Genesis 50:25-26
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Joseph's final command isn't just about where his body will rest; it's a powerful statement of faith in God's faithfulness, wagering his bones on the promise of a future deliverance. He instructs them to take his bones from hence, directly linking their future redemption from Egypt to the physical act of carrying him out, a tangible sign of hope for generations to come.
Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The narrative is reaching its conclusion as Joseph, the wise and forgiving brother who rose to power in Egypt, faces his own death. Having just overseen the honorable burial of his father, Jacob, Joseph now turns his attention to the future of his family, reassuring them of God's faithfulness and their eventual return to the Promised Land. This verse captures his final charge to his descendants, a testament to his enduring faith and hope.
Even in death, Joseph's focus wasn't on the opulent land of Egypt, but on a future home. What does this tell us about the power of faith?
Joseph's final command to his brothers wasn't about earthly comfort or immediate rest. It was a profound act of faith, deeply rooted in God's promises.
Looking Beyond the Present
Even though Joseph had achieved immense success and lived a long life in Egypt, he instructed his descendants to carry his bones out of the land. This wasn't about disrespecting Egypt, but about clinging to the promise God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: the promise of the land of Canaan.
The Promise as a Guiding Star
This directive reveals that for Joseph, and for the faithful, the present reality is never the ultimate reality. God's promises, though deferred, hold more weight than any temporary dwelling place. His command about his bones served as a tangible reminder and a constant encouragement, keeping the hope of their future homecoming alive through generations.
This act of faith is so significant that the New Testament highlights it, calling it a testament to his belief in the resurrection and God's faithfulness (Hebrews 11:22).
Why an oath? What power does it hold to connect the past, present, and future? Joseph's dying words weren't just a wish; they were a solemn charge.
Joseph's decision to exact an oath from the children of Israel elevates his final wish from a personal request to a sacred obligation.
Ask a follow-up
Binding the Future
By taking an oath, Joseph wasn't just speaking to his immediate family. He was addressing the "children of Israel" – encompassing his brothers, nephews, and their descendants. This ensures the commandment would resonate through future generations, long after his brothers were gone.
A Pledge of Divine Action
The oath also serves as a powerful affirmation of his faith in God's unfailing faithfulness. The phrase "God will surely visit you" isn't a hopeful guess; it's a prophetic certainty. Joseph binds them to carry his bones because he is absolutely convinced God will act to bring them out of Egypt. This oath becomes a tangible link, a signpost pointing towards the promised deliverance and a constant reminder that their temporary home in Egypt was not their final destination.
Understand the original words
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.
mut · Hebrew Verb
The cessation of biological life; in Scripture, it is often viewed as the consequence of sin, yet for the believer, it marks the transition to the presence of God. It signifies the end of a person's earthly labor and their entry into their eternal destiny.
chanat · Hebrew Verb
A cultural practice of preserving a corpse, primarily associated with ancient Egyptian funerary rites. In the biblical narrative, it highlights the foreign context of Joseph's death and the temporary nature of his resting place, anticipating the future Exodus.
aron · Hebrew Noun
A container for the remains of the deceased. In this context, it represents a temporary state of waiting, as Joseph's body was kept in Egypt in anticipation of God's promise to bring his people into the land of Canaan.
Mitsrayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
A historical and geographical region that serves as a recurring symbol in the Bible for worldly power, bondage, and the place from which God delivers His people. It is the setting for the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan in the lives of the patriarchs.
Joseph's final command, 'God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here,' is a profound act of faith. It declares his deep conviction that God's promises of land and deliverance, made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, would ultimately be fulfilled, even after his own death in Egypt.
c. 1805 BC
Jacob's Death and Mourning
After a prolonged illness, Jacob dies in Egypt. Joseph and his brothers hold a significant mourning period for him, and his body is embalmed.
c. 1805 BC
Jacob's Funeral Journey to Canaan
Joseph, with Pharaoh's permission, leads a grand procession to Canaan to bury Jacob in the cave of Machpelah. This event is a public display of Joseph's status and the family's connection to their ancestral land.
c. 1805 BC
Joseph's Brothers Seek Forgiveness
After their father's death, Joseph's brothers fear his retribution for past wrongs. Joseph reassures them, demonstrating forgiveness and emphasizing God's sovereign plan.
c. 1805 BC— this verse
Joseph's Final Charge and Death
Nearing the end of his life, Joseph makes his brothers swear to carry his bones out of Egypt to the promised land of Canaan, linking his burial to God's future promises.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
Centuries after Joseph's death, the Israelites, led by Moses, depart from Egypt. They fulfill Joseph's dying wish by carrying his bones with them.
c. 1446 BC
Burial of Joseph's Bones in Shechem
Following the Exodus, Joseph's bones are finally laid to rest in Shechem, in the territory that would be allocated to the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim).
This passage explicitly highlights Joseph's dying command concerning his bones, framing it as an act of faith in God's promises and the future exodus of Israel.
Exodus 13:19This passage demonstrates the fulfillment of Joseph's dying wish, showing that Moses carried Joseph's bones with the Israelites as they departed from Egypt.
Joshua 24:32This verse shows the final resting place of Joseph's bones in Shechem, fulfilling his oath and the promise of God to the patriarchs.
Genesis 47:30This verse shows Jacob making Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan, mirroring Joseph's own request and establishing a precedent of faith-based burial wishes tied to the promised land.
Genesis 15:13-14These verses contain God's prophecy to Abraham about his descendants being strangers in a foreign land and suffering for 400 years, which directly underpins Joseph's assurance that God would 'surely visit' them and bring them out.
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 50:25: "And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence."
Genesis 50:25 . And ye shall carry up my bones from hence — Herein he had an eye to the promise, ( Genesis 15:13-14 ,) and in God’s name assures them of the performance of it. In Egypt they buried their great men very honourably, and with abundance of pomp; but Joseph prefers a plain burial in Canaan, and that deferred almost two hundred years, before…
Joseph's final command isn't just about where his body will rest; it's a powerful statement of faith in God's faithfulness, wagering his bones on the promise of a future deliverance. He instructs them to take his bones from hence, directly linking their future redemption from Egypt to the physical act of carrying him out, a tangible sign of hope for generations to come.
The narrative is reaching its conclusion as Joseph, the wise and forgiving brother who rose to power in Egypt, faces his own death. Having just overseen the honorable burial of his father, Jacob, Joseph now turns his attention to the future of his family, reassuring them of God's faithfulness and their eventual return to the Promised Land. This verse captures his final charge to his descendants, a testament to his enduring faith and hope.
The narrative is reaching its conclusion as Joseph, the wise and forgiving brother who rose to power in Egypt, faces his own death. Having just overseen the honorable burial of his father, Jacob, Joseph now turns his attention to the future of his family, reassuring them of God's faithfulness and their eventual return to the Promised Land. This verse captures his final charge to his descendants, a testament to his enduring faith and hope.
"Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt." — Joseph's final command isn't just about where his body will rest; it's a powerful statement of faith in God's faithfulness, wagering his bones on the promise of a future deliverance. He instructs the…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
