Divine Principle Bible

Genesis 41–50

Text note: Biblical text is presented in the King James tradition. Commentary is devotional and interpretive, drawing on Divine Principle themes through paraphrase rather than direct quotation, with emphasis on providential timing, brotherhood restoration, lineage, blessing, forgiveness, and the formation of Israel as a people.

Genesis 41

41:1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. 41:2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. 41:3And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 41:4And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. 41:5And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 41:6And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. 41:7And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 41:8And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Comment on 41:1–8: I as God of Divine Principle say that after long delay the appointed moment arrives. Human wisdom cannot open the meaning of Pharaoh's dream, because heaven has reserved that task for Joseph. When the age is ready, the prepared person is called from obscurity into public mission.

41:9Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 41:10Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker: 41:11And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 41:12And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 41:13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 41:14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

Comment on 41:9–14: What man forgot, providence recalls at the exact time. Joseph's hidden faithfulness is suddenly brought before the throne. Restoration often includes a long silence followed by a swift reversal, because heaven waits until both the person and the environment are prepared.

41:15And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 41:16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 41:17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: 41:18And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: 41:19And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: 41:20And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: 41:21And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 41:22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: 41:23And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: 41:24And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

Comment on 41:15–24: Joseph stands before power without self-exaltation. He gives the glory to God first. This humility is essential in a central figure. The one who will guide nations must know that revelation is entrusted by heaven, not owned by the self.

41:25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 41:26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 41:27And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 41:28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. 41:29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 41:30And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 41:31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 41:32And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Comment on 41:25–32: Joseph reveals not only meaning but certainty. Heaven gives warning before judgment so that preparation can be made. Divine love does not merely comfort; it also alerts, instructs, and calls leaders to responsibility before crisis arrives.

41:33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 41:34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 41:35And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 41:36And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. 41:37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 41:38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 41:39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 41:40Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

Comment on 41:33–40: Joseph is not merely an interpreter but a providential administrator. The person who understands heaven's warning must also know how to embody it in practical order. Thus Joseph rises from prison to governance because he unites revelation with responsibility.

41:41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 41:42And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 41:43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 41:44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 41:45And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. 41:46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Comment on 41:41–46: Heaven's prepared servant is publicly invested with authority. Joseph's rise is not for personal glory but for the preservation of many lives. The long path of betrayal, servitude, temptation, accusation, and imprisonment becomes the road by which he is made ready to govern.

41:47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 41:48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 41:49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 41:50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. 41:51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 41:52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Comment on 41:47–52: Joseph does not waste the years of abundance. He understands that providence requires preparation in the season of blessing. Even his sons' names testify that suffering can be transformed into fruitfulness when offered to heaven.

41:53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 41:54And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 41:55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 41:56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 41:57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Comment on 41:53–57: When the crisis arrives, the value of hidden preparation is revealed. The nations come to Joseph because he received heaven's word and acted before disaster struck. In providence, the central figure is raised not to dominate selfishly but to nourish, guide, and preserve life for the wider world.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 41 is the chapter of manifestation. Joseph's earlier victories were mostly inward and hidden, but now the fruit of those victories appears in the public sphere. The man who guarded purity in private, endured false accusation, and remained faithful in prison is now entrusted with national responsibility.

This chapter teaches the providential importance of timing. Joseph asked to be remembered earlier, yet he remained confined for two more years. That delay was not abandonment. It was the completion of a hidden course until the environment itself needed the person heaven had prepared.

It also shows that true leadership joins revelation and administration. Joseph not only interprets symbols but lays out a practical course of action. In restoration history, heaven's wisdom must take institutional form if it is to save people.

Genesis 42

42:1Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 42:2And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. 42:3And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 42:4But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. 42:5And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 42:6And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 42:7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 42:8And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 42:9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.

Comment on 42:1–9: I as God of Divine Principle say that the brothers who once cast Joseph down must now come before him in need. Providence often restores history through reversal. The dream is not fulfilled for Joseph's pride, but so that the fallen relationship among brothers can be confronted and healed.

42:10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 42:11We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. 42:12And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 42:13And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. 42:14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: 42:15Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 42:16Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. 42:17And he put them all together into ward three days.

