And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.
Joseph wept aloud only after he had proved and tested his brothers and had seen in them the fruits of true repentance for their sins. The immediate outburst was prompted by Judah's offer to take Benjamin's place. It came at the reunion when his brothers humbly confessed the wrongs they had done him, entreated his forgiveness, and rejoiced greatly to find him alive.
Deeply affected and deeply moved, he could no longer conceal or hide his feelings. He first had everyone except his brothers leave, so that he was left alone with them in the hall. He then released feelings long held back and broke into loud weeping as he made himself known and revealed himself to his brothers.
His grief and feeling were so strong that the Egyptians and Pharaoh's household heard him. His tears expressed overwhelming love and emotion, not anger or a desire to censure. The weeping marked the brothers' reunion and the beginning of their reconciliation, starting his effort to comfort his surprised and terrified brothers and to make the moment as easy as possible for them because they had already suffered enough for their cruelty to him. They had suffered remorse and great distress of mind since their cruelty toward him, and their troubled minds were relieved to know they were not guilty of his blood.
Joseph wept aloud only after he had proved and tested his brothers and had seen in them the fruits of true repentance for their sins. The immediate outburst was prompted by Judah's offer to take Benjamin's place. It came at the reunion when his brothers humbly confessed the wrongs they had done him, entreated his forgiveness, and rejoiced greatly to find him alive.
Deeply affected and deeply moved, he could no longer conceal or hide his feelings. He first had everyone except his brothers leave, so that he was left alone with them in the hall. He then released feelings long held back and broke into loud weeping as he made himself known and revealed himself to his brothers.
His grief and feeling were so strong that the Egyptians and Pharaoh's household heard him. His tears expressed overwhelming love and emotion, not anger or a desire to censure. The weeping marked the brothers' reunion and the beginning of their reconciliation, starting his effort to comfort his surprised and terrified brothers and to make the moment as easy as possible for them because they had already suffered enough for their cruelty to him. They had suffered remorse and great distress of mind since their cruelty toward him, and their troubled minds were relieved to know they were not guilty of his blood.