Genesis 50:20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Joseph highlights the exact same Hebrew word for "meant" or "devised" when he speaks about his brothers' intentions and God's plans. This repetition emphasizes that while their actions were driven by evil, God's purpose, using those very same actions, was inherently good. It's not just that God overruled their evil, but that He redeemed and repurposed it with His own design.
After Jacob's death and funeral, Joseph's brothers, consumed by guilt and fear, believe Joseph will finally seek revenge. They send a plea for forgiveness, reminding him of their father's dying wish. Joseph, deeply moved, reassures them, framing their past evil intentions as part of God's ultimate plan to save many lives.
Ever feel like people's bad intentions derail your plans? Joseph's story shows us there's a higher purpose at work, even when people mean harm.
In Genesis 50:20, Joseph confronts his brothers directly: 'As for you, you meant evil against me.' He doesn't deny their harmful intentions or excuse their sin. He acknowledges their wickedness. But then he pivots to a profound truth: 'but God meant it for good.' This isn't about God causing their evil, but about His sovereign ability to weave even wicked actions into His ultimate, good plan. Joseph recognized that while his brothers acted out of malice, God was orchestrating events for a larger purpose – salvation.
This is a crucial distinction. God doesn't endorse sin, nor does He need sin to accomplish His will. Rather, in His wisdom, He can overrule the consequences of human sin, redirecting them towards His good purposes. Joseph's own life, from being sold into slavery to rising to power in Egypt, is the prime example of this divine capability.
Joseph's brothers were terrified after their father's death, expecting retribution. What Joseph did next reveals the power of genuine forgiveness.
The brothers' fear after Jacob's death is palpable (Genesis 50:15). They assume Joseph, now that their father can no longer protect them, will finally seek revenge. Their message to him is filled with dread: 'Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil.' They confessed their wrong, appealing to their father's command and the God they served.
Joseph’s response is astonishing. Instead of harboring resentment, he wept (Genesis 50:17), not necessarily out of sadness for their fear, but likely out of deep compassion and the release of knowing God’s plan had unfolded. He then reassures them unequivocally: 'Fear not: for am I in the place of God?' (Genesis 50:19). He doesn't seek vengeance; he extends grace. He even promises to 'nourish you, and your little ones' (Genesis 50:21). This is 'overcoming evil with good' in action. Joseph’s forgiveness wasn't just an absence of punishment; it was active kindness and provision in the face of their past betrayal.
Understand the original words
tob · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
That which is morally excellent, beneficial, or in accordance with the will and character of God. It reflects His nature and His redemptive purposes in history.
This verse encapsulates a profound truth: human actions, even those motivated by malice, can be sovereignly orchestrated by God for ultimately good purposes. Joseph's experience, from betrayal by his brothers to his eventual rise in Egypt, directly illustrates this divine overrulem.
c. 1729 BC
Joseph sold into slavery
Joseph's brothers, driven by jealousy, sell him to traders heading to Egypt. This act sets in motion the events that lead to Joseph's rise to power.
c. 1716 BC
Joseph imprisoned in Egypt
Falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, Joseph spends years in prison. Despite his suffering, he maintains his integrity and eventually interprets dreams for fellow prisoners.
c. 1710 BC
Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams
Joseph is brought before Pharaoh to interpret dreams about a coming famine. His accurate interpretation leads to his appointment as second-in-command over Egypt.
c. 1700-1693 BC
The great famine
A severe famine grips Canaan and surrounding regions. Joseph's foresight allows Egypt to store grain, becoming a refuge for many, including his own family.
This passage echoes Joseph's sentiment by assuring believers that God is actively working in all circumstances for their ultimate good, even when those circumstances arise from human evil.
1 Peter 2:19-20Peter speaks of enduring hardship and suffering unjustly, mirroring Joseph's experience of evil intentions being overruled for good, highlighting the grace found in patient endurance.
Acts 3:13-15Peter's sermon describes how the Jewish leaders, through their evil act of crucifying Jesus, unknowingly fulfilled God's plan for salvation, a direct parallel to Joseph's situation where the brethren's evil led to the preservation of life.
Job 42:2Job’s statement, 'I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted,' reflects the core truth Joseph expresses: that God's ultimate purpose will prevail, even when human plans seem to thwart it.
Psalm 76:10This psalm declares that human wrath will ultimately praise God, beautifully illustrating how even the most wicked intentions, like those of Joseph's brothers, can be contained and ultimately used by God for His purposes.
calvinGenesis 50:1-26: "And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him."
- Et viderunt habitatores terrae Chenaaneaei luctum in area Atad, et dixerunt, Luctus gravis est iste Aegyptiis: idcirco vocatum fuit nomen ejus Abel -- Misraim, (id est luctus Aegyptorum,) qui est trand Jordanem.
12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:
- Fecerunt ergo filii ejus ei sic, quemadmodum praeceperat eis.
13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and bu…
bensonGenesis 50:20: "But 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."
Genesis 50:20-21. Ye thought evil, but God meant it unto good — In order to the making Joseph a greater blessing to his family than otherwise he could have been. Fear not, I will nourish you — See what an excellent spirit Joseph was of, and learn of him to render good for evil. He did not tell them they were upon their good behaviour, and he wo…
Joseph highlights the exact same Hebrew word for "meant" or "devised" when he speaks about his brothers' intentions and God's plans. This repetition emphasizes that while their actions were driven by evil, God's purpose, using those very same actions, was inherently good. It's not just that God overruled their evil, but that He redeemed and repurposed it with His own design.
After Jacob's death and funeral, Joseph's brothers, consumed by guilt and fear, believe Joseph will finally seek revenge. They send a plea for forgiveness, reminding him of their father's dying wish. Joseph, deeply moved, reassures them, framing their past evil intentions as part of God's ultimate plan to save many lives.
After Jacob's death and funeral, Joseph's brothers, consumed by guilt and fear, believe Joseph will finally seek revenge. They send a plea for forgiveness, reminding him of their father's dying wish. Joseph, deeply moved, reassures them, framing their past evil intentions as part of God's ultimate plan to save many lives.
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c. 1693 BC
Joseph's brothers travel to Egypt
Joseph's brothers come to Egypt to buy grain, unaware that the powerful official is their long-lost brother. This is the pivotal moment leading to reconciliation.
c. 1693 BC— this verse
Reconciliation and settlement in Goshen
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, forgiving them and inviting his entire family to settle in the fertile land of Goshen, Egypt.
c. 1671 BC
Death of Jacob
Jacob dies in Egypt. His sons, fearing Joseph's revenge now that their father is gone, send a plea for forgiveness.
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." — Joseph highlights the exact same Hebrew word for "meant" or "devised" when he speaks about his brothers' intentions and God's plans. This repetition emphasizes that while their actions were driven by…
