Who was the greatest actor anywhere in the bible?

Answer 1

I think Joseph in the Old Testament was a superb "actor". His story is found in Genesis 37.

His jealous brothers threw him into a pit, then sold him to some Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt where he was "purchased" by an officer of Pharoah. Joseph worked hard and found favour in his master's sight. After a while, the wife of the officer lusted after Joseph and when Joseph rejected her, she told her husband that Joseph attacked her. Joseph was put in prison. In ch. 39, v.21 it says the Lord God was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the prison keeper. A couple of years later Joseph was able to interpret a dream that pharoah had which revealed 7 years of great plenty (of food) then 7 years of famine. All this happened as Joseph had interpreted. In the 7 good years, Jacob organised the storage of food in preparation for the famine that would come.

When the famine intensified, Joseph's father, Jacob, sent 10 of Joseph's brothers to Egypt to buy food. The brothers came to the 2nd in command in Egypt which was, unbeknown to them, the brother they had sold many years earlier as a 17 y.o. youth. They didn't recognise this man in front of them, he now looked like an Egyptian, wore different clothing, a man in his 30's and full of authority. Joseph recognised his brothers immediately, but acted as a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them. He really gave them a hard time, calling them spies. They told him they were all sons of one man, that one of their brothers was "no more" and the remaining youngest brother was at home with their father. If only they had known the one who was "no more" was the very man they were talking to.

But Joseph kept quiet, saying nothing. Joseph again accused them of being spies and threw them in prison for 3 days. Following that Joseph told them if they really were honest men, to go home and bring back their youngest brother, who was actually Joseph's natural brother by the same mother, Rachel. The brothers talked about their guilt of selling their brother Joseph so many years earlier, believing they were now being "punished" for the evil deed. Joseph was listening to them but the brothers didn't realise that he understood Hebrew as Joseph spoke Egyptian to them through an interpreter. Joseph had not forgotten his old language. He turned away from them and wept as they spoke to each other about that incident. They were given the supplies and paid for them, but Joseph had the money put back in their sacks. This alarmed the brothers "what has God done to us?" they asked.

Arriving home they convinced their father to send their youngest brother, Benjamin back with them when making another trip as Joseph had ordered them to do. Jacob, the father, was very distressed, as he believed his son Joseph was dead and was fearful of losing Benjamin as well. Eventually the family needed more food and so came to Egypt again. When Joseph saw his natural brother, Benjamin, Joseph had them all come to his home for a meal.

Joseph asked how their father was and asked if Benjamin was their young brother. Joseph yearned for his young brother so much he quickly went out out the room and wept. The brothers were seated in the exact order of their birth and they were astonished, and talk about favourtism, Benjamin received 5 extra servings of food more than the others. Now Joseph got sneaky and had his silver cup put in Benjamin's sack along with the payment money. Again, they were all in trouble. As "punishment" Benjamin was to be his slave. The brothers begged for Benjamin saying if they went home without him, their father would die.

Now, Joseph wept out loud and finally said to them "I am Joseph" your brother whom you sold into Egypt. The brothers were really scared. But Joseph reassured them and told them that it was God who allowed this to happen in order that Joseph could provide food during the years of famine. The brothers went home and brought their father, Jacob back to Egypt and all their wives and children.

The Bible says Joseph fell on his father's neck and wept a long while. All the families settled and lived in Egypt.

What a brilliant actor Joseph was. He kept this charade up for a long time. He kept a straight face, spoke roughly to them, listened to their every word in Hebrew, and tricked them into bringing his own brother to him.

God showed him favour and it all worked out well. He finally had his whole family with him.