Genesis 50:12-21

Burial at Machpelah

12 Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them;

13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in ¹the cave of the field of Machpelah before * Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "²What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!"

16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father charged before he died, saying,

17 'Thus you shall say to Joseph, "Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong."' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18 Then his brothers also came and ³fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants."

19 But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?

20 "As for you, ⁴you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

21 "So therefore, do not be afraid; ⁵I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Genesis 50:12-21 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 23:16-20; Acts 7:16
• 2. Genesis 37:28; Genesis 42:21, 22
• 3. Genesis 37:8-10; Genesis 41:43
• 4. Genesis 37:26, 27; Genesis 45:5, 7
• 5. Genesis 45:11; Genesis 47:12

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "possession of a burial place"
• [b]. Lit "commanded"
• [c]. Lit "as it is this day"
• [d]. Lit "to their heart"