Genesis 37:23
22 Reuben continued, “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” (Reuben said this so he could rescue Joseph from them and take him back to his father.) 23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.)
Genesis 45:22
21 So the sons of Israel did as he said. Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave sets of clothes to each one of them, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five sets of clothes. 23 To his father he sent the following: ten donkeys loaded with the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, food, and provisions for his father’s journey.
Notes and References
"... With all this tension built up, the narrative reaches its first climax. Joseph can no longer contain himself (Genesis 45:1) and reveals his identity. His brothers are incredulously silent. After initial tears (of relief? of joy?), Joseph explains how this all came about. Indeed, Joseph’s suppression of his tears or willingness to let them flow is an important narrative sign. While he kept his identity masked, he could not let his emotions be seen (Genesis 42:24; 43:30). Now he can reveal himself and let his emotions be seen by his family. Joseph’s visible tears are a visible reflection of the shift in the family’s conflict toward reconciliation. Unlike before, he no longer has to eat alone as an Egyptian far away from his brothers. He can now eat with them as a brother (Genesis 43:31–34) and give them festive clothes (Genesis 45:22) – a complete reversal of the situation in chapter 37, where it was he who was not allowed to eat with them or whose clothes were taken off him ..."
Rabel, Magnus Developing Joseph's Character: Narratological Reflections on the Dynamic Character of the Biblical Joseph (pp. 1-26) Biblische Zeitschrift, No. 68, 2024