The Meaning of Genesis 50:17 Explained

Genesis 50:17

KJV: 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: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

YLT: Thus ye do say to Joseph, I pray thee, bear, I pray thee, with the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, for they have done thee evil; and now, bear, we pray thee, with the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father;' and Joseph weepeth in their speaking unto him.

Darby: Thus shall ye speak to Joseph: Oh forgive, I pray thee, the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin! for they did evil to thee. And now, we pray thee, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

ASV: So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, for that they did unto thee evil. And now, we pray thee, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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:  and now, we pray thee, forgive  the trespass  of the servants  of the God  of thy father.  And Joseph  wept  when they spake  unto him. 

What does Genesis 50:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 50:15-26 - Joseph Loves Until His Death
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Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Genesis 50:17 mean?

thus you shall say to Joseph I beg you forgive please the trespass of your brothers and their sin for the evil they did to you Now please the trespass of the servants of the God of your father And wept Joseph when they spoke to him
כֹּֽה־ תֹאמְר֣וּ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף אָ֣נָּ֡א שָׂ֣א נָ֠א פֶּ֣שַׁע אַחֶ֤יךָ וְחַטָּאתָם֙ כִּי־ רָעָ֣ה גְמָל֔וּךָ וְעַתָּה֙ נָ֔א לְפֶ֥שַׁע עַבְדֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ יוֹסֵ֖ף בְּדַבְּרָ֥ם אֵלָֽיו

כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
תֹאמְר֣וּ  you  shall  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְיוֹסֵ֗ף  to  Joseph 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
אָ֣נָּ֡א  I  beg  you 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אָנָּא 
Sense: ah now! I/we beseech you, oh now!, pray now! (participle of entreaty usually followed by the imperative verb).
שָׂ֣א  forgive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
נָ֠א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
פֶּ֣שַׁע  the  trespass 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
אַחֶ֤יךָ  of  your  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
וְחַטָּאתָם֙  and  their  sin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
רָעָ֣ה  the  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
גְמָל֔וּךָ  they  did  to  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, second person masculine singular
Root: גָּמַל  
Sense: to deal fully with, recompense.
וְעַתָּה֙  Now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
נָ֔א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
לְפֶ֥שַׁע  the  trespass 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
עַבְדֵ֖י  of  the  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  of  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אָבִ֑יךָ  of  your  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ  And  wept 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
יוֹסֵ֖ף  Joseph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
בְּדַבְּרָ֥ם  when  they  spoke 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלָֽיו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).