Genesis 50:24-25
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Joseph, facing his own death, doesn't just offer comfort but a profound declaration of God's ongoing faithfulness, reminding his brothers that their future hope isn't tied to him but to the divine promise. He points them not just toward an exodus, but toward the covenant God made with their ancestors, emphasizing that this faithfulness transcends even his own life and the temporary comforts of Egypt.
And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joseph, having recently buried his father Jacob and reassured his brothers that he forgives them, now faces his own impending death. This verse marks the end of the book of Genesis, with Joseph's final words to his family, not about his own legacy in Egypt, but about God's faithfulness to His promises. He assures his brothers that although he will die, God will eventually lead them out of Egypt to the land promised to their ancestors.
Joseph is dying, and his family's future hangs in the balance. What does he say will happen next, and what does 'God will visit you' really mean?
A Promise of Divine Intervention
Joseph, on his deathbed, speaks words of profound assurance to his brothers. He doesn't say, 'I'll make sure you're okay,' or 'Hope things work out.' Instead, he points to God's direct action.
Joseph directs his brothers' gaze beyond Egypt, to a specific place. Why is this 'land' so crucial to God's plan and their identity?
A Covenantal Inheritance
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Joseph's dying words aren't just about leaving Egypt; they are about arriving in the promised land. This destination is more than geography; it's the embodiment of God's covenant.
Joseph faces his own death, yet his final words are filled with life and hope for others. How does his perspective on death connect to his faith?
A Legacy of Faith
Joseph's final words reveal a profound faith that transcends his own mortality. He uses his impending death as a springboard for God's promises.
Understand the original words
shaba' · Hebrew Verb
The act of making a solemn oath or calling upon God to witness the truth of a statement or the commitment to fulfill a promise. It invokes the divine name as a guarantee of integrity and future action.
paqad · Hebrew Verb
In a biblical context, a divine intervention where God draws near to His people, either to judge or—as is the case here—to deliver and redeem. It signifies that God has not forgotten His covenant promises and is actively working on behalf of His people.
shaba' · Hebrew Verb
A solemn, binding agreement established by God with His people, often involving promises of land, descendants, and divine presence. It is an act of sovereign grace that defines the identity and future destiny of the recipients.
etsem · Hebrew Noun
The anatomical structure representing the physical person; in death, the bones are often associated with the hope of resurrection or, as in this case, the expectation of occupying the promised land, symbolizing a final resting place within the covenantal inheritance.
Joseph's final words are a powerful act of faith, linking his impending death to the certainty of God's future deliverance for his family. This moment bridges the period of their comfortable sojourn in Egypt with the future trials and eventual exodus, underscoring God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises.
c. 1805 BC
Joseph's family settles in Egypt
Jacob and his entire family, numbering about 70 people, move to Egypt during a famine, settling in the fertile region of Goshen at Joseph's invitation. They live there as sojourners.
c. 1790 BC
Death of Jacob
Jacob, the patriarch and father of Joseph's twelve sons, dies in Egypt. Joseph and his brothers escort his body back to Canaan for burial in the cave of Machpelah, a significant journey and mourning period.
c. 1790 BC
Joseph reassures his brothers
After Jacob's death, Joseph's brothers fear his retribution for their past cruelty. Joseph reassures them, emphasizing God's providence in turning their evil intentions into good, and promises to care for them and their families.
c. 1780 BC— this verse
Joseph's death and prophecy
Joseph, nearing the end of his life, comforts his brothers with a prophetic assurance that God will indeed 'visit' them and lead them out of Egypt to the Promised Land, reinforcing the covenant promises made to their ancestors.
c. 1780 BC
Joseph's charge regarding his bones
Joseph makes his brothers swear an oath to carry his bones with them when they leave Egypt, a testament to his faith in God's future deliverance and a symbol of hope for his family.
c. 1780 BC
Joseph dies
Joseph dies at the age of 110, after a long life of service and faithfulness in Egypt. He is embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt, awaiting the fulfillment of God's promise.
This passage echoes Joseph's prophecy by describing God's awareness of the Israelites' suffering in Egypt and His plan to bring them to the promised land, fulfilling the covenant Joseph referenced.
Deuteronomy 18:18-19This verse shows God promising to raise up a prophet like Moses, who, like Joseph, would speak God's words and deliver His people, highlighting the theme of divine leadership and salvation.
Hebrews 11:22This verse directly references Joseph's faith, noting that by faith he 'spoke in dying about the departure of the Israelites,' directly connecting his prophetic words in Genesis 50:24 to his enduring faith.
Acts 7:15-16Stephen recounts the journey to Egypt and mentions Jacob and their descendants being brought there, and then later being carried back to Canaan for burial, directly linking Joseph's life and prophetic vision to the eventual Exodus and the burial in the promised land.
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…
gillGenesis 50:24: "And 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."
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die,.... Some time before his death he called them together, and observed to them, that he expected to die in a little time, as all must: and God will surely visit you; not in a way of wrath and vindictive justice, as he sometimes does, but in a way of love, grace, and mercy:…
Joseph, facing his own death, doesn't just offer comfort but a profound declaration of God's ongoing faithfulness, reminding his brothers that their future hope isn't tied to him but to the divine promise. He points them not just toward an exodus, but toward the covenant God made with their ancestors, emphasizing that this faithfulness transcends even his own life and the temporary comforts of Egypt.
Joseph, having recently buried his father Jacob and reassured his brothers that he forgives them, now faces his own impending death. This verse marks the end of the book of Genesis, with Joseph's final words to his family, not about his own legacy in Egypt, but about God's faithfulness to His promises. He assures his brothers that although he will die, God will eventually lead them out of Egypt to the land promised to their ancestors.
Joseph, having recently buried his father Jacob and reassured his brothers that he forgives them, now faces his own impending death. This verse marks the end of the book of Genesis, with Joseph's final words to his family, not about his own legacy in Egypt, but about God's faithfulness to His promises. He assures his brothers that although he will die, God will eventually lead them out of Egypt to the land promised to their ancestors.
"And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surel…" — Joseph, facing his own death, doesn't just offer comfort but a profound declaration of God's ongoing faithfulness, reminding his brothers that their future hope isn't tied to him but to the divine…
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Last reviewed October 2026
