Genesis 46:30 kjv
And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
Genesis 46:30 nkjv
And Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive."
Genesis 46:30 niv
Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive."
Genesis 46:30 esv
Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive."
Genesis 46:30 nlt
Finally, Jacob said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen your face again and know you are still alive."
Genesis 46 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 37:35 | "All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him... 'For I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.'" | Jacob's initial despair and belief in Joseph's death. |
| Gen 45:26 | "They told him, 'Joseph is still alive! And he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.' And Jacob’s heart fainted..." | Jacob's initial disbelief upon hearing the news. |
| Gen 45:28 | "Then Israel said, 'It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.'" | Jacob's earlier resolve to see Joseph before death. |
| Gen 50:20 | "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..." | God's sovereign hand in Joseph's life and reunion. |
| Lk 2:29-30 | "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation." | Simeon's parallel "Nunc Dimittis" of fulfilled expectation. |
| Phil 1:21-23 | "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain... my desire is to depart and be with Christ..." | Paul's similar contentment with life or death when Christ is fulfilled. |
| Num 27:13 | "...you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered." | The theme of being gathered to one's people after purpose is complete. |
| Job 19:26-27 | "And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God..." | Yearning to see a specific face or presence despite adversity. |
| Job 42:5-6, 10 | "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself... and the Lord restored the fortunes of Job..." | The satisfaction of visual confirmation after trials, and restoration. |
| Isa 25:8 | "He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces..." | The ultimate divine reversal of sorrow and grief. |
| Rev 21:4 | "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more..." | The ultimate comforting presence and removal of sorrow. |
| Rom 8:28 | "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good..." | God's orchestrating of seemingly bad events for ultimate good. |
| 1 Cor 15:54-57 | "...Death is swallowed up in victory." | Victory over death's apparent hold, echoing the relief of life after presumed death. |
| Eph 2:13 | "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near..." | Spiritual reunion and reconciliation with those once separated. |
| Heb 11:21 | "By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph..." | Jacob's enduring faith even into his dying days, reinforced by this reunion. |
| Acts 7:14-15 | "Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives... and Jacob went down into Egypt." | Stephen's historical recounting of Jacob's journey to Joseph. |
| Ps 42:1-2 | "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God." | The soul's deep yearning and thirst, parallel to Jacob's longing for Joseph. |
| Ps 30:5 | "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." | The divine turning of sorrow into great joy and triumph. |
| Ps 118:17 | "I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD." | A contrasting, yet related, statement about continued life to fulfill purpose. |
| Jonah 4:3, 8 | "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me..." | A contrasting example of desiring death from despair, unlike Jacob's contentment. |
| 2 Sam 18:33 | "And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber... and wept..." | David's profound grief for Absalom, contrasting with Jacob's joy in reunion. |
| Jn 11:25-26 | "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live..." | Joseph being "alive" and saving his family foreshadows Christ's ultimate victory over death and spiritual life. |
| Acts 20:25 | "And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again." | Paul's potential final parting, valuing the "seeing of face." |
Genesis 46 verses
Genesis 46 30 Meaning
This verse expresses Jacob's (Israel's) profound emotional relief and sense of fulfillment upon being reunited with his long-lost son, Joseph, whom he had believed dead for decades. His declaration, "Now let me die," is not a wish of despair but an utterance of ultimate contentment and peace, indicating that the greatest desire of his heart has been realized, and his life's purpose, or at least its most acute grief, has found its resolution. It signifies a profound theological moment where divine providence has restored what was lost.
Genesis 46 30 Context
Genesis 46 marks a pivotal point in the patriarchal narrative. Jacob, having heard the incredible news that Joseph, his favored son whom he mourned for over twenty years, was not only alive but the second-in-command in Egypt, hesitated but then decided to go. The chapter opens with Jacob journeying to Beersheba, where God appeared to him, affirming His presence, promising to make him into a great nation, to go down with him into Egypt, and to bring him up again, and assuring him that Joseph's hand would close his eyes (Gen 46:1-4). This divine assurance emboldened Jacob for the arduous journey. The chapter then meticulously lists the seventy souls of Jacob's household who entered Egypt, establishing the foundation of the Israelite nation's time in Egypt before the Exodus. This verse captures the long-anticipated reunion in Goshen, climaxing Jacob's long journey of grief, doubt, and ultimately, faith.
Genesis 46 30 Word analysis
- Then Israel: (וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל, vayyōmer yiśrāʾēl) The use of "Israel" here, rather than "Jacob," is highly significant. "Israel" (meaning "he strives with God" or "God prevails") is the name God gave him after his wrestle with the angel at Peniel (Gen 32:28). It signifies his transformed character and his covenant relationship with God. In this moment of profound fulfillment and peace, Jacob experiences a deep confirmation of God's faithfulness, aligning with his covenant identity. This moment validates the long, often painful, journey of his faith.
