseph youre brother whom ye sold in to Egipte.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But he sayde: Come nye vnto me. And they came nye. And he sayde: I am Ioseph youre brother. whom ye solde in to Egipte.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Againe, Ioseph sayde to his brethren, Come neere, I pray you, to mee; they came neere; he sayde, I am Ioseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And Ioseph sayde vnto his brethren, come neare to me I pray you. And they came neare. And he said, I am Ioseph your brother who ye solde into Egypt.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I [am] Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." They came near. "He said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Joseph saith unto his brethren, `Come nigh unto me, I pray you,' and they come nigh; and he saith, `I `am' Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me. And they came near, And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sent into Egypt.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." They came near. "He said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Joseph said to his brothers,“Come closer to me,” so they came near. Then he said,“I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

Referenced Verses

• Gen 37:28 : 28 When the Midianite merchants passed by, they pulled Joseph up out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
• Gen 50:18 : 18 Then his brothers also came, bowed down before him, and said, 'We are your servants.'
• Matt 14:27 : 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.'
• Acts 9:5 : 5 He said, "Who are You, Lord?" The Lord replied, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads."