His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
After Jacob's funeral the ten brothers stand alone before the man they once sold into slavery. They fall at his feet and call themselves his servants — but is this true repentance, or fear dressed up as humility?
What brought them to his feet
The brothers act only once their father is buried. They had feared his kindness was really for Jacob's sake.
F. B. HoleBack in Egypt, one last test confronted Joseph. His brothers sent him a message. It showed that they had never quite trusted his generous attitude towards them. They felt it was too good to be really true, and suspected that it was a kindness put on for the sake of his old father, Jacob. If that had been so, now was the time for the true Joseph to reveal himself and pay off the old score.
From a messenger to a meeting
Before this they sent their words through a messenger. Now they come themselves.
W. T. P. WolstonThey would have been far happier if they had gone themselves, one by one... They knew the time had now come to get thoroughly right with Joseph. That could only happen by an honest acknowledgement of the past. So it is with you, my friend, and God. If you do not confess outright you will never get peace.
They came in person once they knew what sort of man they were dealing with.
W. T. P. Wolston"His brothers also came and fell down before him," when they found what was in his heart — tenderness, nothing but love. They are at his feet in earnest, and their confession is completely real.
What "we are your servants" gave away
Not every commentator hears the words as pure humility. Their offer shows how little they had taken in Joseph's earlier forgiveness.
Hamilton SmithThe message his brothers sent shows how little they knew of Joseph's heart — and so how little they trusted him. Worse, they try to hide their own unbelief and mistrust. They pretend they are only carrying out the dying commands of Joseph's father. It is impossible to believe that Jacob left any such command. They have completely forgotten Joseph's forgiveness of all their sad past, and now they beg to be forgiven. Joseph had shown them love and grace. Even so, their uneasy conscience leads them to hold on to the thought that Joseph still has something against them.
Joseph does not deny the fact behind their words. He refuses to use his power the way they expect.
F. B. HoleHis position in Egypt did make them his servants, as they confessed. But he would use his power to feed and protect them. He comforted them by speaking kindly.
Tears instead of a rebuke
Joseph answers their suspicion with grief, not anger.
Hamilton SmithThis lack of confidence, after all the love that had been poured out on them, broke Joseph's heart. He "wept when they spoke to him." The saddest thing in all this sad world is love that is not returned. But though his tears showed how deeply he felt it, he speaks no word of reproach.
His settled goodwill did not rise or fall with their confidence in it.
F. B. HoleYet his attitude towards them did not change in the face of this display of unbelief... The goodness of his rule was real whether they fully relied on it or not. The smallness of their faith in no way changed the largeness of his heart.
The bowing that is still to come
As a boy Joseph had dreamed that his brothers' sheaves bowed to his. Here they bow in person.
L. M. GrantJoseph probably did not understand God's purpose in the dream. It was a prophecy that his brothers would one day bow to his authority, as Genesis 42:6 tells us they did. Of course, the most vital lesson here is that all Israel will yet bow to the Lord Jesus, whom they have despised and hated.
Another writer measures the scene against both of Joseph's dreams.
The Bible TreasuryThere was a figurative fulfilment when his brothers did homage to him in Egypt. Their sheaves bowed to his. Nor did they fail in homage after they knew him. But this did not meet the full meaning of Joseph's prophetic dreams. The sheaves of Israel are to bow to the Messiah. The second dream goes further. It shows the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowing to Christ in the person of His representative. They stand for all the appointed authority of the world, whether Gentile or Jewish.
Summary
- Fear moves them. They had suspected Joseph's kindness was really for his father's sake. With Jacob gone, they thought their shield was gone too.
- Confession comes close. A messenger was not enough. Only when they came in person and fell at his feet did their confession ring true.
- "Servants" reveals the gap. Offering themselves as servants shows they had never taken in the forgiveness already given. Their uneasy conscience still imagined Joseph held something against them.
- Love answers with tears. Joseph meets their distrust with tears and not one word of reproach. Then he turns his power to feeding and protecting them.
- The bowing points on. The brothers bowing is only a partial fulfilment of Joseph's dreams. Israel is yet to bow to the Lord Jesus.