Genesis 50:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

NIV: And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, 'God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.'

NASB: Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, 'God will assuredly take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.'

CSB: So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: "When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here."

NLT: Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, 'When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.'

KJV: And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

NKJV: Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

Joseph, 110 years old, is dying (Genesis 50:22). In the previous verse, he has assured his family that they are not destined to remain in Egypt forever. God will visit them and take them back to Canaan. God will keep the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac, and their father Jacob to give their people the land of Canaan for their own possession (Genesis 17:5–8).

Because Joseph believes this so fervently, he follows in his father's footsteps. He commands a solemn oath from "the sons of Israel" (Genesis 35:10–11), likely meaning the heads of each of tribes. They must swear to carry his remains back to Canaan after God comes to take them home. His father, Jacob, wanted to be buried immediately in Canaan (Genesis 49:29–30). Joseph's body will remain in Egypt, but not forever.

The request is made plausible, in part, because Joseph knows his body will be embalmed by Egyptians. Though several hundred years will pass, his bones will retain enough structure to be transported to Canaan when the time comes (Exodus 13:19).

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.

Accessed 4/27/2024 9:19:12 AM