Genesis 48:21 kjv
And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
Genesis 48:21 nkjv
Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
Genesis 48:21 niv
Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.
Genesis 48:21 esv
Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers.
Genesis 48:21 nlt
Then Jacob said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors.
Genesis 48 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | Land promise to Abraham. |
| Gen 13:15 | for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. | Everlasting land inheritance. |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land..." | Covenant ratification for the land. |
| Gen 17:8 | And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession... | Eternal possession of Canaan. |
| Gen 26:3 | Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you... | God's presence promised to Isaac. |
| Gen 28:15 | Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land... | God's presence and return promised to Jacob. |
| Gen 32:28 | Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." | Jacob's new name, "Israel". |
| Gen 46:3-4 | He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again..." | God's presence to Jacob in Egypt, promise of return. |
| Gen 50:24-25 | Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up from this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." | Joseph's dying prophecy echoes Jacob's, anticipation of Exodus. |
| Ex 3:8 | And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land... | God's plan for the Exodus and land. |
| Ex 13:19 | Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you." | Fulfillment of Joseph's oath from Ex 50. |
| Num 10:29 | Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you..." | March to the Promised Land. |
| Deut 1:8 | See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them." | Moses reaffirms the land promise. |
| Deut 30:3-5 | ...then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you... And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed... | Future return from exile, land restoration. |
| Josh 1:5 | No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. | God's presence promised to Joshua. |
| Ps 105:8-11 | He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance." | God's eternal remembrance of the land covenant. |
| Jer 29:10-14 | "For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill my good word to you, in bringing you back to this place... I will gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you... and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile." | Prophecy of return from Babylonian exile. |
| Ezek 36:24 | "I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land." | Return to land as part of New Covenant. |
| Matt 1:23 | "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). | Fulfillment of "God with you" in Christ. |
| Matt 28:20 | ...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. | Christ's promise of perpetual presence. |
| Acts 7:5 | Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. | Stephen reiterates Abrahamic land promise. |
| Heb 11:9-10 | By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign country... For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. | Patriarchs' faith in the spiritual "land". |
| Heb 11:13 | These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. | Patriarchs' faith in unfulfilled promises. |
| Heb 11:22 | By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. | Joseph's faith and instructions for return. |
| Heb 13:5 | Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." | God's unfailing presence, promise echoed. |
Genesis 48 verses
Genesis 48 21 Meaning
Jacob, at the close of his life, solemnly declared to Joseph that though he was about to die, God would assuredly be with Joseph and his descendants, guaranteeing their future return to the promised land of Canaan—the inherited dwelling of their patriarchal ancestors. This statement functions as a final covenant reassurance, highlighting God's faithfulness despite Jacob's impending mortality and the family's current prosperity in Egypt.
Genesis 48 21 Context
Genesis chapter 48 details Jacob's blessing of Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, before his own death. Jacob, also referred to as "Israel" here, explicitly adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own, placing them on par with Reuben and Simeon for inheritance. This decision is crucial as it doubles Joseph's portion within Israel. The context preceding verse 21 involves Jacob recounting God's blessing to him at Luz (Bethel) and his awareness of his imminent death. After placing Ephraim ahead of Manasseh in the blessing, Jacob delivers this personal, prophetic assurance directly to Joseph. This verse serves as a solemn declaration, a final re-emphasis of God's covenant faithfulness concerning the land promise, ensuring that Joseph's lineage, despite being rooted in Egypt's prosperity, would also inherit the blessings meant for the patriarchs in Canaan. It acts as a bridge between the adoption/blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh and the subsequent, more detailed blessings to all of Jacob's sons in chapter 49, anchoring the future hope of the nascent nation in God's immutable promises.
Genesis 48 21 Word analysis
- Then Israel: The name "Israel" (יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yisrael) here refers to Jacob, highlighting his divinely bestowed name, signifying "strives with God" (Gen 32:28). Its use underscores his identity as a covenant head and his spiritual authority as he imparts prophetic words.
- said to Joseph: A direct, personal address from the dying patriarch to his favored son, conveying the solemnity and significance of the pronouncement.
- "Behold (הִנֵּה - hinneh),": An emphatic interjection common in Hebrew, introducing something of great importance, a warning, or a significant revelation, calling for immediate attention from the listener. It sets a serious and often prophetic tone.
- I am about to die,: (הִנְנִי מֵת - hinni met) Jacob's frank acknowledgment of his impending death, lending absolute gravity and finality to his words. This personal mortality accentuates the immutable, timeless nature of the divine promise that follows.