Comment on 42:10–17: Joseph tests rather than immediately reveals himself. Restoration requires more than emotion; it requires proof of change. The brothers must face a condition that exposes their heart, especially in relation to Benjamin.

42:18And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: 42:19If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: 42:20But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. 42:21And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 42:22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. 42:23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 42:24And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

Comment on 42:18–24: Conscience begins to awaken. The brothers connect their present distress to their past sin against Joseph. Heaven seeks not revenge but repentance. Joseph weeps because he sees the first sign that the brothers are no longer the same men who sold him.

42:25Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. 42:26And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. 42:27And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth. 42:28And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

Comment on 42:25–28: Joseph combines severity with hidden mercy. Restoration often includes both judgment upon the old self and grace that opens the heart. The brothers begin to sense that God is dealing with them directly.

42:29And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, 42:30The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 42:31And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: 42:32We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. 42:33And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: 42:34And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land. 42:35And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 42:36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. 42:37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. 42:38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 42 is the beginning of restoration within Joseph's family. The famine brings the brothers to Egypt, but the deeper need is not merely bread. The real need is the healing of the broken bond created when envy led them to sell their brother.

Joseph does not reveal himself at once because restoration must be established through conditions. The brothers once failed in relation to the younger and favored son. Therefore Joseph tests their truthfulness, their solidarity, and their attitude toward Benjamin.

Genesis 43

43:1And the famine was sore in the land. 43:2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. 43:3And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 43:4If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 43:5But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 43:6And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 43:7And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

Comment on 43:1–7: I as God of Divine Principle say that famine presses the family toward a decision they would rather avoid. Restoration often advances when external hardship forces people to face the unresolved internal problem. Benjamin cannot remain hidden forever if the family is to live and if the brotherly relationship is to be restored.

43:8And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. 43:9I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: 43:10For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

Comment on 43:8–10: Judah now steps into a position of responsibility. One who was involved in past failure must now become a protector rather than a betrayer. By offering himself as surety for Benjamin, Judah begins to reverse the older pattern among the brothers.

43:11And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: 43:12And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: 43:13Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 43:14And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

Comment on 43:11–14: Jacob yields Benjamin with sorrow and prayer. He must release what he most fears to lose. In providence, clinging born from past pain can delay restoration, but surrender to heaven opens the next stage.

43:15And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 43:16And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 43:17And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. 43:18And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 43:19And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 43:20And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 43:21And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 43:22And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 43:23And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

Comment on 43:15–23: The brothers come in fear, expecting judgment, yet they encounter mercy. Because of their earlier sin, they interpret even kindness with anxiety. Restoration moves forward as fear begins to give way to peace.

43:24And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. 43:25And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there. 43:26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. 43:27And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? 43:28And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. 43:29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. 43:30And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 43:31And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

Comment on 43:24–31: Joseph's heart is deeply moved by Benjamin, yet he still restrains himself for the sake of the providence. Love in restoration is not mere impulse. Joseph must govern his emotion until the brothers' transformation is fully revealed.

43:32And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 43:33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 43:34And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 43 advances restoration through sacrifice, responsibility, and testing centered on Benjamin. The brothers must face again the kind of situation in which envy once ruled them.

The feast scene is full of providential meaning. Benjamin is singled out with abundance, just as Joseph had once been set apart. The crucial question is whether envy still rules the brothers' hearts. Their peaceful response shows that restoration is progressing.

Genesis 44

44:1And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 44:2And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 44:3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 44:4And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? 44:5Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

Comment on 44:1–5: I as God of Divine Principle say that Joseph now brings the restoration course to its sharpest test. Benjamin is placed at the center of danger. The brothers once abandoned the favored son. Now heaven asks whether they will abandon the younger brother when the cost becomes real.

44:6And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. 44:7And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: 44:8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? 44:9With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. 44:10And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. 44:11Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. 44:12And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 44:13Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

Comment on 44:6–13: When the cup is found in Benjamin's sack, the brothers do not flee. They tear their clothes and return together. This is a powerful reversal of the earlier history.

