to give · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
man
לָאִ֖ישׁla.'Ish
H376
a man as an individual or a male person · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
changes
חֲלִפ֣וֹתcha.li.Fot
H2487
alternation · noun, common feminine plural construct
raiment
שְׂמָלֹ֑תse.ma.Lot
H8071
a dress · noun, common feminine plural absolute
Benjamin
וּלְבִנְיָמִ֤ןu.le.vin.ya.Min
H1144
Binjamin · conjunction + preposition + proper noun, a man's name
gave
נָתַן֙na.Tan
H5414
to give · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
three
שְׁלֹ֣שׁshe.Losh
H7969
three · cardinal number, both genders singular construct
hundred
מֵא֣וֹתme.'ot
H3967
a hundred · cardinal number, feminine plural absolute
silver
כֶּ֔סֶףKe.sef
H3701
silver (from its pale color) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
five
וְחָמֵ֖שׁve.cha.Mesh
H2568
five · conjunction + cardinal number, both genders singular absolute
changes
חֲלִפֹ֥תcha.li.Fot
H2487
alternation · noun, common feminine plural construct
raiment
שְׂמָלֹֽתse.ma.Lot
H8071
a dress · noun, common feminine plural absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Genesis 43:34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were…
2 Kings 5:5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of s…
Judges 14:12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and…
2 Kings 5:22-23 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons…
Judges 14:19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change o…
Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fel…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Genesis 45:16-24
Here is, 1. The kindness of Pharaoh to Joseph, and to his relations for his sake: he bade his brethren welcome (Gen 45:16), though it was a time of scarcity, and they were likely to be a charge to him. Nay, because it pleased Pharaoh, it pleased his servants too, at least they pretended to be pleased because Pharaoh was. He engaged Joseph to send for his father down to Egypt, and promised to furnish them with all conveniences both for his removal thither and his settlement there. If the good of all the land of Egypt (as it was not better stocked than any other land, thanks to Joseph, under God) would suffice him, he was welcome to it all, it was all his own, even the fat of the land (Gen 45:…
changes of raiment--It was and is customary, with great men, to bestow on their friends dresses of distinction, and in places where they are of the same description and quality, the value of these presents consists in their number. The great number given to Benjamin bespoke the warmth of his brother's attachment to him; and Joseph felt, from the amiable temper they now all displayed, he might, with perfect safety, indulge this fond partiality for his mother's son.
Adam Clarke on Genesis 45:22
Changes of raiment - It is a common custom with all the Asiatic sovereigns to give both garments and money to ambassadors and persons of distinction, whom they particularly wish to honor. Hence they keep in their wardrobes several hundred changes of raiment, ready made up for presents of this kind. That such were given by way of reward and honor, see Jdg 14:12, Jdg 14:19; Rev 6:11. At the close of a feast the Hindoos, among other presents to the guests, commonly give new garments. A Hindoo garment is merely a piece of cloth, requiring no work of the tailor - Ward.
John Gill on Genesis 45:22
To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment,.... Rich apparel, two suits of clothes, to shift and change upon occasion, such as Homer (k) calls , "changeable garments"; those he gave to everyone of his brethren, partly that they might have something to show to their father and to their wives, which would cause them to give credit to the report they should give of Joseph, and his great prosperity; and partly that they might, upon their return, be provided with suitable apparel to appear before Pharaoh, and chiefly this was intended to show his great respect and affection for them, and reconciliation to them:
but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver; or shekels, as the Ta…
The Church Fathers
Therefore, Paul excels, and his portion is abundant: but nevertheless, other preachers have their grace. They receive two tunics. Which ones? Surely, those about which you should not doubt, because you have read the saying from Wisdom: She has made for her husband two garments. One is mystical, the other moral. But not all apostles, not all prophets, not all pastors, not all virtues, not all have the grace of healings, not all speak in tongues. Where the merits are different, the rewards are different.
To whom two stoles are given. And he cites Paul, when he sets forth his statements, to whom three hundred gold coins, and five multicolored robes are given by Christ. He who proclaims the cross of Christ possesses three hundred gold coins. Therefore, he says: For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And he rightly receives the gold coins, because he preached not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit. However, he receives the five robes, either the diverse disciplines of wisdom, or because he was not captured by the allurements of bodily senses, where others may find danger, he held victory; he conquered all pleasures of the flesh by singular self-restraint and virtue, his intellect and study not dulled by any weakness of the body, to the point that even though he is in the body, he does not know that he has a body. Finally, caught up in paradise, whether in the body or outside the body, not knowing, he heard unspeakable words, which it is not allowed to speak to a human being: in the end, he smelled nothing earthly on earth, as he himself teaches, saying: For we are the good fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Apparel — In Old Testament times the distinction between male and female attire was not very marked. The statute forbidding men to wear female apparel (Deut. 22:5) referred especially to ornaments and…
Changes of raiment — Were reckoned among the treasures of rich men (Gen. 45:22; Judg. 14:12, 13; 2 Kings 5:22, 23).
Moses — Drawn (or Egypt. mesu, “son;” hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years…
Pieces — (1) of silver. In Ps. 68:30 denotes “fragments,” and not properly money. In 1 Sam. 2:36 (Heb. agorah), properly a “small sum” as wages, weighed rather than coined. Josh. 24:32 (Heb. kesitah, q.v.),…
Garments · Given as presents — Given as presents
Presents · Were given: On sending away friends — Were given: On sending away friends
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
And to all of them he gave each man changes of raiment. That he furnishes his brethren with supplies for their journey is not wonderful: but to what purpose was it that he loaded them with money and garments, seeing they would so soon return? I, indeed, do not doubt that he did it on account of his father and the wives of his brethren, in order that they might have less reluctance to leave the land of Canaan. For he knew that his message would scarcely be believed, unless some manifest tokens of its truth were presented. It might also be, that he not only endeavored to allure those who were absent, but that he also wished to testify, more and more, his love towards his brethren. But the form…
The sons of Israel carried out the instructions of Joseph and the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen 45:25-27). But Joseph not only sent carriages according to Pharaoh's directions, and food for the journey, he also gave them presents, changes of raiment, a suit for every one, and five suits for Benjamin, as well as 300 shekels of silver. שׂמלות חלפות: change of clothes, clothes to change; i.e., dress clothes which were worn on special occasions and frequently changed (Jdg 13:12-13, Jdg 13:19; Kg2 5:5). "And to his father he sent like these;" i.e., not changes of clothes, but presents also, viz., ten asses "carrying of the good of Egypt," and ten she-asses with corn and provisions for the journey; a…
This section is transitional, as the family moved from Canaan to Goshen, where they would live for the next four centuries.
45:16-25 Joseph sent his brothers with instructions to bring Jacob and the entire family to Egypt. Out of gratitude for Joseph’s having saved all of Egypt (45:18; see 47:20), Pharaoh promised the best of all the land of Egypt, and Joseph gave them the finest products of Egypt.
Rashi on Genesis 45:4
גשו נא אלי STEP NEAR TO ME, I PRAY YOU — He saw that they recoiled and he said to himself “Now my brothers feel ashamed”. He therefore called to them and showed them that he was circumcised. (Genesis Rabbah 93:10).
