Genesis 50:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own.

NIV: and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees.

NASB: Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.

CSB: He saw Ephraim's sons to the third generation; the sons of Manasseh's son Machir were recognized by Joseph.

NLT: He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own.

KJV: And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.

NKJV: Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.

Joseph's long life is drawing to a close. His early years were difficult. He was sold into slavery at the age of seventeen (Genesis 37:2, 26–28) and spent several years in an Egyptian prison. After thirteen years of imprisonment and mistreatment, he became a great ruler in Egypt (Genesis 41:44–46). That began a stretch of eighty years, up until this moment, where his life was one of influence and power. Along the way, his position saved many people from death, including his entire family (Genesis 47:11–13). Key to that outcome was Joseph's willingness to forgive his brothers instead of seeking revenge (Genesis 50:15–21).

Joseph lived to see his great-great-grandchildren through Ephraim, as well as his great-grandchildren through his son Manasseh and grandson Machir. The statement that Machir's children were counted as Joseph's own—"placed on his knees" in some translations—may mean that Joseph adopted them. This would be much like his own father, Jacob, had claimed ownership of Joseph's own two oldest sons (Genesis 48:5–6).

Living long and seeing his grandchildren thrive was a sign of God's blessing on Joseph's life.

Genesis 50:22–26 finds Joseph at the very end of his life. He is 110 years old and has lived to see his great-great-grandchildren. Before he dies, he assures his family that God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still hold true. God will visit them and bring them to Canaan. Joseph makes his family swear to carry his remains back to the Promised Land, one day. After Joseph dies, his body is embalmed and placed in a coffin.

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.