Genesis 45 · Verse 8

Genesis 45:8

So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 45:8, King James Version

Genesis 45:8 in other translations

BSBTherefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
WEBSo 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.
ASVSo now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
YLTand now, ye--ye have not sent me hither, but God, and He doth set me for a father to Pharaoh, and for lord to all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
DARBYAnd now it was not you that sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and governor over all the land of Egypt.
BBESo now it was not you who sent me here, but God: and he has made me as a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
WebsterSo now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

What does Genesis 45:8 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 He hath made me a father to Pharaoh - It has already been conjectured that father was a name of office in Egypt, and that father of Pharaoh might among them signify the same as prime minister or the king's minister does among us. Calmet has remarked that among the Phoenicians, Persians, Arabians, and Romans, the title of father was given to certain officers of state. The Roman emperors gave the name of father to the prefects of the Praetorium, as appears by the letters of Constantine to Ablavius. The caliphs gave the same name to their prime ministers. In Jdg 17:10, Micah says to the young Levite, Dwell with me, and be unto me a Father and a priest. And Diodorus Siculus remarks that the teachers and counsellors of the kings of Egypt were chosen out of the priesthood.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 45:1-15

Joseph let Judah go on, and heard all he had to say. He found his brethren humbled for their sins, mindful of himself, for Judah had mentioned him twice in his speech, respectful to their father, and very tender of their brother Benjamin. Now they were ripe for the comfort he designed, by making himself known. Joseph ordered all his attendants to withdraw. Thus Christ makes himself and his loving-kindness known to…

Read the full comment on Genesis 45:1-15 →

Genesis 45:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְעַתָּ֗הve.'a.Tahand thereforeH6258
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
אַתֶּ֞ם'a.TemyouH859
שְׁלַחְתֶּ֤םshe.lach.Temyou sentH7971
אֹתִי֙'o.Ti<obj.> meH853
הֵ֔נָּהHe.nahhitherH2008
כִּ֖יkiforH3588
הָאֱלֹהִ֑יםha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430
וַיְשִׂימֵ֨נִֽיvay.si.Me.niand he has appointed meH7760
לְאָ֜בle.'Avto a fatherH1
לְפַרְעֹ֗הle.far.'Ohof PharaohH6547
וּלְאָדוֹן֙u.le.'a.dOnand to lordH113
לְכָל\־le.kholof allH3605
בֵּית֔וֹbei.Tohousehold hisH1004
וּמֹשֵׁ֖לu.mo.Sheland rulerH4910
בְּכָל\־be.kholover allH3605
אֶ֥רֶץ'E.retz[the] land ofH776
מִצְרָֽיִם\׃mitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 45:8

  • John 15:16

    Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

  • Romans 9:16

    So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

  • John 19:11

    Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

  • Psalms 105:21-22

    He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

  • Job 29:16

    I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

  • Judges 17:10

    And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.

  • 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.

  • Genesis 41:39-48

    And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
it was not.
5; Joh 15:16; 19:11; Ro 9:16
father.
41:39-48; Jud 17:10; Job 29:16; Ps 105:21,22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 45:7

    And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

  • Genesis 45:8

    So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

  • Genesis 45:9

    Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

Read all of Genesis 45

Genesis 45:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así pues, no me enviasteis vosotros acá, sino Dios, que me ha puesto por padre de Faraón, y por señor de toda su casa, y por gobernador en toda la tierra de Egipto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et maintenant, ce n’est pas vous qui m’avez envoyé ici, mais c’est Dieu; et il m’a établi père du Pharaon, et seigneur de toute sa maison, et gouverneur sur tout le pays d’Égypte.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und nun, nicht ihr habt mich hierher gesandt, sondern Gott; und er hat mich zum Vater des Pharao gemacht und zum Herrn seines ganzen Hauses und zum Herrscher über das ganze Land Ägypten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non vestro consilio, sed Dei voluntate huc missus sum: qui fecit me quasi patrem Pharaonis, et dominum universæ domus ejus, ac principem in omni terra Ægypti.