Genesis 45:8
in Genesis 45Therefore 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 ruler over all the land of Egypt.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 45
Commentary
6 notes on this verseHe 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.
This site's exposition
to preserve you as a remnant on the earth
on Genesis 45:7-8
Remnant is the word for the part of a people left alive after a judgment, and Joseph uses it of his own family. The second saying and the third reach further than the first, a remnant on the earth, then a great deliverance. He ends by giving the sending to God, who made him lord of Pharaoh's household and ruler of the land of Egypt. The sending is God's and the selling stays theirs.
This site's exposition
a father to Pharaoh
A father to Pharaoh is a title for the king's chief adviser, the man whose counsel the throne leans on. Joseph names three offices in rising order, adviser, lord of the household and ruler of the land. Each one answers the pit at Dothan.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He promises to take care of his father and all the family during the rest of the years of famine. He desires that his father may speedily be made glad with the tidings of his life and dignity.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Joseph reckoned that his advancement was not so much designed to save a whole kingdom of Egyptians, as to preserve a small family of Israelites; for the Lord's portion is his people: whatever goes with others, they shall be secured. How admirable are the projects of Providence!
So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God,....
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֗ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אַתֶּ֞ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| שְׁלַחְתֶּ֤ם | shelachtem | you sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֹתִי֙ | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הֵ֔נָּה | henah | hither | H2008 → | 49 times |
| כִּ֖י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַיְשִׂימֵ֨נִֽי | vaysimeni | and he has appointed me | H7760 → | 584 times |
| לְאָ֜ב | leav | to a father | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לְפַרְעֹ֗ה | lefaroh | of Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| וּלְאָדוֹן֙ | uleadon | and to lord | H113 → | 333 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | of all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בֵּית֔וֹ | beito | household his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וּמֹשֵׁ֖ל | umoshel | and ruler | H4910 → | 81 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | over all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֶ֥רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרָֽיִם׃ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
וְעַתָּ֗הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אַתֶּ֞םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
שְׁלַחְתֶּ֤םyou sent
shelachtemH7971 →845 times
אֹתִי֙<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
הֵ֔נָּהhither
henahH2008 →49 times
כִּ֖יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וַיְשִׂימֵ֨נִֽיand he has appointed me
vaysimeniH7760 →584 times
לְאָ֜בto a father
leavH1 →1212 times
לְפַרְעֹ֗הof Pharaoh
lefarohH6547 →274 times
וּלְאָדוֹן֙and to lord
uleadonH113 →333 times
לְכָל־of all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
בֵּית֔וֹhousehold his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
וּמֹשֵׁ֖לand ruler
umoshelH4910 →81 times
בְּכָל־over all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
אֶ֥רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 15:16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 1:5–7
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
- John 15:19
If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- 2 Timothy 3:15–17
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
- Galatians 1:15
But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased
- Jeremiah 1:5–7
Through
Romans 9:16So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
- Ephesians 2:8
Through
John 19:11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
it leads to
- Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
- John 3:27
John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
- Romans 13:1
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; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
