18
His brothersאֶחָיוalsoגַּםwentוַיֵּלְכוּand fell downוַיִּפְּלוּbefore himלְפָנָיוand said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“Here we areהִנֶּנּוּas yourלְךָslaves.”לַעֲבָדִים
Genesis 50:18
Study it in the app“His brothers also went and fell down before him and said, “Here we are as your slaves.””
Joseph: you meant evil against me, but Elohim meant it for goodProvidenceJoseph, feared by his brothers, reassures them and promises to provide for themForgivenessJoseph's brothers fear his revenge; he comforts themConflict and Reconciliation
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 50:18, word by word
- His brothersאֶחָיechay
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “echay” appears- wentיֵּלְכוּyelchu
go
To head for a place, to leave where one is in order to reach another.
Where else “yelchu” appears- and fell downיִּפְּלוּyiplu
fall prostrate
To fall facedown, or embrace someone.
Where else “yiplu” appears- before himפָנָיfanay
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fanay” appears- and saidיֹּאמְרוּyomru
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomru” appears- slavesעֲבָדִיםavadim
slave
A person who belongs to a master and works for him, without freedom of his own.
Where else “avadim” appears
The context
17‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the Elohim of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 · This verse (above)
19Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of Elohim?
To study Genesis 50 in a group
1. What it says
What did Joseph say to his brothers when they feared he would take revenge (vv. 15-21)?
2. What it means
What does it mean that they planned evil against him, but Elohim planned it for good (v. 20)?
3. How I live it
Whom do you need to forgive or ask forgiveness from, and what step can you take?