They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them.
Parallel Translations
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They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart fainted, for he didn’t believe them.
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And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
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And they told him, saying: 'Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.' And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Genesis 45:26 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 44:28 One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since.
- Genesis 37:35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” His father wept for him.
- Genesis 42:36 Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
- Genesis 42:38 He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”
- Genesis 45:8-9 So now it wasn’t you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Don’t wait.
- Job 9:16 If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn’t believe that he listened to my voice.
- Job 29:24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
- Psalms 105:21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all of his possessions,
- Psalms 126:1 When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream.
- Jonah 2:7 “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.
- Luke 24:11 These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and they didn’t believe them.
- Luke 24:34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
- Luke 24:41 While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 26. And Jacob’s heart fainted. We know that some…
26. And Jacob’s heart fainted. We know that some persons have fainted with sudden and unexpected joy. Therefore, certain interpreters suppose that the heart of Jacob was, in a sense, suffocated, as if seized by a kind of ecstatic stupor. But Moses assigns a different cause; namely, that not having confidence in his sons, he was agitated between hope and fear. And we know, that they who are held in suspense, by hearing some incredible message, are struck with torpor, as if they were lifeless. It was not, therefore, a simple affection of joy, but a certain mingled perturbation which shook the mind of Jacob. Therefore, Moses shortly after says, that his spirit revived; when he, having returned to himself, and being composed in mind, believed that which he had heard to be true. And he shows that his love towards Joseph had not languished through length of time, inasmuch as he set no value upon his own life, except so far as it would permit him to enjoy a sight of Joseph. He had before assigned to himself continual sorrow, even to the grave; but now he declares that he shall have a joyful death.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain As one between hope and fear.
As one between hope and fear.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Gen 45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph [is] yet…
Gen 45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph [is] yet alive, and he [is] governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
Ver. 26. Joseph is yet alive.] This was the most joyful news that ever Jacob heard, and the sincerest pleasure that ever he had; which therefore God reserves for his age. How did his good heart, after he had recollected himself, dance Levaltoes in his bosom, to hear of Joseph’s honour, but especially of his life! What shall ours do, when we see Christ in his kingdom!
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Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.] They had told him a tale before; and he that once hath cracked his credit is hardly, after, believed. Besides, he thought the news was too good to be true. Tarda solet magnis rebus inesse fides. The joy of heaven is so great, that we must "enter into it"; it cannot enter into us. "Enter into the joy of thy Lord." {Mat 25:21}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Jacob’s heart fainted, or, was weakened, or failed, he…
Jacob’s heart fainted, or, was weakened, or failed, he fell into a swoon, as it is ordinary, because of the greatness and suddenness of the news, and the conflict of contrary and violent passions, raised hereby; grief at the remembrance of his former loss, and excessive joy for Joseph’s recovery and felicity; hope that this might be true, and fear lest it should be but a fiction of theirs: any one of these passions are able to cause a fainting of the spirits, but much more when all meet together, especially in an aged person.
He believed them not; partly because of the greatness, and strangeness, and desirableness of the thing; compare Psa 126:1; and partly because they were by this very relation convicted of one lie about Joseph, in saying that he was dead, and therefore might easily be thought guilty of another.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And told him,.... What had happened to them in…
And told him,.... What had happened to them in Egypt:
saying, Joseph is yet alive; who was thought by him and them to have been dead long ago:
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and he is governor over all the land of Egypt; deputy governor, and had such power and authority that nothing was done without his order; the executive power or administration of government was put into his hands, and all the officers of the kingdom were under him, he was next to Pharaoh:
and Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not; it was too great and too good news to be true; though it was desirable, it was unexpected; it amazed him, he knew not what to think, or say or believe about it; there was such a conflict of the passions in him, that he could not compose himself, or reason with himself about it; and what might serve the more to hinder his belief of it was, that this report of theirs was contrary to what they themselves had before related of his death; and very likely upon the mention of the thing he fell into a swoon, and was not himself for a while; and when he came a little to himself, they went on with their account, as follows.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain We have here the good news brought to Jacob.…
We have here the good news brought to Jacob. When, without any preamble, his sons came in crying Joseph is yet alive. The very mention of Joseph's name revived his sorrow, so that his heart fainted. It was a good while before he came to himself. He was in such care and fear about the rest of them, that at this time it would have been joy enough to him to hear that Simeon is released, and Benjamin is come safe home; for he had been ready to despair concerning both these; but to bear that Joseph is alive, is too good news to be true; he faints, for he believes it not.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 26. Jacob's heart fainted] Probably the good news…
Verse 26. Jacob's heart fainted] Probably the good news so overpowered him as to cast him into a swoon. He believed them not-he thought it was too good news to be true; and though it occasioned his swooning, yet on his recovery he could not fully credit it. See a similar case, Lu 24:41.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Gen 45:26. They told him — Probably without any…
Gen 45:26. They told him — Probably without any preamble; Joseph is yet alive — The very mention of Joseph’s name revived his sorrow, so that his heart fainted, and it was a good while before he came to himself. He was in such care and fear about the rest of them, that at this time it would have been joy enough to him to hear that Simeon was released, and Benjamin come safe home; for he had been ready to despair concerning them both; but to hear that Joseph was alive was too good news to be true; he faints, for he believes it not.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain He awaked, &c. His heart was overpowered between hope…
He awaked, &c. His heart was overpowered between hope and distrust. He seemed to himself to be dreaming. Septuagint, "in an ecstacy." Such a sudden transition has oftentimes caused death. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 26. Jacob’s heart fainted — Gesenius (Lex., on פוג)…
26. Jacob’s heart fainted — Gesenius (Lex., on פוג) renders: “But his heart was cold, did not warm with joy, was not moved.” The news was too great and surprising for the aged patriarch to believe. Pressing grief, and mistrust and suspicion of his sons also, helped to beget this chill of unbelief in Jacob’s heart.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 26. his heart fainted] Lit. “became numb or cold”;…
26. his heart fainted] Lit. “became numb or cold”; as we should say, “his heart stood still’ at the news. It was too good to be true.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (26) Jacob’s heart fainted.—Heb., grew cold. This was not…
(26) Jacob’s heart fainted.—Heb., grew cold. This was not the effect of incredulity or suspicion, but of surprise. Jacob, crushed by the loss of the child who had taken the place of his beloved Rachel in his heart, had nothing left to interest him except Benjamin. When, therefore, the news come that Joseph still lives, his mind cannot open itself to receive the joyful tidings, and their first effect is to chill him with a renewed sense of his loss. It is only when he sees the wagons, and other clear proofs of the fact, that life returns to his benumbed faculties, and he becomes capable of joy.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 45:26-28 As might be expected, Jacob was stunned when…
45:26-28 As might be expected, Jacob was stunned when he heard that his son Joseph was still alive and ruling all the land of Egypt. As he heard the details of their story and saw all that Joseph had sent him, he was convinced that it was true. He immediately prepared to move to Egypt and reunite with his son Joseph, whom he had not seen for twenty-two years.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.