Genesis 50:17

_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._ When Joseph's brethren saw ... He was deeply affected by this communication. In endeavouring to dispel their fears, he gave them the strongest assurances of his forgiveness, and exhibited a beautiful trait of his own pious character, as well as appeared an eminent type of the Saviour....

17._Forgive, I pray thee now_. They do not dissemble the fact that they had grievously sinned; and they are so far from extenuating their fault, that they freely heap up words in charging themselves with guilt. They do not, therefore, ask that pardon should be granted them as if the offense were light: but they place in opposition to the atrocity of their crime, first, the authority of their father, and then the sacred name of God. Their confession would have been worthy of commendation, had they proceeded directly, and without tortuous contrivances, to appease their brother. Now, since they have drawn from the fountain of piety the instruction that it is right for sin to be remitted to the servants of God; we may receive it as a common exhortation, that if we have been injured by the members of the Church, we must not be too rigid and immovable in pardoning the offense. This humanity in...

15-21 Various motives might cause the sons of Jacob to continue in Egypt, notwithstanding the prophetic vision Abraham had of their bondage there. Judging of Joseph from the general temper of human nature, they thought he would now avenge himself on those who hated and injured him without cause. Not being able to resist, or to flee away, they attempted to soften him by humbling themselves. They pleaded with him as the servants of Jacob's God. Joseph was much affected at seeing this complete fulfilment of his dreams. He directs them not to fear him, but to fear God; to humble themselves before the Lord, and to seek the Divine forgiveness. He assures them of his own kindness to them. See what an excellent spirit Joseph was of, and learn of him to render good for evil. He comforted them, and, to banish all their fears, he spake kindly to them. Broken spirits must be bound up and encouraged....

Verse Genesis 50:17. _THE SERVANTS OF THE GOD OF THY FATHER._] These words were wonderfully well chosen, and spoken in the most forcible manner to Joseph's _piety_ and _filial_ affection. No wonder then that _he wept when they spake to him_....

- The Burial of Jacob 10. אטד _'āṭâd_ Atad, “the buck-thorn.” 11. מצרים אבל _'ābêl_-_mı̂tsrayı̂m_, Abel-Mitsraim, “mourning of Mizraim,” 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 After the natural outburst of sorrow for his deceased parent, Joseph gave orders to embalm the body, according to the custom of Egypt. “His servants, the physicians.” As the grand vizier of Egypt, he has physicians in his retinue. The classes and functions of the physicians in Egy

EXPOSITION GENESIS 50:15 AND WHEN (literally _and_)_ _JOSEPH'S BRETHREN SAW THAT THEIR FATHER WAS DEAD, THEY (literally, and they) SAID, JOSEPH WILL PERADVENTURE HATE US,—literally, _If Joseph _hated us, or pursued us hostilely (_sc_._ _what would become of us?), לוּ with the imperfect or future setting forth a possible but undesirable contingency—AND WILL CERTAINLY REQUITE US (literally, _if returning he caused to return upon us_) ALL THE EVIL WHICH WE DID UNTO HIM. "What then?" is the natural conclusion of the sentence. "We must be utterly undone." GENESIS 50:16,...

SO SHALL YE SAY UNTO JOSEPH, FORGIVE, I PRAY THEE NOW, THE TRESPASS OF THY BRETHREN, AND THEIR SIN,.... Their very great sin, and therefore more words than one are used to express it: unless this repetition should be intended, and signifies that their crime was a trespass against God, and a sin against their brother; and however they are directed to ask forgiveness for it, and urge the relation they stood in to Joseph, in order to obtain it, which they were ready to acknowledge as a very great evil, and of which they repented: AND NOW, WE PRAY THEE, FORGIVE THE TRESPASS OF THE SERVANTS OF THE GOD OF THY FATHER; they urge not only the common relation they stood in to Jacob, but what they stood in to the God of Jacob, being his servants, his worshippers, as Joseph also was; and therefore, being his brethren not only in nature but in religion and grace, they hoped he would forgive their tr...

CHAPTER 50 THE BURIAL OF JACOB AND JOSEPH'S RETURN AND DEATH _ 1. The grief of Joseph (Genesis 50:1)_ 2. The burial (Genesis 50:4) 3. The return to Egypt (Genesis 50:14) 4. The death of Joseph (Genesis 50:24) This great book which begins with the perfect and good creation of God ends with a burial and the last words are “a coffin in Egypt.” What havoc sin has wrought. Jacob died 147 years old and after his body was embalmed was carried to Canaan. Read in connection with Joseph's death Exodus 13:19,...

DISCOURSE: 62 JOSEPH’S BRETHREN FULFILLING THE PROPHECY RESPECTING THEM Genesis 50:15. _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. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph; Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him._ THE heart of man by nature is vindictive. It was a just observation of Saul to David, “If a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away [Note: 1 Samuel 24:19.] ?” Hence, when m

AND NOW, WE PRAY THEE, FORGIVE THE TRESPASS OF THE SERVANTS OF THE GOD OF THY FATHER— What a conjuration of pardon, says Bishop Hall, was this! What wound could be either so deep, or so festered, that this plaster could not cure? They say not the sons of thy father; for they knew Jacob was dead, and they had degenerated; but _the servants of thy father's God:_ how much stronger are the bonds of religion than of nature? If Joseph had been rancorous, this deprecation had charmed him; but now it resolves him into tears! They are not so ready to acknowledge their old offence as he to protest his love; and if he chide them for any thing, it is for that they thought they needed to entreat him; since they might have known it could not stand with the fellow-servant of their father's God, to harbour maliciousness, or to purpose revenge....