44:14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. 44:15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? 44:16And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. 44:17And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

Comment on 44:14–17: Judah no longer argues from self-justification. He speaks from a conscience awakened before God. Joseph narrows the choice to Benjamin alone, making the test unmistakable.

44:18Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. 44:19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? 44:20And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. 44:21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. 44:22And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. 44:23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. 44:24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 44:25And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. 44:26And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. 44:27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: 44:28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: 44:29And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 44:30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; 44:31It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 44:32For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. 44:33Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. 44:34For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Comment on 44:18–34: Here the decisive reversal is completed. Judah offers himself in Benjamin's place. The brother who once participated in Joseph's loss now becomes the brother willing to be lost for another.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 44 is one of the most important chapters in the restoration of Jacob's family because the central test among the brothers reaches completion. The original failure was rooted in jealousy, hardheartedness, and the willingness to sacrifice the beloved son for self-interest.

Judah's offer to remain as bondman instead of Benjamin is the turning point. The elder brother position must protect, not destroy. Because this condition is finally made, the way opens for Joseph's self-revelation.

Genesis 45

45:1Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 45:2And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 45:3And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

Comment on 45:1–3: I as God of Divine Principle say that once the restoration condition among the brothers is made, Joseph can reveal himself. He waited not because of lack of love, but because love in providence must stand upon a restored foundation.

45:4And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 45:5Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 45:6For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 45:7And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 45:8So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Comment on 45:4–8: Joseph does not deny the brothers' sin, but he interprets the larger providence above it. Restoration reaches maturity when the wounded person can see heaven's purpose without calling evil good.

45:9Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: 45:10And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: 45:11And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. 45:12And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. 45:13And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.

Comment on 45:9–13: Joseph immediately turns reconciliation into responsibility. The providence is not fulfilled only by emotional reunion. The family must be gathered, protected, and sustained.

45:14And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 45:15Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him. 45:16And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants. 45:17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; 45:18And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 45:19Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 45:20Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. 45:21And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way. 45:22To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment. 45:23And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. 45:24So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. 45:25And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, 45:26And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. 45:27And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: 45:28And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 45 is the chapter of revelation and embrace. After the brothers have passed the decisive test in relation to Benjamin, Joseph can at last make himself known. This is the fruit of a carefully restored foundation among the brothers.

Joseph's interpretation of the past is especially important. Evil remains evil, but heaven can work through suffering and betrayal to prepare salvation when the central figure remains faithful.

Genesis 46

46:1And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 46:2And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 46:3And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 46:4I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

Comment on 46:1–4: I as God of Divine Principle say that Jacob does not move merely because circumstances change; he stops to offer sacrifice and to seek heaven's direction. The migration to Egypt is a major providential transition.

46:5And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 46:6And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: 46:7His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt. 46:8And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. 46:9And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi. 46:10And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman. 46:11And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 46:12And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul. 46:13And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron. 46:14And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel. 46:15These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three. 46:16And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli. 46:17And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel. 46:18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls. 46:19The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin. 46:20And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. 46:21And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard. 46:22These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen. 46:23And the sons of Dan; Hushim. 46:24And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem. 46:25These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven. 46:26All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; 46:27And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

Comment on 46:5–27: The long genealogy is not a mere list of names. It testifies that the providence moves through actual bloodlines, households, and generations.

46:28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. 46:29And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 46:30And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. 46:31And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 46:32And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. 46:33And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 46:34That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 46 is a chapter of transition under heaven's guidance. Jacob does not simply relocate because Joseph has been found. He pauses at Beersheba, offers sacrifice, and receives direct assurance from God.

Goshen has providential value as a distinct sphere within Egypt. The covenant family enters Egypt, but it is not meant to dissolve into Egypt. Joseph secures a place where they can live and increase while maintaining separation.

Genesis 47

47:1Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. 47:2And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. 47:3And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 47:4They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. 47:5And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 47:6The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. 47:7And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 47:8And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? 47:9And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. 47:10And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

Comment on 47:1–10: I as God of Divine Principle say that Joseph presents his family with wisdom and dignity before Pharaoh. Jacob, though aged and marked by suffering, still stands before the ruler of Egypt as one who blesses.

