Genesis 45:5
Be not afraid, and let it not seem to you a hard case that you sold me into these countries: for God sent me before you into Egypt for your preservation.
Open Genesis 45:5 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Nolite pavere, neque vobis durum esse videatur quod vendidistis me in his regionibus : pro salute enim vestra misit me Deus ante vos in Ægyptum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- νῦν οὖν μὴ λυπεῖσθε μηδὲ σκληρὸν ὑμῖν φανήτω ὅτι ἀπέδοσθέ με ὧδε· εἰς γὰρ ζωὴν ἀπέστειλέν με ὁ θεὸς ἔμπροσθεν ὑμῶν.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְעַתָּ֣ה אַל תֵּעָ֣צְב֗וּ וְאַל יִ֨חַר֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם כִּֽי מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם אֹתִ֖י הֵ֑נָּה כִּ֣י לְמִֽחְיָ֔ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֖ים לִפְנֵיכֶֽם
Haydock's commentary
Hard. Hebrew, "Be not indignant in your eyes." Perhaps he was afraid, lest they should begin to accuse one another, as the authors of the deed, and thus disturb the harmony of this reconciliation. He perfectly understands the conduct of divine Providence, which can draw good out of evil, and cause even the malice of men to co-operate in the execution of his designs. (Calmet)
God did not sanction or will this malice, as Calvin, &c., impiously assert. (Tirinus)
Haydock wrote amid the controversies of his day. The Church teaches that those born into communities separated from her cannot be charged with the sin of separation, and embraces them as brothers (CCC 818).
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Homily VI on Acts ii. 22
[“ Ye men of Israel”]: it is not for flattery that he uses this term; but, as he has borne hard upon them, he relaxes a little, and puts them in mind of their great ancestor [Israel]. Here again he begins with an introduction, that they may not become excited, now that he is going to make express mention to them of Jesus: for in what preceded, there was no reason why they should be excited, while the Prophet was the subject of discourse: but the name of Jesus would have given offence at the very outset. And he does not say, “Do as I bid you,” but, Hear; as being not at all exacting. …
St John Chrysostom A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Homily IX on Acts iii. 12
“And His name, through faith in His name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” Seeking to declare the matter ( ζητὥν τὸ πρἅγμα εὶπεἵν ), he straightway brings forward the sign: “In the presence,” he says, “of you all.” As he had borne hard upon them, and had shown that He Whom they crucified had risen, again he relaxes, by giving them the power of repentance; “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.” ( v. 17 .) This is one ground of excuse. The second is of a different kind. As Joseph speaks to his brethren, “God did send me before you ( Gen. xlv. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, Philemon 1:4-6
He has well said, “perhaps,” that the master may yield. For since the flight arose from perverseness, and a corrupt mind, and not from such intention, he has said, “perhaps.” And he has not said, therefore he fled, but, therefore he was “separated,” by a more fair sounding expression softening him the more. And he has not said, He separated himself, but, “he was separated.” For it was not his own arrangement that he should depart either for this purpose or for that. Which also Joseph says, in making excuse for his brethren, “For God did send me hither” ( Gen. xlv. 5 .), that is, He made use of their wickedness for a good end. “Therefore,” he says, “he was parted for a season.” Thus he contracts the time, acknowledges the offense, and turns it all to a providence. …
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part II. Containing Conferences XI-XVII, Chapter XI. Whether the grace of God precedes or follows our good will
And so these are somehow mixed up and indiscriminately confused, so that among many persons, which depends on the other is involved in great questionings, i.e., does God have compassion upon us because we have shown the beginning of a good will, or does the beginning of a good will follow because God has had compassion upon us? For many believing each of these and asserting them more widely than is right are entangled in all kinds of opposite errors. …