In the Beginning:
The Book of Genesis

Lesson 26 Joseph Discloses His Identity to His Brothers
the book of Genesis 44:1—45:28

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for the book of Genesis
cross references in the book of Genesis
next lesson: Thus Israel Dwelt in Egypt

This material coordinates with Lesson 26 on pages 141–145 in the study book In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis.

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.”—the book of Genesis 1:31—2:2

welcome to our in-depth study of the book of Genesis
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 28-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to free lesson videos, an online glossary, and a list of cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, charts, illustrations, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis has been granted an imprimatur and can be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons on any online study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the book of Genesis 42:1—43:34
In Lesson 25 Joseph’s Brothers Travel to Egypt, the seven-year drought causes hardship throughout the region, impacting Jacob’s family in the land of Canaan. When they learn that there’s grain in Egypt, the brothers travel there to buy some. They don’t recognize their brother, who’s in charge of all grain sales—but Joseph recognizes them. Benjamin, the youngest brother, remained at home with their father, and Joseph accuses his brothers of theft and insists that Simeon be imprisoned while the other brothers return home and bring Benjamin back to Egypt with them. Jacob initially is unwilling to send Benjamin away, even though Reuben offers to allow Jacob to slay Reuben’s own sons if Benjamin is  harmed. The famine worsens, and Jacob consents to send Benjamin after Judah agrees to protect the boy. When the brothers arrive in Egypt, Joseph is overcome with emotion. He frees Simeon and provides all of the brothers with a rich meal, giving Benjamin extra portions.

fathers & sons
This lesson reflects the ultimate story of the Bible—that of  a Son who leaves his Father and ends up saving all of his siblings. Just as Joseph has left Jacob and now is able to save his entire family from starvation in a time of famine, so Jesus leaves God the Father in order to come to earth and save humanity from sin. Joseph is able to save his family because of the trusted position he holds in Pharaoh’s government; Jesus is able to offer men and women the chance for salvation because he’s God’s own Son. Click on the illustration (right) to enlarge it. The original illustration by Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino is on page 144 in the study book In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis. To learn more about God’s Son, see Lesson 1 Superior to Angels in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation.

Joseph temporarily deceives his brothers (18:40)
In the video overview for this lesson, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps explains that in this section in the book of Genesis, some of Joseph’s thinking regarding his brothers and their past behavior becomes apparent. To begin with, Joseph clearly doesn’t need a silver cup for divination purposes. There’s no biblical evidence that he’s ever relied on anything but his relationship with God to successfully interpret dreams. By claiming that the silver cup is essential for his divination, Joseph is adding credibility to the ruse that he’s an Egyptian. If any of his brothers were suspicious about whether he might be related to them, this ploy is sure to throw them off the track. The videos for this study are being redone and will be posted as they become available. The original videos will remain accessible until then.


The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study from Turning to God’s Word match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis. You can follow along with the video overview as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 26, “Joseph Discloses His Identity to His Brothers,” on pages 141–145 in the study book.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about how the brothers react to being set up?
It’s a mystery whether Joseph shares with anyone the reason why he’s setting up the travelers from the land of Canaan. It’s also a mystery whether the brothers believe that Benjamin is guilty or innocent of stealing Joseph’s silver cup.

?  Although Joseph’s steward clearly had to be in on the plot, it’s not at all clear that he had any knowledge that the travelers are Joseph’s brothers. What’s the bare minimum of information that Joseph would have had to share with his steward in order to enlist the steward’s aid?
?  What evidence can you find in the biblical text to indicate that the steward was provided with any more information than absolutely necessary?
?  Consider whether you think it likely that Joseph would have shared more information.
?  How do the Egyptians react when they learn that Joseph’s family is in town?
?  Consider whether you think that Benjamin’s brothers believe that he took the cup.
?  What difference might that make in how they react to Benjamin being accused of the theft?
?  Consider why, when Judah tells Joseph how important Benjamin is to their father, Judah fails to mention that it was the brothers who originally sold Joseph into slavery.

economy of grace—you could look it up in our archives
Joseph is seen as a great manager of his masters’ resources—whether he’s working for Poti-phar, in a prison, or as overseer of Egypt. Stewardship also is an “economy of grace.” To learn more about this frequently misunderstood Christian characteristic, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

the cup of divination
Careful readers will notice the way in which Joseph refers to his silver cup differs from when he’s speaking only to his steward in the book of Genesis 44:1–2, and the way in which he directs his steward to speak of the silver cup to the brothers in the book of Genesis 44:4–5. In the latter case, Joseph’s steward specifies that Joseph uses this silver cup for purposes of divination. 

Although divination is associated with clairvoyance and fortune-telling, its root is the word divine, which means holy or sacred. Joseph has risen to power in Egypt because of his ability to interpret dreams and predict future events, but in every instance Joseph has credited God with the real power. In none of the instances previously described in the book of Genesis has Joseph made use of a silver cup or any talisman to aid in his prophesying. Since Joseph clearly doesn’t need this silver cup in order to prophesy, consider why he wants his brothers to think that’s the purpose of the cup?

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.

the book of Genesis 45:8—paragraph 312

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons or places mentioned in the biblical text under more than one name or more than one spelling. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the biblical text for every lesson in In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. A link to that list can be found at the top of every online study page; the list features links to cross references in the primary biblical text in the study book In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open the link and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the book of Genesis 44:1—45:28 (NIV)

round black doveclose with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s text from the book of Genesis.

O God, you created the family of man.
Help us always to treat all of our brothers and sisters
with love and respect.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who offered himself
as a sacrifice in order to preserve the human family. Amen.

Lesson 27 Thus Israel Dwelt in Egypt—the book of Genesis 46:1—47:31
Lesson 25 Joseph’s Brothers Travel to Egypt—the book of Genesis 42:1—43:34

you also may like our study of the book of Revelation
REVELATION LOOK 022516The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The Faithful Witness, a 23-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines ways in which our traditional Christian view of heaven is built on Hebrew apocalyptic visions recorded in the Old Testament. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary and takes a close look at the role of the prophets in present-day Christianity. Illustrations by Tami Palladino depict the often-misunderstood images in the book of Revelation. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in our study In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions and offer support. Contact us if you’d like to start a Turning to God’s Word study or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.