- but: This conjunction introduces a crucial contrast, shifting from the certainty of Jacob's physical demise to the greater certainty of God's eternal life and unfailing faithfulness to His covenant.
- God (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): This common Hebrew name for God emphasizes His power, creator role, and general sovereignty. Here, it signifies the mighty and faithful God of the Abrahamic covenant who transcends human limitations and circumstances.
- will be with you: (הָיָה עִמָּךְ - hayah immakh) A fundamental promise throughout Scripture, signifying God's constant presence, protective care, active guidance, and unfailing support. It is an assurance that divine favor and power will accompany Joseph and his descendants.
- and bring you again: (וְהֵשִׁיב אֶתְכֶם - veheyshiv etkhem) The verb shuv (return) denotes a certain, divinely orchestrated act of repatriation. The "you" is singular, addressed to Joseph, but the associated plural ending in Hebrew (etkhem) implicitly includes his offspring, foreshadowing the collective Exodus of the Israelites.
- to the land of your fathers.": (אֶרֶץ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם - eretz avotekhem) Refers explicitly to Canaan, the ancestral land promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as an eternal inheritance (Gen 17:8). This is not merely geographic property but the sphere of God's covenant blessing, fellowship, and national identity for Israel.
Words-group Analysis
- "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you": This clause starkly contrasts Jacob's finite human existence with the eternal, unwavering presence of God. It's a powerful declaration of trust, indicating that even when the human patriarch's earthly journey ends, God's covenant purpose continues unimpeded through His direct and abiding presence with His chosen lineage. This illustrates God's transcendence over human mortality and His commitment to His promises.
- "God will be with you and bring you again to the land of your fathers": This phrase directly links God's active, personal presence with the practical fulfillment of the foundational land promise. The divine "being with" is not a passive comfort but an assurance that God will supernaturally intervene to ensure their physical return and inheritance of Canaan, thereby concretely fulfilling the covenant made with their ancestors. It sets the stage for the Exodus and the eventual possession of the land.
Genesis 48 21 Bonus section
- Jacob's spiritual clarity here is noteworthy, contrasting with his failing physical sight (Gen 48:10). This highlights how divine insight often surpasses human physical limitations, enabling patriarchs to see beyond their temporal reality.
- This verse underpins the subsequent Exodus narrative, providing divine justification for the entire enterprise. It clarifies that Israel's departure from Egypt was not a random migration but the fulfillment of a long-standing divine promise given to their foundational patriarchs.
- The promise "God will be with you" echoes similar assurances given by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob themselves, solidifying the idea of God's perpetual presence being essential for His people to inherit and fulfill His purposes.
- The phrase "land of your fathers" not only denotes geographical inheritance but also implicitly carries the rich spiritual and covenantal legacy associated with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, establishing it as the place of special divine dwelling and blessing.
Genesis 48 21 Commentary
Genesis 48:21 is a pivotal deathbed declaration by Jacob/Israel to Joseph, brimming with prophetic assurance and covenantal continuity. Despite Jacob's imminent demise and the family's established life in Egypt, this verse anchors their future hope not in their current circumstances but in God's unchanging faithfulness to His promises. It is a powerful reconfirmation of the Abrahamic covenant's central tenets: God's unfailing presence ("God will be with you") and the promise of the land of Canaan as an everlasting inheritance ("bring you again to the land of your fathers").
Jacob's statement acts as a spiritual beacon for his descendants, emphasizing that their time in Egypt is temporary and God's ultimate design for them involves their return to the land promised to Abraham and Isaac. It anticipates the Exodus from Egypt by several centuries, showcasing Jacob's prophetic insight and deep faith in the God who calls into existence things that do not yet exist (Rom 4:17). This declaration provided a vital sense of identity and destiny for Joseph and, by extension, all the tribes of Israel, preventing them from becoming fully assimilated into Egyptian culture. It subtly teaches that God's plan is sovereign, His promises are sure, and His presence guarantees their fulfillment, even across generations and in the face of human weakness and death.
- Example 1: Just as a dying parent reminds children of an entrusted family inheritance, Jacob reminded Joseph of the divine inheritance of the land, providing direction beyond immediate comforts.
- Example 2: Like a captain, nearing the end of his voyage, confirming the ultimate destination to his first mate, Jacob reaffirms Israel's true destiny and divine guide for the long journey ahead.