Genesis 50:16
New International Version
So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died:

New Living Translation
So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us

English Standard Version
So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died:

Berean Standard Bible
So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,

King James Bible
And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

New King James Version
So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying,

New American Standard Bible
So they sent instructions to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying,

NASB 1995
So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying,

NASB 1977
So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,

Amplified Bible
So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying,

Christian Standard Bible
So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command:

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command:

American Standard Version
And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

Contemporary English Version
So they sent this message to Joseph: Before our father died,

English Revised Version
And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They sent a messenger to Joseph to say, "Before your father died, he commanded us,

Good News Translation
So they sent a message to Joseph: "Before our father died,

International Standard Version
So they sent this message to Joseph:

Majority Standard Bible
So they sent word to Joseph, saying, ?Before he died, your father commanded,

NET Bible
So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father gave these instructions before he died:

New Heart English Bible
So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father gave this command before he died, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, Thy father commanded before he died, saying,

World English Bible
They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they give a charge for Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before his death, saying,

Young's Literal Translation
And they give a charge for Joseph, saying, 'Thy father commanded before his death, saying,

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will come forth to Joseph, saying, Thy father commanded before his death, saying,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they sent a message to him, saying: Thy father commanded us before he died,

Catholic Public Domain Version
So they sent a message to him, saying: “Your father instructed us before he died,

New American Bible
So they sent to Joseph and said: “Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:

New Revised Standard Version
So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So they came to Joseph and said to him, Your father did command before he died, saying,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they visited and they came near to Yoseph, and they said to him, “Your father commanded before his death and said:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying: 'Thy father did command before he died, saying:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they came to Joseph, and said, Thy father adjured us before his death, saying,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph Comforts His Brothers
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.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.…

Cross References
Genesis 45:4-5
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! / And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.

Genesis 37:28
So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

Genesis 42:21-22
Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” / And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

Genesis 44:18-34
Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself. / My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ / And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’ ...

Genesis 45:3
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But they were unable to answer him, because they were terrified in his presence.

Genesis 50:17-18
‘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.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. / His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”

Exodus 10:16-17
Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. / Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.”

1 Samuel 24:17-19
and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil. / And you have declared this day how you have treated me well, for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. / When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go away unharmed? May the LORD reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.

1 Samuel 26:21
Then Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!”

2 Samuel 19:19-20
and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart. / For your servant knows that I have sinned, so here I am today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” / Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

Matthew 5:23-24
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, / leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Luke 17:3-4
Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. / Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

Acts 7:9-10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.


Treasury of Scripture

And they sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, Your father did command before he died, saying,

sent.

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

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Genesis 50
1. The mourning for Jacob.
4. Joseph gets leave of Pharaoh to go to bury him.
7. The funeral.
15. Joseph comforts his brothers, who crave his pardon.
22. His age.
23. He sees the third generation of his sons.
24. He prophesies unto his brothers of their return.
25. He takes an oath of them concerning his bones.
26. He dies, and is put into a coffin.














So they sent word to Joseph
This phrase indicates a deliberate action taken by Joseph's brothers. The Hebrew root for "sent" is שָׁלַח (shalach), which often implies dispatching with intent or purpose. In the context of ancient Near Eastern culture, sending a message was a formal act, often involving a trusted intermediary. This reflects the brothers' awareness of the gravity of their situation and their need to approach Joseph with care and respect. It underscores the importance of communication in resolving conflicts and seeking reconciliation.

saying
The Hebrew word for "saying" is אָמַר (amar), which is frequently used in the Bible to introduce direct speech. This word sets the stage for the message that follows, highlighting the importance of spoken words in conveying intentions and emotions. In the biblical narrative, speech acts are powerful and can lead to significant outcomes, as seen in the unfolding of Joseph's story.

Before your father died
This phrase situates the message in a specific temporal context, invoking the memory and authority of Jacob, their father. The mention of Jacob's death adds a sense of urgency and gravity to the brothers' plea. In ancient cultures, a father's words held significant weight, especially on his deathbed, as they were often seen as binding and prophetic. This appeal to Jacob's authority is a strategic move by the brothers to elicit mercy from Joseph.

he commanded
The Hebrew root for "commanded" is צָוָה (tsavah), which implies a directive or order given with authority. This word choice suggests that the brothers are invoking a sense of duty and obligation on Joseph's part to honor their father's wishes. In the biblical context, commands from a patriarch were not to be taken lightly, as they were seen as carrying divine weight and purpose. This highlights the cultural and familial expectations placed upon Joseph to act in accordance with his father's last wishes.

(16, 17) Thy father did command . . . --Many Jewish expositors consider that this was untrue, and that Jacob was never made aware of the fact that his brethren had sold Joseph into slavery. It is, however, probable, from Genesis 49:6, that Jacob not only knew of it, but saw in Simeon and Levi the chief offenders. But besides the father's authority the message brings a twofold influence to bear upon Joseph: for first it reminds him that they were his brethren, and next, that they shared the same religious faith--no slight band of union in a country where the religion was so unlike their own.

Verses 16, 17. - And (under these erroneous though not unnatural apprehensions) they sent a messenger unto Joseph, - literally, they charged Joseph, i.e. they deputed one of their number (possibly Benjamin) to carry their desires to Joseph - saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying (though not recorded, the circumstance here mentioned may have been historically true), 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 (nothing is more inherently probable than that the good man on his death-bed did request his sons to beg their brother's pardon): and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. Joseph's brethren in these words at once evince the depth of their humility, the sincerity of their repentance, and the genuineness of their religion. They were God's true servants, and they wished to be forgiven by their much-offended brother, who, however, had long since embraced them in the arms of his affection. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him - pained that they should for a single moment have enter-rained such suspicions against his love.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So they sent word
וַיְצַוּ֕וּ (way·ṣaw·wū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Joseph,
יוֹסֵ֖ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

saying,
לֵאמֹ֑ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Before
לִפְנֵ֥י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

he died,
מוֹת֖וֹ (mō·w·ṯōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin

your father
אָבִ֣יךָ (’ā·ḇî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

commanded,
צִוָּ֔ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order


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OT Law: Genesis 50:16 They sent a message to Joseph saying (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 50:15
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