Genesis 45:23

And he sent to his father the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and provisions for his father’s journey.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Joseph, now Egypt’s governor, sends provisions to his father Jacob immediately after revealing his identity and reconciling with his brothers.

The words — שָׁלַח (sha.Lach) means “he sent,” and מִטּוּב מִצְרַיִם (mi.Tuv mitz.Ra.yim) literally denotes “the good [things] of Egypt.”

The thread — The shipment mirrors the servant’s ten camels of good goods in Genesis 24:10, fulfills Jacob’s earlier command to carry the land’s best in Genesis 43:11, and stands in contrast to the Israelites’ later longing for Egypt’s food in Exodus 16:3.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to track how material provision is directed toward family preservation, and to maintain the textual distinction between the first ten donkeys carrying Egypt’s best and the second ten carrying grain and bread.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וּלְאָבִ֞יוu./le./'a.Vi/vand/ to/ father/ his שָׁלַ֤חsha.Lachhe sent כְּזֹאת֙ke./zoTaccording to/ this עֲשָׂרָ֣ה'a.sa.Rahten חֲמֹרִ֔יםcha.mo.Rimdonkeys נֹשְׂאִ֖יםno.se.'Imcarrying מִטּ֣וּבmi./Tuvsome of/ [the] good thing[s] of מִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgypt וְעֶ֣שֶׂרve./'E.serand/ ten אֲתֹנֹ֡ת'a.to.Notfemale donkeys נֹֽ֠שְׂאֹתNo.se.'otcarrying בָּ֣רbargrain וָלֶ֧חֶםva./Le.chemand/ food וּמָז֛וֹןu./ma.Zonand/ food לְאָבִ֖יוle./'a.Vi/vfor/ father/ his לַדָּֽרֶךְ׃la./Da.rekhfor the/ journey

King James Version

And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way.

Cross-references

Genesis 24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor’s hometown in Aram-naharaim.
Genesis 43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
Exodus 16:3 “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”