From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
Parallel Translations
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From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
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And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
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And from among his brethren he took five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
Cross-references (4)
Passages linked to Genesis 47:2 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Acts 7:13 On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s race was revealed to Pharaoh.
- 2 Corinthians 4:14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.
- Colossians 1:28 We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;
- Jude 1:24 Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That the king might be assured they were come,…
That the king might be assured they were come, and see what manner of people they were.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Gen 47:2 And he took some of his brethren,…
Gen 47:2 And he took some of his brethren, [even] five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
Ver. 2. Even five men.] R. Solomon telleth us (but who told him?) which five they were; sc., Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Benjamin.
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 Some of his brethren, or part, as this Hebrew…
Some of his brethren, or part, as this Hebrew word is used, Dan 1:2; or the extremity, or end, or tail of them, i.e. the meanest of them for person and presence, as the word is taken 1Ki 12:31, lest if he, had presented the goodliest of them, Pharaoh might have required their attendance upon him, either at court or camp. And for the same reason for which he did industriously represent them to Pharaoh as contemptible in their employment, he might also present those to him who were so in their persons.
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 he took some of his brethren,.... Along with…
And he took some of his brethren,.... Along with him, when he left his father in Goshen; the word for "some" signifies the extremity of a thing: hence some have fancied that he took some of the meanest and most abject, so Jarchi, lest if they had appeared to Pharaoh strong and robust, he should have made soldiers of them; others on the contrary think he took those that excelled most in strength of body, and endowments of mind, to make the better figure; others, that he took of both sorts, or some at both ends, the first and last, elder and younger; but it may be, he made no choice at all, but took some that offered next:
even five men: whom the Targum of Jonathan names as follow, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher; but Jarchi will have them to be Reuben, Simeon and Levi, Issachar and Benjamin; but on these accounts no dependence is to be had:
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and presented them, unto Pharaoh; introduced them into his presence, that he might converse with them, and ask them what questions he thought fit.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 2. He took some of his brethren] There…
Verse 2. He took some of his brethren] There is something very strange in the original; literally translated it signifies "from the end or extremity (מקצה miktseh) of his brethren he took five men." This has been understood six different ways.
1. Joseph took five of his brethren that came first to hand - at random, without design or choice.
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2. Joseph took five of the meanest-looking of his brethren to present before Pharaoh, fearing if he had taken the sightliest that Pharaoh would detain them for his service, whereby their religion and morals might be corrupted.
3. Joseph took five of the best made and finest-looking of his brethren, and presented them before Pharaoh, wishing to impress his mind with a favourable opinion of the family which he had just now brought into Egypt, and to do himself honour.
4. Joseph took five of the youngest of his brethren.
5. He took five of the eldest of his brethren.
6. He took five from the extremity or end of his brethren, i. e., some of the eldest and some of the youngest, viz., Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Benjamin. - Rab. Solomon.
It is certain that in Jdg 18:2, the word may be understood as implying dignity, valour, excellence, and pre-eminence: And the children of Dan sent of their family FIVE men מקצותם miktsotham, not from their coasts, but of the most eminent or excellent they had; and it is probable they might have had their eye on what Joseph did here when they made their choice, choosing the same number, five, and of their principal men, as did Joseph, because the mission was important, to go and search out the land. But the word may be understood simply as signifying some; out of the whole of his brethren he took only five men, &c.
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 47:2. He took some of his brethren —…
Gen 47:2. He took some of his brethren — The original words here, literally translated, are, He took from the end, extremity, or tail of his brethren, five men — And some have thought the sense is, He took five of the meanest of them, as to their persons and appearance, as the word קצהis used, 1Ki 12:31, lest, if he had presented the goodliest of them, Pharaoh should have required their attendance upon him either at court or in the camp.
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 The last. Extremos. Some interpret this word of the…
The last. Extremos. Some interpret this word of the chiefest, and most sightly: but Joseph seems rather to have chosen out such as had the meanest appearance, that Pharao might not think of employing them at court, with danger of their morals and religion; (Challoner) or in the army, where they might be distracted with many cares, and be too much separated from one another. (Haydock) --- He took such of his brethren as came first at hand. (Vatable)
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).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain he took some of his brethren--probably the five eldest…
he took some of his brethren--probably the five eldest brothers: seniority being the least invidious principle of selection.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 2. five men] How the five were selected we…
2. five men] How the five were selected we are not told. On the number “5” in connexion with Egypt, see note on Gen_43:34. Cf. Gen_47:24, Gen_41:34, Gen_43:34, Gen_45:22; Isa_19:18.
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 (2) Even five men.—As the number “five” appears again…
(2) Even five men.—As the number “five” appears again and again in this narrative (Gen_43:34; Gen_45:22), it may have had some special importance among the Egyptians, like the number seven among the Jews.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And he took some of his brethren, even five…
And he took some of his brethren, even five men, literally, from the end, or extremity, of his brethren; not from the weakest, lest the king should select them for courtiers or soldiers (the Rabbis, Oleaster, Pererius, and others); or the strongest and most handsome, that the Egyptian monarch and his nobles might behold the dignity of Joseph s kindred (Lyre, Thostatus, and others); or the youngest and oldest, that the ages of the rest might be therefrom inferred (Calvin); but from the whole body of his brethren (Gesenius, Rosenm Keil, Kalisch, et alii) he took five teenand presented them unto Pharaoh (cf. Act_7:13)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.