Genesis 50:25

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Then Yosef took an oath from the sons of Isra'el: "God will surely remember you, and you are to carry my bones up from here."

Berean Standard Bible:

And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

American Standard Version:

And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Joseph{H3130} took an oath{H7650} of the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478}, saying{H559}, God{H430} will surely{H6485} visit{H6485} you, and ye shall carry up{H5927} my bones{H6106} from hence{H2088}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Exodus 13:19

  • And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

Joshua 24:32

  • And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

Genesis 47:29

  • And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:

Genesis 47:31

  • And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

Hebrews 11:22

  • By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Acts 7:16

  • And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor [the father] of Sychem.

Genesis 50:5

  • My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.

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Commentary for Genesis 50:25

Genesis 50:25 is a verse that captures a significant moment at the end of the Book of Genesis, just before the narrative transitions to the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt. The historical context of this verse is the death of Joseph, who was the son of Jacob (also known as Israel) and a key figure in the later part of Genesis. Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers but eventually rose to become the second most powerful man in Egypt, saving the region from famine and reuniting with his family.

The themes of this verse include:

1. **Promise of Deliverance**: Joseph's oath reflects his faith in God's promise to the Israelites that they would inherit the land of Canaan. Despite being in Egypt, he anticipates a future when God will "visit" His people, indicating divine intervention and deliverance.

2. **Faith and Hope**: Joseph's request to have his bones carried out of Egypt demonstrates his enduring hope and trust in God's covenant with his ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It shows that he did not consider Egypt his final resting place but rather saw it as a temporary sojourn for himself and his descendants.

3. **Future Redemption**: The act of taking an oath concerning his bones is a prophetic gesture looking forward to the Exodus, which would occur several generations later when Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt.

4. **Continuity and Identity**: By insisting that his remains be taken to the Promised Land, Joseph is maintaining a connection to the land that God had promised to his forefathers, reinforcing the Israelites' identity as a distinct people with a unique destiny.

5. **Covenant Remembrance**: Joseph's oath serves as a tangible reminder to future generations of the covenant between God and their ancestors, ensuring that the promise of the land would not be forgotten during the years of slavery that followed.

In essence, Genesis 50:25 is a powerful statement of faith in God's promises, a forward look to redemption, and a means of preserving the identity and hope of the Israelite people during their time in Egypt. It also sets the stage for the fulfillment of God's covenant promises in the subsequent books of the Bible.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H3130
    There are 193 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יוֹסֵף
    Transliteration: Yôwçêph
    Pronunciation: yo-safe'
    Description: future of יָסַף; let him add (or perhaps simply active participle adding); Joseph, the name of seven Israelites; Joseph. Compare יְהוֹסֵף.
  2. Strong's Number: H7650
    There are 175 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שָׁבַע
    Transliteration: shâbaʻ
    Pronunciation: shaw-bah'
    Description: a primitive root; properly to be complete, but used only as a denominative from שֶׁבַע; to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times); adjure, charge (by an oath, with an oath), feed to the full (by mistake for שָׂבַע), take an oath, [idiom] straitly, (cause to, make to) swear.
  3. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בֵּן
    Transliteration: bên
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
  4. Strong's Number: H3478
    There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
    Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
    Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
    Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.
  5. Strong's Number: H559
    There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אָמַר
    Transliteration: ʼâmar
    Pronunciation: aw-mar'
    Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
  6. Strong's Number: H430
    There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
    Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
    Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
    Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
  7. Strong's Number: H6485
    There are 270 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: פָּקַד
    Transliteration: pâqad
    Pronunciation: paw-kad'
    Description: a primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.; appoint, [idiom] at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep, be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up, look, make, [idiom] by any means, miss, number, officer, (make) overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to) remember(-brance), set (over), sum, [idiom] surely, visit, want.
  8. Strong's Number: H5927
    There are 817 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עָלָה
    Transliteration: ʻâlâh
    Pronunciation: aw-law'
    Description: a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative; arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, [idiom] mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, [phrase] perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.
  9. Strong's Number: H6106
    There are 108 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עֶצֶם
    Transliteration: ʻetsem
    Pronunciation: eh'tsem
    Description: from עָצַם; a bone (as strong); by extension, the body; figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame; body, bone, [idiom] life, (self-) same, strength, [idiom] very.
  10. Strong's Number: H2088
    There are 37 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: זֶה
    Transliteration: zeh
    Pronunciation: zeh
    Description: a primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that; he, [idiom] hence, [idiom] here, it(-self), [idiom] now, [idiom] of him, the one...the other, [idiom] than the other, ([idiom] out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, [idiom] thus, very, which. Compare זֹאת, זֹה, זוֹ, זוּ.