- said: (וַיֹּאמֶר, vayyōmer) Simple past tense, denoting a direct utterance in response to the moment.
- to Joseph: (אֶל-יוֹסֵף, ʾel-yōsēf) The specific address highlights the personal, deeply emotional nature of the reunion, confirming it is not just any reunion but the reunion with his Joseph.
- Now let me die: (אָמוּתָה הַפַּעַם, ʾamûtâ happaʿam) This is an optative or jussive verbal form in Hebrew (ʾamûtâ), expressing a wish or permission. Happaʿam (הַפַּעַם) means "this time" or "now at last." This phrase is not a cry of despair or a death wish due to weariness. Instead, it conveys a profound sense of life's purpose being fulfilled, a final culmination of his greatest desire. It echoes the sentiment of Simeon in Lk 2:29-30, "Now you are letting your servant depart in peace," reflecting the contentment that comes with seeing God's salvation or providence. For Jacob, seeing Joseph alive was akin to experiencing divine salvation.
- since I have seen: (אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי, ʾăšer rāʾîtî) The verb rāʾîtî is in the perfect tense, emphasizing the completed action of seeing. The Hebrew ʾăšer serves as a conjunction, here meaning "since" or "because." The act of seeing is crucial for Jacob, who had relied on circumstantial evidence (the blood-stained tunic) for Joseph's death (Gen 37:33-35). Now, his own eyes provide irrefutable proof.
- your face: (פָנֶיךָ, fānêkā) The Hebrew word pānîm (פָנִים), usually translated "face," can also refer to "presence." Seeing Joseph's face implies direct personal encounter and acknowledgment of his very being and presence. For Jacob, this personal vision confirms Joseph's reality after two decades of absence.
- because: (כִּי, kî) A causal conjunction, providing the reason for his contented statement.
- you are still alive: (עוֹדְךָ חָי, ʿôdekhā ḥay) ʿÔdekhā combines ʿôd ("still," "yet," "further") with the suffix "your," emphasizing the incredible fact of Joseph's continued life against all Jacob's assumptions. Ḥay (חָי) means "living" or "alive." This clause expresses the incredible, miraculous reality that has overcome Jacob's deepest sorrow and brought him to this moment of profound peace. It highlights the reversal of fortune and the preservation of his beloved son.
- "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive": This complete statement encapsulates the emotional and spiritual climax of Jacob's life journey regarding Joseph. It marks the ultimate victory over twenty-two years of inconsolable grief (Gen 37:35) and shattered dreams. The fulfillment of seeing his son alive brings a profound sense of closure and contentment, making any further life seem almost superfluous in comparison to this completed desire. It’s a testament to God's redemptive power, bringing life out of perceived death, and reuniting families despite impossible odds.
Genesis 46 30 Bonus section
This verse profoundly impacts our understanding of divine sovereignty. For over two decades, Jacob experienced immense suffering, believing his beloved son Joseph was dead, unaware of God's greater plan. The reversal of his anguish upon seeing Joseph alive is a testament to God working "all things together for good" (Rom 8:28), even when it seemed all hope was lost. This dramatic family reunion sets the stage for the growth of the nation of Israel in Egypt, illustrating how personal family narratives intertwine with the larger unfolding of redemptive history. Jacob’s faith journey, from scheming to wrestling with God, and ultimately to a place of rest and profound spiritual peace in this verse, shows the transformative power of God's faithfulness in a believer's life. The contrast between Jacob’s earlier pronouncements of sorrow (e.g., "I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning," Gen 37:35) and this joyous declaration highlights the transformative power of divine restoration.
Genesis 46 30 Commentary
This verse is the poignant culmination of Jacob’s decades-long anguish. His statement, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive," reflects not a desire for an immediate end to his life out of weariness, but rather the utter contentment of having witnessed his greatest earthly hope realized. It is a declaration born of profound peace, signifying that the one major regret and sorrow of his life has been overturned by God’s gracious providence. Having believed Joseph was dead, seeing him alive brought an unexpected fulfillment that settled his heart. This sacred moment is deeply resonant with Simeon's experience in the New Testament, who, upon seeing the infant Jesus, declared himself ready to depart in peace because his eyes had seen God's salvation (Lk 2:29-30). Both expressions convey the completion of a cherished anticipation, a feeling of 'my eyes have seen, now I can rest.' Jacob’s reunion with Joseph also serves as a powerful testament to God's sovereign plan, orchestrating difficult circumstances (Joseph's slavery and imprisonment) to preserve Jacob's family and prepare the nation of Israel for its future growth and role in redemptive history.