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New King James Version
Genesis 50:20
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- CondensedDevotionals:
- DailyParallel Translations
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
As for you, you planned evil against me, but God planned it for good, in order to do this—to keep many people alive—as it is today.
You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done.
As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present outcome, that many people would be kept alive [as they are this day].
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive.
When ye thought euill against mee, God disposed it to good, that he might bring to passe, as it is this day, and saue much people aliue.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day, to keep many people alive.
You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing.
You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good — so that it would come about as it is today, with many people's lives being saved.
Ye indeed meant evil against me: God meant it for good, in order that he might do as [it is] this day, to save a great people alive.
It is true that you planned to do something bad to me. But really, God was planning good things. God's plan was to use me to save the lives of many people. And that is what happened.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it for good, to do as he has done this day, to save many lives.
You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good, in order to preserve the lives of many people who are alive today because of what happened.
You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.
And you, you intended evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to make it as it is this day, to keep a great many people alive.
Ye thought euell ouer me, but God hath turned it vnto good, to do as it is come to passe this daye, for the sauynge of moch people.
And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
As for you, it was in your mind to do me evil, but God has given a happy outcome, the salvation of numbers of people, as you see today.
Ye thought euil against me, but God turned it vnto good, to bryng to passe as it is this day, and to saue muche people alyue.
And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
But as for you, yee thought euill against me, but God meant it vnto good, to bring to passe, as it is this day, to saue much people aliue.
Ye took counsel against me for evil, but God took counsel for me for good, that the matter might be as it is to-day, and much people might be fed.
And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this-to preserve the lives of many people.
Ye thouyten yuel of me, and God turnede it in to good, that he schulde enhaunse me, as ye seen in present tyme, and that he schulde make saaf many puplis;
As for you, ye devised against me evil -- God devised it for good, in order to do as [at] this day, to keep alive a numerous people;
And as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as [it is] this day, to save many people alive.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
You planned to do a bad thing to me. But God planned it for good, to make it happen that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.
Ye, indeed, planned against me, evil, - God, planned it, for good, for the sake of doing, as at this day, to save alive much people.
You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people.
As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
ye thought: Genesis 37:4, Genesis 37:18-20, Psalms 56:5
God meant: Genesis 45:5-8, Psalms 76:10, Psalms 105:16, Psalms 105:17, Psalms 119:71, Isaiah 10:7, Acts 2:23, Acts 3:13-15, Acts 3:26, Romans 8:28
Reciprocal: Genesis 41:57 - all countries Genesis 47:25 - Thou hast Genesis 50:17 - they did 2 Samuel 16:10 - so let him 2 Samuel 24:1 - moved 2 Kings 24:3 - Surely 2 Chronicles 11:4 - for this thing Proverbs 19:21 - nevertheless Isaiah 37:26 - how I Amos 3:6 - shall there Acts 4:28 - to do Acts 13:27 - they have Acts 27:1 - when Romans 9:19 - Why doth Philemon 1:15 - General
Cross-References
But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
"My father made me swear, saying, "Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back."'
as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen.
For his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place.
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."
So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying,
"Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you."' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants."
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
All day they twist my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But as for you, ye thought evil against me,.... That must be said and owned, that their intentions were bad; they thought to have contradicted his dreams, and made them of none effect, to have token away his life, or however to have made him a slave all his days:
[but] God meant it unto good; he designed good should come by it, and he brought good out of it: this shows that this action, which was sinful in itself, fell under the decree of God, or was the object of it, and that there was a concourse of providence in it; not that God was the author of sin, which neither his decree about it, nor the concourse of providence with the action as such supposes; he leaving the sinner wholly to his own will in it, and having no concern in the ataxy or disorder of it, but in the issue, through his infinite wisdom, causes it to work for good, as follows:
to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive; the nation of the Egyptians and the neighbouring nations, as the Canaanites and others, and particularly his father's family: thus the sin of the Jews in crucifying Christ, which, notwithstanding the determinate counsel of God, they most freely performed, was what wrought about the greatest good, the salvation of men.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- The Burial of Jacob
10. ××× 'aÌtÌ£aÌd Atad, âthe buck-thorn.â
11. ×צר×× ××× 'aÌbeÌl-mıÌtsrayıÌm, Abel-Mitsraim, âmourning of Mizraim,â or meadow of Mizraim.
This chapter records the burial of Jacob and the death of Joseph, and so completes the history of the chosen family, and the third bible for the instruction of man.