47:11And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 47:12And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families. 47:13And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 47:14And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. 47:15And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. 47:16And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. 47:17And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year. 47:18When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: 47:19Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. 47:20And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's. 47:21And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. 47:22Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. 47:23Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. 47:24And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. 47:25And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants. 47:26And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

Comment on 47:11–26: Providence does not operate only in private piety but also in public administration. Joseph preserves life by wise order during famine. The central figure must often carry responsibility for the survival of many.

47:27And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. 47:28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. 47:29And 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: 47:30But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said. 47:31And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 47 shows the providence moving on two levels at once: the preservation of the covenant family and the administration of an entire nation under crisis. Joseph stands at the center of both.

The chapter closes with Jacob's concern about burial, and this shows that the family's true identity is not to be absorbed into Egypt. Though they dwell there for a time, their covenant destiny is elsewhere.

Genesis 48

48:1And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 48:2And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. 48:3And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 48:4And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 48:5And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 48:6And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. 48:7And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem. 48:8And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? 48:9And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. 48:10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 48:11And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. 48:12And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 48:13And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. 48:14And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. 48:15And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 48:16The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

Comment on 48:1–16: I as God of Divine Principle say that Jacob's final acts are not private sentiment alone but providential transfers of inheritance. Providence does not always follow fallen expectation or mere natural order. Again and again in Genesis, heaven works through reversal.

48:17And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. 48:18And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 48:19And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. 48:20And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 48:21And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. 48:22Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 48 reveals how inheritance is transferred through discernment, not merely by custom. Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh into the tribal inheritance, showing that the covenant line expands through providential grace even in Egypt.

The crossed hands are especially meaningful. Throughout Genesis, heaven repeatedly works through a providential reversal of ordinary expectation.

Genesis 49

49:1And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 49:2Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. 49:3Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 49:4Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. 49:5Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 49:6O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. 49:7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Comment on 49:1–7: I as God of Divine Principle say that Jacob's final words are not flattery but truth. Firstborn privilege alone cannot secure blessing where responsibility has been broken.

49:8Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 49:9Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 49:10The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 49:11Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 49:12His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

Comment on 49:8–12: Judah receives central blessing because he changed. The one connected to earlier failure became the brother who offered himself for Benjamin. In providence, leadership can pass to the one who restores the heart of responsibility.

49:13Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. 49:14Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 49:15And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. 49:16Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 49:17Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 49:18I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. 49:19Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. 49:20Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 49:21Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. 49:22Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 49:23The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 49:24But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel: 49:25Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 49:26The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. 49:27Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. 49:28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. 49:29And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 49:30In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. 49:31There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. 49:32The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth. 49:33And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 49 is the formal shaping of Israel as a tribal people under providential destiny. Blessing here is not sentimental approval but prophetic discernment.

Judah's rise is connected to his transformed role toward Benjamin, and in this way history moves toward future messianic expectation.

Genesis 50

50:1And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 50:2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. 50:3And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. 50:4And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 50:5My 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. 50:6And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

Comment on 50:1–6: I as God of Divine Principle say that Joseph honors his father with tears, order, and faithfulness to his oath. Yet burial must be in Canaan, because providential identity remains tied to the promise, not to the place of temporary sojourn.

50:7And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 50:8And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 50:9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. 50:10And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 50:11And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan. 50:12And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 50:13For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. 50:14And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. 50:15And 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. 50:16And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 50:17So 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. 50:18And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 50:19And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 50:20But 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. 50:21Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

Comment on 50:15–21: Even after reconciliation, the brothers still fear hidden vengeance. Joseph answers with one of the clearest statements of providence in Scripture. He does not deny their evil, but he refuses to stand in the place of God.

50:22And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. 50:23And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees. 50:24And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 50:25And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. 50:26So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

God of Original Ideal Commentary

I as God of Divine Principle say that Genesis 50 closes the patriarchal age with mourning, forgiveness, and enduring hope. The fathers die, but the providence continues.

The final oath concerning Joseph's bones is the last great signpost of Genesis. The family lives in Egypt, but it does not belong to Egypt forever. Faith looks ahead to God's visitation and to movement toward the promised land.