Genesis 50:15-21

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 ¹the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18 His brothers also came and ²fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants."

19 But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for ³am I in the place of God?

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but ⁴God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people^[a] should be kept alive, as they are today.

21 So do not fear; ⁵I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Genesis 50:15-21 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.

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 49:25
• 2. [Genesis 37:7, 10]
• 3. Genesis 30:2; [2 Kings 5:7]
• 4. Genesis 45:5, 7
• 5. Genesis 45:11; Genesis 47:12

Footnotes

• [a]. Or a numerous people