Genesis 50:1-3
After the natural outburst of sorrow for his deceased parent, Joseph gave orders to embalm the body, according to the custom of Egypt. âHis servants, the physicians.â As the grand vizier of Egypt, he has physicians in his retinue. The classes and functions of the physicians in Egypt may be learned from Herodotus (ii. 81-86). There were special physicians for each disease; and the embalmers formed a class by themselves. âForty daysâ were employed in the process of embalming; âseventy days,â including the forty, were devoted to mourning for the dead. Herodotus mentions this number as the period of embalming. Diodorus (i. 91) assigns upwards of thirty days to the process. It is probable that the actual process was continued for forty days, and that the body lay in natron for the remaining thirty days of mourning. See Hengstenbergâs B. B. Mos. u. Aeg., and Rawlinsonâs Herodotus.
Genesis 50:4-6
Joseph, by means of Pharaohâs courtiers, not in person, because he was a mourner, applies for leave to bury his father in the land of Kenaan, according to his oath. This leave is freely and fully allowed.
Genesis 50:7-14
The funeral procession is now described. âAll the servants of Pharaoh.â The highest honor is conferred on Jacob for Josephâs sake. âThe elders of Pharaoh, and all the elders of the land of Mizraim.â The court and state officials are here separately specified. âAll the house.â Not only the heads, but all the sons and servants that are able to go. Chariots and horsemen accompany them as a guard on the way. âThe threshing-floor of Atari, or of the buck-thorn.â This is said to be beyond Jordan. Deterred, probably, by some difficulty in the direct route, they seem to have gone round by the east side of the Salt Sea. âA mourning of seven days.â This is a last sad farewell to the departed patriarch. Abel-Mizraim. This name, like many in the East, has a double meaning. The word Abel no doubt at first meant mourning, though the name would be used by many, ignorant of its origin, in the sense of a meadow. âHis sons carried him.â The main body of the procession seems to have halted beyond the Jordan, and awaited the return of the immediate relatives, who conveyed the body to its last resting-place. The whole company then returned together to Egypt.
Genesis 50:15-21
His brethren supplicate Joseph for forgiveness. âThey sent unto Joseph,â commissioned one of their number to speak to him. now that our common father has given us this command. âAnd Joseph weptâ at the distress and doubt of his brothers. He no doubt summons them before him, when they fall down before him entreating his forgiveness. Joseph removes their fears. âAm I in Godâs stead?â that I should take the law into my own hands, and take revenge. God has already judged them, and moreover turned their sinful deed into a blessing. He assures them of his brotherly kindness toward them.
Genesis 50:22-26
The biography of Joseph is now completed. âThe children of the third generationâ - the grandsons of grandsons in the line of Ephraim. We have here an explicit proof that an interval of about twenty years between the births of the father and that of his first-born was not unusual during the lifetime of Joseph. âAnd Joseph took an oath.â He thus expressed his unwavering confidence in the return of the sons of Israel to the land of promise. âGod will surely visit.â He was embalmed and put in a coffin, and so kept by his descendants, as was not unusual in Egypt. And on the return of the sons of Israel from Egypt they kept their oath to Joseph Exodus 13:19, and buried his bones in Shekem Joshua 24:32.
The sacred writer here takes leave of the chosen family, and closes the bible of the sons of Israel. It is truly a wonderful book. It lifts the veil of mystery that hangs over the present condition of the human race. It records the origin and fall of man, and thus explains the co-existence of moral evil and a moral sense, and the hereditary memory of God and judgment in the soul of man. It records the cause and mode of the confusion of tongues, and thus explains the concomitance of the unity of the race and the specific diversity of mode or form in human speech. It records the call of Abraham, and thus accounts for the preservation of the knowledge of God and his mercy in one section of the human race, and the corruption or loss of it in all the rest. We need scarcely remark that the six daysâ creation accounts for the present state of nature. It thus solves the fundamental questions of physics, ethics, philology, and theology for the race of Adam. It notes the primitive relation of man to God, and marks the three great stages of human development that came in with Adam, Noah, and Abraham. It points out the three forms of sin that usher in these stages - the fall of Adam, the intermarriage of the sons of God with the daughters of men, and the building of the tower of Babel. It gradually unfolds the purpose and method of grace to the returning penitent through a Deliverer who is successively announced as the seed of the woman, of Shem, of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah. This is the second Adam, who, when the covenant of works was about to fall to the ground through the failure of the first Adam, undertook to uphold it by fulfilling all its conditions on behalf of those who are the objects of the divine grace.
Hence, the Lord establishes his covenant successively with Adam, Noah, and Abraham; with Adam after the fall tacitly, with Noah expressly, and with both generally as the representatives of the race descending from them; with Abraham especially and instrumentally as the channel through which the blessings of salvation might be at length extended to all the families of the earth. So much of this plan of mercy is revealed from time to time to the human race as comports with the progress they have made in the education of the intellectual, moral, and active faculties. This only authentic epitome of primeval history is worthy of the constant study of intelligent and responsible man.
