Genesis 50:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.”

NIV: When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?'

NASB: When Joseph’s brothers had seen that their father was dead, they said, 'What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!'

CSB: When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, "If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him."

NLT: But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. 'Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,' they said.

KJV: And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

NKJV: When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.”

Jacob, the patriarch God renamed Israel (Genesis 35:10–11), has died in Egypt at the age of 147 (Genesis 49:33). His son Joseph (Genesis 41:44), and Joseph's eleven brothers have buried him according to his wishes (Genesis 47:29–31). They have traveled to Canaan, with Pharaoh's blessing and honor, to lay Jacob to rest in the family tomb (Genesis 23:17–20). Now they have returned together to Egypt. The entire nation of Israel is settled there (Genesis 50:8), and despite Joseph's power, he is still technically a slave of Pharaoh (Genesis 50:4–6).

Now that Jacob is dead, Joseph's brothers are afraid. What if Joseph has been holding back his hatred for them only because of Jacob? They worry that all Joseph's kind treatment (Genesis 47:11–12) has been solely out of respect for their father. Now that Jacob is gone, they fear Joseph will finally "pay them back." It's important to recognize that the brothers understand that they would deserve retribution. They had jealously sold Joseph into slavery as a 17–year-old boy (Genesis 37:18–36). They themselves refer to it as "all the evil that we did to him" (Genesis 42:21–22).

Motivated by that fear, the brothers plan to appeal to Joseph's love of their father, to stave off what might be left of his anger (Genesis 50:16–17).

Genesis 50:15–21 reveals that Joseph's brothers are consumed with guilt and fear after their father's death. They worry Joseph has been waiting for Jacob to die before taking revenge. This would not be unexpected, as they cruelly sold Joseph into slavery as a teenager (Genesis 37:26–28). The brothers attempt to appease Joseph with a message, supposedly from Jacob, but he tells them not to be afraid. In one of Scripture's most pivotal remarks, Joseph explains his conviction that, though their intent was evil, God's good purposes were behind everything that had happened. Despite their bad intentions, God used their acts to save many lives. Joseph assures them he will not harm them.

Genesis 50 begins with Joseph's weeping over his father's body, followed by the embalming of Jacob, a 70–day period of state mourning, and a trip to Canaan to bury Jacob with his fathers. Joseph's brothers, worried that he would take his revenge on them for selling him into slavery, seek Joseph's forgiveness. He assures them he will not harm them. The chapter skips to the end of Joseph's life. After assuring his people that God will return them to Canaan one day, Joseph dies and is embalmed.

After settling in Egypt, under his son's protection (Genesis 47—49), Jacob dies (Genesis 49:33). He is embalmed and all of Egypt mourns. Joseph buries his father in the family tomb in Canaan, then returns to Egypt. He asks that his body be taken back to Canaan someday. This sets up the events of the book of Exodus. Over centuries, Israel will grow into a prosperous people, only to be enslaved by a jealous Egyptian monarchy. This provides a context for God to rescue Israel and demonstrate His power.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.