|
ויגשׁ - "And (He) Came Near" |
||
|
 |
|
Genesis 44:18
Then Judah approached him, and said, "Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh.
| << Previous (Miketz) | Next (Vayechi) >> |
The Hebrew Word
ויגשׁ (vayigash literally means "and [he] came near". It is a third-person masculine conjugation of the Hebrew verb nagash (Strong's #5066) which is a root word that means "to come near" or "to bring near". The word is used 191 times in 112 verses in the Tanakh.
First use in Scripture
The first time nagash is used in Scripture is in Genesis 18:23.
Genesis 18:23
Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
Last use in Scripture
The last time nagash is used in Scripture is in Malachi 3:4.
Malachi 3:4
"He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
Parashah Outline
- Yehudah pleads for Binyamin - Genesis 44:18
- Yosef deals kindly with his brothers - Genesis 45:1
- Ya'akov moves to Egypt - Genesis 46:1
- An enumeration of those who came to Egypt - Genesis 46:8
- Ya'akov and his family settle in Goshen - Genesis 47:1
- Ya'akov meets Pharaoh - Genesis 47:7
- Result of the famine - Genesis 47:20
Portraits of Messiah
In Yosef we see a picture of Mashich's righteous judgment. Yosef tests his brothers by having his silver cup planted in Binyamin's sack. Yehudah pleads for Binyamin revealing his heart in the matter: he would rather offer himself than have Binyamin kept from his father (Genesis 44:18-34).
Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
Proverbs 17:3
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.
Psalm 139:23
Search me, O G-d, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
Psalm 7:11
G-d is a righteous judge, And a G-d who has indignation every day.
In chapter 45 we see a picture of Mashiach revealing himself to his brothers (the Jewish people) in the end times:
- He sends away the Gentiles (Genesis 45:1) so there can be no critical judgment from them.
- He reveals himself to his brothers (Genesis 45:3).
- He is merciful towards them and indicates that all that has befallen him is the result of G-d's divine plan to preserve a remnant and to "keep you alive by a great deliverance" (Genesis 45:7).
If Binyamin represents a picture of the Jews who have not rejected Yeshua as Mashiach (see last week's parashah) then we may have a picture of the end times in which Yehudah (the Jewish people) pleads with The Judge for those who appear to be guilty (Binyamin) but truly are innocent. In that moment the Judge will reveal his mercy upon those who are truly guilty (Yehudah).
In Yosef we see a picture of Mashich's complete authority. Egypt was the world power of the day and for Yosef to be "ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 45:8) is indicative of his authority over the entire world.
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Verse by Verse Notes
Other Observations
None of the traditional 613 commandments is found in this parashah.
Pending
Pending
As Yosef tested his brothers' hearts so also G-d examines our hearts as it is written:
1 Samuel 16:7
...for G-d sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
112 verses that include nagash (Strong's #5066)
View list of verses on BlueLetterBible.com