Genesis 50:24 kjv

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Genesis 50:24 nkjv

And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."

Genesis 50:24 niv

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

Genesis 50:24 esv

And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."

Genesis 50:24 nlt

"Soon I will die," Joseph told his brothers, "but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."

Genesis 50 verses

Genesis 50 24 Meaning

Genesis 50:24 is Joseph’s prophetic declaration to his brothers, reaffirming God’s unwavering covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Despite facing his own imminent death in Egypt, Joseph confidently foretells that God will assuredly "visit" or "remember" His people and lead them out of Egypt to the land promised by an unbreakable oath to their forefathers. It underscores Joseph’s deep faith in God's faithfulness, transcending his personal circumstances and immediate family welfare.

Genesis 50 24 Context

Genesis 50:24 comes at the close of the book of Genesis, serving as a pivotal transition between the patriarchal narratives and the foundational events of the Exodus. Joseph, the patriarch who had delivered his family from famine and elevated them to prominence in Egypt, is now aged 110 and facing death. His father Jacob has already died and been honorably buried in Canaan, confirming the family’s ultimate desired resting place outside of Egypt. This verse forms part of Joseph's final testament and instructions to his brothers. Though the family has found prosperity and security in Egypt, Joseph's dying words direct their focus away from this temporary dwelling and towards God's enduring, promised inheritance—the land of Canaan. It reaffirms the eternal nature of God’s covenant with their ancestors and propels the narrative forward towards the fulfillment of the nation of Israel.

Genesis 50 24 Word analysis

• "Then Joseph said" (וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף - va-yo'mer Yosef): Signifies Joseph's authority and wisdom in his final moments. His words are presented as a last, weighty testament, similar to the blessings of Jacob or the final instructions of patriarchs.
• "I am about to die" (אָנֹכִי מֵת - anokhi met): A plain and direct statement of mortality. It establishes the grave, final nature of his words. It contrasts Joseph's finite life with God's eternal covenant.
• "But God will surely come to your aid" (פָקֹד יִפְקֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶתְכֶם - paqod yiphqod Elohim etkhem):
  • פָקֹד יִפְקֹד (paqod yiphqod): This is an emphatic construction known as an infinitive absolute followed by a finite verb (often called "visitation" or "remembrance" in English). It expresses certainty, emphasis, and inevitability. It means "surely visit," "certainly remember," "attend to with intent." It implies an active intervention, often for salvation or judgment.
  • אֱלֹהִים (Elohim): The general Hebrew name for God. In this covenantal context, it refers to the sovereign God of Israel. Joseph points them beyond himself to God's ultimate authority.
• "and bring you up out of this land" (וְהֶעֱלָה אֶתְכֶם מִן־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת - ve-he'elah etkhem min-ha'aretz ha-zo'th):
  • וְהֶעֱלָה (ve-he'elah): Means "and he will bring up" or "he will cause to ascend." It indicates a purposeful, divinely led exodus, not a mere departure.
  • הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת (ha'aretz ha-zo'th): "This land," unequivocally referring to Egypt. It emphasizes their temporary sojourn and future liberation from what would become a land of oppression.
• "to the land he promised on oath" (אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע - el-ha'aretz asher nishba'):
  • אֶל־הָאָרֶץ (el-ha'aretz): "To the land." The clear destination is Canaan.
  • אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע (asher nishba'): "Which He swore" or "promised on oath." This highlights the unbreakable nature of the covenant. God's oath is the highest form of guarantee in the ancient world. It emphasizes divine fidelity.
• "to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב - le-Avraham le-Yitzchaq u-le-Ya'aqov): Listing the three patriarchs ensures the continuity and historical depth of the covenant. It confirms that the promise is not new but is the fulfillment of an ancient, multigenerational pledge.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid": This striking contrast showcases Joseph's profound faith. His impending death, a symbol of human frailty and limits, immediately precedes his bold declaration of God’s infallible promise and powerful intervention. This sets human temporality against divine eternality.
• "God will surely come to your aid and bring you up out of this land": This phrasing strongly anticipates the Exodus narrative. Joseph's prophetic statement directly sets the stage for God's redemptive act of liberating Israel from Egyptian bondage, a promise explicitly fulfilled generations later. The "surely" (the infinitive absolute) carries the weight of a divine guarantee.
• "to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob": This anchors the future liberation to the historical covenant established generations earlier. It ties the narrative threads of Genesis directly to the future of Israel as a nation and confirms that God's plans are multi-generational and unchanging, rooted in His covenant promises. The repetition of the patriarchs' names solidifies the continuity of the covenant through their lineage.

Genesis 50 24 Bonus section

• The significance of Joseph's "bones": The directive in Gen 50:25 to carry his bones out of Egypt reinforces his faith. It served as a tangible reminder to the Israelites, during their long servitude in Egypt, of God’s unbreakable promise and their ultimate destination. It ensured that Joseph, like his ancestors, would ultimately rest in the land of promise, even if posthumously.
• Deathbed Prophecies: In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a dying patriarch's words, especially prophecies or blessings, carried immense weight and authority. Joseph's final words here are treated with this level of prophetic gravitas, indicating the divine authority behind his vision for Israel's future.
• Bridge to Exodus: This verse functions as the essential "missing link" between Genesis and Exodus. Without it, the sojourn in Egypt lacks prophetic purpose, and the narrative flow feels disjointed. Joseph's words provide the divinely appointed reason for the upcoming national journey.
• Contrast with Pharaoh's Power: While Pharaoh was the most powerful ruler of his day, capable of building great pyramids and enslaving nations, Joseph's words pivot the focus from human might to divine faithfulness. True power resides with Elohim, who will fulfill His promises regardless of intervening human empires.

Genesis 50 24 Commentary

Genesis 50:24 stands as a profound testament to faith, prophecy, and divine faithfulness. Joseph, at the twilight of his life, looked not at his magnificent life in Egypt, nor at his eminent death, but firmly to God’s covenant promises concerning the land of Canaan. His emphatic declaration "God will surely come to your aid" (Hebrew: paqod yiphqod) is a powerful assurance that anticipates God's active, certain intervention to liberate Israel from future oppression and establish them in their inheritance. This verse serves as a crucial narrative bridge, wrapping up Genesis with a future-oriented, hopeful pronouncement, essentially forecasting the entire book of Exodus. It illustrates that God’s plans transcend individual lives and immediate circumstances, holding true across generations. Joseph’s unwavering faith in God's oath, even though he would not witness its fulfillment, underscores the nature of biblical faith as conviction in things unseen yet divinely guaranteed. This declaration culminates in the practical instruction to carry his bones to the promised land (Gen 50:25), physically symbolizing their future return and commitment to God's covenant.