Genesis 50:17

Genesis 50:17, in plain English

The message claims Jacob said: 'Forgive your brothers for the wrong they did to you.' The brothers are pleading with Joseph to forgive them as servants of God, not based on their own merit.

Why it's here

Whether this was Jacob's actual last message or something the brothers constructed, it's an appeal to Joseph's faith. They're calling him 'Joseph' formally, reminding him that he serves 'the God of your father'—connecting him to the faith and values he grew up with. They're essentially saying: 'If you believe in God's mercy, show it to us.'

Who's speaking

The brothers, relaying what they claim Jacob commanded

Where it sits in the story

This moment is about whether Joseph's faith is real. Will he forgive his brothers only because his father asked, or because he genuinely believes God works through forgiveness? Joseph's answer will reveal what his years in Egypt have done to his faith and his character.

The scholarly reading

The brothers' message elaborates, claiming Jacob commanded: 'Forgive your brothers' transgression and sin,' invoking their shared covenant with the God of their father.

Language and setting

The phrase 'transgression and sin' (הַפֶּשַׁע וְהַחַטָּאה, happešaʿ wəḥaṭṭāʾāh) employs two Hebrew terms with distinct resonances: פֶּשַׁע (peša') means deliberate rebellion or transgression against a relationship, while חַטָּאה (ḥaṭṭāʾāh) refers to sin as missing the mark. Together, they acknowledge both the willfulness and the spiritual dimensions of their crime. The invocation of 'the God of your father' (אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ) attempts to ground the forgiveness request in covenant language—shifting from personal injury to theological obligation. The brothers are essentially saying: 'Your father's God demands your forgiveness.' This theological manipulation (whether intended or genuine) becomes crucial for understanding Joseph's response.

Voice

The brothers, quoting their purported message from Jacob.

Significance

This theological framing reveals that the brothers recognize forgiveness as something transcending personal will—it belongs to the covenant relationship and divine justice. Their appeal to 'the God of your father' foreshadows Joseph's ultimate answer about divine sovereignty.

15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.”

16So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,

17‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”

18His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”

19But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?

Read all of Genesis 50 — Joseph looks his brothers in the eye and speaks one of the most redemptive sentences in Scripture.