Verse of the Day
Author Spotlight
Loading featured author...
Report Issue
See a formatting issue or error?
Let us know →
They told him, saying, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." His heart fainted, for he didn`t believe them.
Verse Takeaways
1
The Shock of Good News
Commentators explain that Jacob's reaction was not simple disbelief, but a profound physical and emotional shock. The Hebrew suggests his heart "grew cold" (Ellicott). The news was so unexpectedly good after 22 years of grief that his body and mind were momentarily overwhelmed, unable to process the joy. This illustrates how stunning news, even positive, can cause a state of stunned paralysis before acceptance.
See 3 Verse Takeaways
Book Overview
Genesis
Author
Audience
Composition
Teaching Highlights
Outline
+ 5 more
See Overview
6
18th Century
Presbyterian
19th Century
Anglican
Jacob’s heart fainted. —Hebrew, grew cold. This was not the effect of incredulity or suspicion, but of surprise. Jacob, c…
Baptist
And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, and told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is g…
Go ad-free and create your own bookmark library
16th Century
Protestant
And Jacob’s heart fainted. We know that some people have fainted from sudden and unexpected joy. Therefore, certain interpreters suppose t…
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
And told him what had happened to them in Egypt: saying, Joseph [is] yet alive; who was thought…
To hear that Joseph is alive is too good news to be true; Jacob faints, for he does not believe it. We faint, because we do not believe. Eventually…
Get curated content & updates
