Genesis 50:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

NIV: So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

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

CSB: Therefore don't be afraid. I will take care of you and your children." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

NLT: No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.' So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

KJV: Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

NKJV: Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

In great fear, Joseph's brothers have thrown themselves to the ground before him, seeking his mercy (Genesis 50:15–18). Years after selling him as a slave (Genesis 37:26–28), they fear their father's death will inspire Joseph to finally seek revenge.

Joseph's response made it clear they don't need to be afraid. He directly and confidently leaves ultimate justice in the hands of God, and accepts that his years of suffering were—in the end—an incredible blessing. Not only did that experience cause Joseph to live the last eighty years of his life in power and comfort (Genesis 41:46; 50:26), it provided the means to save the entire nation of Israel from death (Genesis 50:19–20).

Here, Joseph effectively repeats the words he said 17 years earlier, when he first revealed he was their estranged brother (Genesis 45:5–7). Joseph arrived at the conclusion that their evil action was part of God's great plan to save many, many people from death. He has no plan to harm them or take revenge. Rather, he intends to continue to provide for them in the land of Egypt. Poignantly, Joseph mentions providing for their little ones, as well, indicating that he doesn't see this as a temporary arrangement. They have a long-term home in Egypt, so far as he is concerned.

This moment certainly turns typical human instincts upside down. The one who was wronged ends in comforting those who wronged him; the guilty ones are being cared for by the innocent person they harmed. This verse emphasizes that Joseph pointedly speaks with kindness: reassuring them in both his words and his tone that he will not harm them in the future.

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.