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Genesis 50:8-18

Listen to Genesis 50:8-18
8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left 1in the land of Goshen.
9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company.
10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, 2they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he 3made a mourning for his father seven days.
11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians. ” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; [a] it is beyond the Jordan.
12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them,
13 for 4his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham 5bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place.
14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

God’s Good Purposes

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him. ”
16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died:
17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you. ”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of 6the God of your father. ” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 His brothers also came and 7fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants. ”

Genesis 50:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 50

This chapter contains a short account of what happened from the death of Jacob to the death of Joseph, and is chiefly concerned with the funeral of Jacob; it first gives an account how Joseph was affected with his father's death, of his orders to the physicians to embalm him, and of the time of their embalming him, and of the Egyptians mourning for him, Ge 50:1-3, next of his request to Pharaoh to give him leave to go and bury his father in Canaan, and his grant of it, Ge 50:4-6 and then of the grand funeral procession thither, the mourning made for Jacob, and his interment according to his orders, Ge 50:7-13 upon the return of Joseph and his brethren to Egypt, they fearing his resentment of their former usage of him, entreat him to forgive them; which they said they did at the direction of their father, to which Joseph readily agreed, and comforted them, and spoke kindly to them, and bid them not fear any hurt from him, for whatever were their intention, God meant it, and had overruled it for good, Ge 50:14-21 and the chapter is concluded with an account of Joseph's age and death, and of his posterity he saw before his death, and of the charge he gave to his brethren to carry his bones with them, when they should depart from Egypt, Ge 50:22-26.

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Cross References 7

  • 1. 50:8 See ch. 45:10
  • 2. 50:10 [2 Sam. 1:17; Acts 8:2]
  • 3. 50:10 [ver. 3]
  • 4. 50:13 ch. 49:29, 30; [Acts 7:16]
  • 5. 50:13 ch. 23:16
  • 6. 50:17 ch. 49:25
  • 7. 50:18 [ch. 37:7, 10]

Footnotes 1

  • [a] 50:11 'Abel-mizraim' means 'mourning' (or 'meadow') 'of Egypt'
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025

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