Genesis – Chapter 50

Old Testament25 Verses

Chapter Summary

"And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping and kissing him." — so begins Genesis 50. The chapter centers on Joseph, Pharaoh and Abraham. Across its 25 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and sin and divine judgment. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping and kissing him.

2And he commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father.

3And while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and Egypt mourned for him seventy days.

4And the time of the mourning being expired, Joseph spoke to the family of Pharao: If I have found favour in your sight, speak in the ears of Pharao:

5For my father made me swear to him, saying: Behold I die; thou shalt bury me in my sepulchre which I have digged for myself in the land of Chanaan. So I will go up and bury my father, and return.

6And Pharao said to him: Go up and bury thy father according as he made thee swear.

7So he went up, and there went with him all the ancients of Pharao's house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt.

8And the house of Joseph with his brethren, except their children, and their flocks and herds, which they left in the land of Gessen.

9He had also in his train chariots and horsemen: and it was a great company.

10And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days.

11And when the inhabitants of Chanaan saw this, they said: This is a great mourning to the Egyptians. And therefore the name of that place was called, The mourning of Egypt.

12So the sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them.

13And carrying him into the land of Chanaan, they buried him in the double cave, which Abraham had bought together with the field for a possession of a burying place, of Ehpron, the Hethite, over against Mambre.

14And Joseph returned into Egypt with his brethren, and all that were in his company, after he had buried his father.

15Now he being dead, his brethren were afraid, and talked one with another: Lest perhaps he should remember the wrong he suffered, and requite us all the evil that we did to him.

16And they sent a message to him, saying: Thy father commanded us before he died,

17That we should say thus much to thee from him: I beseech thee to forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they practised against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of the God of thy father this wickedness. And when Joseph heard this, he wept.

18And his brethren came to him; and worshipping prostrate on the ground, they said: We are thy servants.

19And he answered them: Fear not: can we resist the will of God?

20You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people.

21Fear not: I will feed you and your children. And he comforted them, and spoke gently and mildly.

22And he dwelt in Egypt with all his father's house; and lived a hundred and ten years. And he saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the sons of Manasses, were born on Joseph's knees.

23After which he told his brethren: God will visit you after my death, and will make you go up out of this land, to the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

24And he made them swear to him, saying: God will visit you, carry my bones with you out of this place:

25And he died, being a hundred and ten years old. And being embalmed, he was laid in a coffin in Egypt.

Important Verses in Genesis 50

And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping and kissing him.

Genesis 50:1

And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days.

Genesis 50:10

And he answered them: Fear not: can we resist the will of God?

Genesis 50:19

After which he told his brethren: God will visit you after my death, and will make you go up out of this land, to the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Genesis 50:23

Historical Context

Genesis belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for the people of Israel, to root their identity in God's creation and the covenant with the patriarchs. Chapter 50 of 50 brings the book to its close, gathering up themes introduced earlier. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 25 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Joseph, Pharaoh, Abraham and Jacob appear at the center of the events recorded here. The passage starts with these words: "And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping and kissing him." The final verse reads: "And he died, being a hundred and ten years old. And being embalmed, he was laid in a coffin in Egypt. " In terms of historical background, Genesis was composed to give Israel its foundational identity: one God created all things good, sin entered through human choice, and God responded with a plan of salvation beginning with Abraham. The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: Traditions reaching back to the 2nd millennium BC, compiled in final form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC.

Who Wrote It

Traditionally attributed to Moses; Catholic scholarship recognizes the work of inspired editors drawing on ancient oral and written traditions

When It Was Written

Traditions reaching back to the 2nd millennium BC, compiled in final form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC

Catholic Commentary

The literal sense of Genesis 50 presents a concrete episode in the history of creation, covenant, and the patriarchs. A pivotal line is verse 1: "And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping and kissing him." The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

Catholic exegesis reads Genesis 50 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. the Catechism teaches that Genesis reveals God's plan of salvation from the beginning (CIC 54-64). St. Bernard of Clairvaux and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 2578).

The moral and spiritual import remains timely: The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.. St. Jerome insisted that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ; this chapter offers material for meditation, examination of conscience, and deeper love of God.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.

People in This Chapter

Joseph6 mentionsPharaoh4 mentionsAbraham2 mentionsJacob2 mentionsManasses1 mentionIsaac1 mention

Reflection for Today

Genesis Chapter 50 concludes the book with Jacob's burial and Joseph's final years, bringing the patriarchal narrative to a close. The Catechism teaches that honoring parents extends beyond death to proper burial and remembrance (CIC 2218). The elaborate mourning for Jacob and his burial in Canaan fulfill his dying wish and maintain the family's connection to the Promised Land.

Joseph's reassurance to his fearful brothers after Jacob's death repeats the theological interpretation of his suffering: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." The Catechism cites this principle in teaching about divine providence (CIC 312). This statement has become a touchstone for understanding how God works through human evil to accomplish His purposes.

Joseph's final words—"God will surely visit you and bring you up out of this land"—look forward to the Exodus. His request that his bones be carried to Canaan expresses faith in God's promises that would not be fulfilled for four hundred years. This chapter teaches us that faith looks beyond present circumstances to God's ultimate purposes, that forgiveness must be renewed and reaffirmed, and that death does not end our participation in God's ongoing story.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Genesis Chapter 50 about?

Genesis 50 contains 25 verses. It opens with "And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping and kissing him." and closes with "And he died, being a hundred and ten years old. And being embalmed, he was laid in a coffin in Egypt. ". The book as a whole is narrative with genealogies and covenant accounts.

What is a key verse in Genesis 50?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, weeping and kissing him." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Genesis Chapter 50?

This chapter mentions Joseph, Pharaoh, Abraham, Jacob, Manasses, among others.

Who wrote Genesis and when?

Traditionally attributed to Moses; Catholic scholarship recognizes the work of inspired editors drawing on ancient oral and written traditions. Traditions reaching back to the 2nd millennium BC, compiled in final form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC.

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