We are in chapter 43 of Genesis with our word for today used for the first time in the Bible in our chapter. כָּמַר grow excited, grow hot, burn, grow warm, tender, be kindled or aroused of emotions, feelings, and responses. It is used 4 times in the Old Testament. Here are all the uses. It is closely related to the word we looked a few days ago for compassion. 1 Kings 3:26 Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” This was the ESV that translates our word “heart” and “yearn” for the word the other day for compassion. It is literally נִכְמְר֣וּ רַחֲמֶיהָ֮ grew warm his compassion. The NIV has “deeply moved out of love for her son” which better conveys both words from the original, grow warm and compassion. We also see both words in Hosea. Hosea 11:8 My heart recoils within me; my compassion נִכְמְר֥וּ grows warm and tender. This is the sense of how our word is used in our chapter today. Genesis 43:30 Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion נִכְמְר֤וּ grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. This was the first time he saw his younger brother he was close to for decades so it was simply too much for Joseph to keep inside. He had to let it out and allow himself to feel his emotion. But he couldn’t do it in front of his brothers because he still needed to test them so that they would face the evil they had done to him. So Joseph does the wise thing and finds a place where he could cry and feel his emotions while at the same time not compromising the test his brothers still needed to face. This is a great example to us that we don’t just stuff down our emotions and avoid them. It is also amazing that Joseph even though he had very warm compassion for his younger brother did not avoid doing what was best for the rest of his brothers helping them work through their painful emotions of guilt for what they did to him. I’ll close with this great passage that identifies Joseph as the person of understanding who knows what it is like to allow yourself to feel painful emotions and be patient to wait for the process where God begins to heal through it. Proverbs 20:5 The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
