Genesis 50 15

Genesis 50:15 kjv

And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

Genesis 50:15 nkjv

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him."

Genesis 50:15 niv

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?"

Genesis 50:15 esv

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him."

Genesis 50:15 nlt

But now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers became fearful. "Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him," they said.

Genesis 50 verses

Genesis 50 15 meaning

Genesis 50:15 reveals the profound fear and lingering guilt of Joseph's brothers immediately following their father Jacob's death. They had previously harmed Joseph greatly by selling him into slavery. With their father, a unifying and protecting presence, now gone, they believed Joseph might no longer be constrained by filial piety and would finally exact full retribution for the severe wrongs they had committed against him. Their fear exposes their deeply unsettled conscience and lack of full trust in Joseph's earlier forgiveness.

Genesis 50 15 Context

Genesis chapter 50 opens with Joseph mourning and burying his father Jacob with great honor in Canaan, fulfilling Jacob's dying wish (Gen 49:29-32). This extensive burial process (vv. 1-14) demonstrates Joseph's deep love and respect for his father, solidifying his role as a faithful son and a powerful figure in Egypt. Immediately after the burial, with the central unifying figure of Jacob no longer alive, the brothers' long-suppressed fear and guilt resurface. They interpret their father's death as the removal of a protective shield, believing Joseph's restraint was solely out of reverence for Jacob. Their anxiety sets the stage for Joseph's powerful reaffirmation of forgiveness and divine providence in the subsequent verses. This event highlights the lingering impact of past sin and the profound nature of true reconciliation, demonstrating that Jacob's death serves as a turning point that tests the stability of the family's healing process.

Genesis 50 15 Word analysis

• When: וַיִּרְאוּ (vayyir'u) - From the verb רָאָה (ra'ah), "to see" or "to perceive." The Hebrew waw-consecutive connects this action directly to Jacob's death (Gen 50:14), indicating a new development or realization. It implies a perceptive understanding beyond mere visual sight, a comprehension of a changed reality.
• Joseph’s brothers: אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף (achei Yosef) - Highlights the enduring familial connection, yet one burdened by their past actions. Their identity is still fundamentally tied to Joseph, but the power dynamic and lingering mistrust are evident.
• saw that their father was dead: כִּי מֵת אֲבִיהֶם (ki met avihem) - The death of Jacob (אָב 'av, "father") is the catalyst. Jacob served as a crucial mediator and a living symbol of God's covenant with the family. His presence had, in the brothers' minds, shielded them from Joseph's potential wrath. His absence triggers a crisis of faith and trust.
• they said: וַיֹּאמְרוּ (vayyomeru) - From אָמַר (amar), "to say" or "to speak." This denotes a deliberation amongst themselves, a private conversation revealing their shared anxiety and pre-existing fears.
• Perhaps: לוּ (lu) - This particle introduces a wish or, more pertinently here, an apprehensive hypothetical. It translates as "if only," "would that," or "perhaps." It conveys their deep doubt and uncertainty about Joseph's true intentions. It exposes their internal fear of judgment and inability to fully accept Joseph's forgiveness, projecting their own capacity for vengefulness onto him.
• Joseph will hate us: יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ יוֹסֵף (yist'menu Yosef) - From שָׂטַם (satam), "to cherish animosity," "to bear a grudge," "to hate." This is a strong verb indicating intense personal hostility and enmity. Their use of this word reveals the depth of their own perceived transgression and their expectation of reciprocal bitterness.
• and take his full revenge on all the wrong: וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב לָנוּ אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה (v'hashev yashiv lanu et kol-hara'ah) -
  • וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב (v'hashev yashiv): This is an intensive construction using the infinitive absolute (הָשֵׁב, hashev) followed by the finite verb (יָשִׁיב, yashiv), meaning "surely repay," "certainly repay," or "take full revenge." It emphasizes the absolute certainty with which they anticipate severe retaliation. Their internal sense of guilt leads them to expect the fullest possible recompense.
  • כָּל־הָרָעָה (kol-hara'ah): "All the evil" or "all the wrong." They admit the comprehensive nature of their previous wickedness towards Joseph, recognizing the totality of their sin—selling him, causing his suffering, deceiving their father. This demonstrates a clear acknowledgement of their profound guilt.
• that we did to him: אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂינוּ אֹתוֹ (asher asinu oto) - "Which we did him." A direct and unambiguous admission of personal culpability for their actions, leaving no room for excuses. This confirms their conscience is burdened by the specific wrong they committed against Joseph.

Genesis 50 15 Bonus section

• The brothers' fear highlights the difference between an expressed verbal forgiveness and the full internal acceptance and trust of that forgiveness by the one who wronged. True reconciliation requires both components.
• Their concern reveals that they perceived Jacob not just as a father, but as a patriarchal figure whose presence imposed a certain structure of obligation and honor that restrained Joseph. His death removes this "buffer."
• This verse subtly underscores the theme of God's providential care. Even the death of a beloved patriarch, an event often associated with distress, becomes a catalyst to reveal lingering human fear, which God then uses to further demonstrate His grace through Joseph's response.

Genesis 50 15 Commentary

Genesis 50:15 offers a poignant glimpse into the psychology of guilt and the challenge of true forgiveness within familial reconciliation. Despite years of living under Joseph's benevolent care in Egypt and having previously received his explicit reassurance (Gen 45:5), the brothers' ingrained fear re-emerges with their father's death. Jacob had been the last living link to their painful past and perhaps, in their minds, the very reason Joseph hadn't yet exacted vengeance. Their immediate assumption that Joseph would "hate" them and "take his full revenge" reveals not necessarily Joseph's true character, but rather their own persistent burden of sin, their deep mistrust, and their projection of their own capacity for malice onto him. It illustrates the human difficulty of truly accepting forgiveness, especially when one's own conscience bears a heavy weight. This moment sets the stage for Joseph's final, profound declaration of God's sovereignty and grace, cementing the narrative's central message: God's ultimate good purpose can overcome human evil.