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mannafest.faith

Genesis 50:17

in Genesis 50

‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, for that they did unto thee evil. And now, we pray thee, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

KJV

So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

This verse in Genesis 50

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

The servants of the God of thy father - These words were wonderfully well chosen, and spoken in the most forcible manner to Joseph’s piety and filial affection. No wonder then that he wept when they spake to him.

This site's exposition

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead

on Genesis 50:15-17

The brothers still believe Joseph was waiting for their father to die. They send word ahead instead of coming themselves, and Adam Clarke takes the charge they report as one Jacob did give. The word forgive stands here for the first time in Scripture, in a brother's mouth asking a brother. Joseph weeps when the message reaches him.

This site's exposition

the transgression and sin of your brothers

The brothers name their wrong with two words, transgression and sin, the pair David uses at Psalm 32:1 and 5. They call themselves servants of their father's God, sheltering under the faith they share with Joseph. Joseph hears his own God named in the plea.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

So shall ye say unto Joseph, forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Note, Though we must be ready to forgive all that are any way injurious to us, yet we must especially take heed of bearing malice towards any that are the servants of the God of our father: such we should always treat with a peculiar tenderness; for we and they have the same Master.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

When Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, &c.--Joseph was deeply affected by this communication. He gave them the strongest assurances of his forgiveness and thereby gave both a beautiful trait of his own pious character, as well as appeared an eminent type of the Saviour.

The words behind it

23 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • כֹּֽה־thus

    koh-H3541577 times

  • תֹאמְר֣וּyou will say

    tomeruH5595305 times

  • לְיוֹסֵ֗ףto Joseph

    leyosefH3130213 times

  • אָ֣נָּ֡אwe beg you

    ʾana'H577

  • שָׂ֣אforgive

    sa'H5375656 times

  • נָ֠אplease

    na'H4994404 times

  • פֶּ֣שַׁע[the] transgression of

    pesha'H658893 times

  • אַחֶ֤יךָbrothers your

    ʾacheikhaH251630 times

  • וְחַטָּאתָם֙and sin their

    vechatatamH2403295 times

  • כִּי־for

    ki-H35884482 times

  • רָעָ֣הevil

    raahH7451662 times

  • גְמָל֔וּךָthey dealt out to you

    gemalukhaH158037 times

  • וְעַתָּה֙and now

    veatahH6258433 times

  • שָׂ֣אforgive

    sa'H5375656 times

  • נָ֔אplease

    na'H4994404 times

  • לְפֶ֥שַׁעto [the] transgression of

    lefesha'H658893 times

  • עַבְדֵ֖י[the] servants of

    ʾavdeiH5650799 times

  • אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of

    ʾeloheiH4302601 times

  • אָבִ֑יךָfather your

    ʾavikhaH11212 times

  • וַיֵּ֥בְךְּand he wept

    vaiyevekH1058114 times

  • יוֹסֵ֖ףJoseph

    yosefH3130213 times

  • בְּדַבְּרָ֥םwhen spoke they

    bedaberamH16961141 times

  • אֵלָֽיו׃to him

    ʾelavH4135510 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Ephesians 4:32

    Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

    it leads to

    • Colossians 3:12–13

      Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

    • Matthew 6:14–15

      For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

    • Mark 11:25

      And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”

    • 1 Peter 3:8–9

      Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.

    • 2 Corinthians 2:10

      If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake,

  • Through

    Proverbs 28:13

    He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

    it leads to

    • 1 John 1:8–10

      If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

    • Psalms 32:3–5

      When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.

    • Job 31:33

      if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies2

About Genesis

The Garden of Eden, Thomas Cole, 1828, Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Public domain.
The Garden of Eden, Thomas Cole, 1828, Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.