Genesis 43:33
in Genesis 43They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one with another.
KJV
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
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This verse in Genesis 43
Commentary
6 notes on this verseJoseph began to make his brothers sit down as if around his [divining] cup; the elder according to his status as elder and the youngest according to his youth.
This site's exposition
They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews
on Genesis 43:32-33
Three tables are set, one for Joseph, one for his brothers, and one for the Egyptians, who held it detestable to eat with Hebrews. Matthew Henry read Joseph's own table as the seat of a man keeping his Hebrew birth to himself while he governed Egypt. Then a stranger seats eleven men in exact birth order, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at one another, astonished.
This site's exposition
in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest
Birth order among these eleven crossed four mothers, and only someone raised in Jacob's tents could have known it. A ruler seating them by it looks like divining, the claim Joseph makes at 44:15. The brothers see the order and cannot explain it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), as if he could certainly divine. Some think they placed themselves so, according to their custom; but, if so, I see not why such particular notice is taken of it, especially as a thing they marvelled at.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And they sat before him,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The first-born according to his birthright - This must greatly astonish these brethren, to find themselves treated with so much ceremony, and at the same time with so much discernment of their respective ages.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ | vaiyeshevu | and they sat down | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| לְפָנָ֔יו | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַבְּכֹר֙ | habekhor | the firstborn | H1060 → | 122 times |
| כִּבְכֹ֣רָת֔וֹ | kivkhorato | according to birthright his | H1062 → | 10 times |
| וְהַצָּעִ֖יר | vehatzair | and the young [brother] | H6810 → | 23 times |
| כִּצְעִרָת֑וֹ | kitzirato | according to youth his | H6812 → | |
| וַיִּתְמְה֥וּ | vaiyitmehu | and they looked in astonishment | H8539 → | |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ | reehu | neighbor his | H7453 → | 188 times |
וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּand they sat down
vaiyeshevuH3427 →1079 times
לְפָנָ֔יו<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
הַבְּכֹר֙the firstborn
habekhorH1060 →122 times
כִּבְכֹ֣רָת֔וֹaccording to birthright his
kivkhoratoH1062 →10 times
וְהַצָּעִ֖ירand the young [brother]
vehatzairH6810 →23 times
כִּצְעִרָת֑וֹaccording to youth his
kitziratoH6812 →
וַיִּתְמְה֥וּand they looked in astonishment
vaiyitmehuH8539 →
הָאֲנָשִׁ֖יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
אִ֥ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
רֵעֵֽהוּ׃neighbor his
reehuH7453 →188 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 37:7; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.