Genesis 48:21
New International Version
Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.

New Living Translation
Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors.

English Standard Version
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

King James Bible
And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

New King James Version
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

New American Standard Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

NASB 1995
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

NASB 1977
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Amplified Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to [Canaan] the land of your fathers.

Christian Standard Bible
Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

American Standard Version
And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God will be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

Contemporary English Version
After that, Jacob said, "Joseph, you can see that I won't live much longer. But God will be with you and will lead you back to the land he promised our family long ago.

English Revised Version
And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Israel said to Joseph, "Now I'm about to die, but God will be with you. He will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Good News Translation
Then Jacob said to Joseph, "As you see, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to the land of your ancestors.

International Standard Version
Then Israel told Joseph, "Pay attention! I'm about to die, but God will be with you. He'll bring you back to the land that belongs to your ancestors.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, ?Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

NET Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

New Heart English Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, "Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and God will bring you back from this land to the land of your fathers.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die; but God shall be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.

World English Bible
Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Israel says to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, and God has been with you, and has brought you back to the land of your fathers;

Young's Literal Translation
And Israel saith unto Joseph, 'Lo, I am dying, and God hath been with you, and hath brought you back unto the land of your fathers;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Israel will say to Joseph, I am dying: and God was with you and turned you back to the land of your fathers.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to Joseph his son: Be- hold I die, and God will be with you, and will bring you back into the land of your fathers.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said to his son Joseph: “See, I am dying, and God will be with you, and he will lead you back to the land of your fathers.

New American Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph: “I am about to die. But God will be with you and will restore you to the land of your ancestors.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your ancestors.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I am dying, but God shall be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Israel said to Yoseph, “Behold, I am dying and God shall be with you and he shall return you to the land of your fathers.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Behold, I die; but God will be with you, and bring you back unto the land of your fathers.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die; and God shall be with you, and restore you to the land of your fathers.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
20So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ ” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22And to you, as one who is above your brothers, I give the ridge of land that I took from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”…

Cross References
Genesis 28:15
Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Genesis 46:4
I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”

Exodus 3:12
“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua 1:5
No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Jeremiah 1:8
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 30:11
For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will discipline you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.”

Matthew 28:20
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Acts 7:9-10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him / and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2 Corinthians 1:10
He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

Philippians 4:9
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.


Treasury of Scripture

And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.

Behold.

Genesis 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.

1 Kings 2:2-4
I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; …

Psalm 146:3,4
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help…

God.

Genesis 15:14
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

Genesis 28:15
And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Genesis 46:4
I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

land.

Genesis 12:5
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Genesis 26:3
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

Genesis 37:1
And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

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Death Die Dying Fathers Guiding Israel Joseph
Genesis 48
1. Joseph with his sons visits his sick father.
2. Jacob strengthens himself to bless them.
3. He repeats God's promise.
5. He takes Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons.
7. He tells Joseph of his mother's grave.
8. He blesses Ephraim and Manasseh.
17. He prefers the younger before the elder.
21. He prophesies their return to Canaan.














Then Israel said to Joseph
The name "Israel" here refers to Jacob, who was renamed Israel after wrestling with God (Genesis 32:28). This name signifies his role as the patriarch of the Israelites, the chosen people of God. The use of "Israel" instead of "Jacob" emphasizes the covenantal and prophetic nature of his words. Joseph, his beloved son, is the recipient of this blessing, highlighting the continuation of God's promises through the generations.

Look, I am about to die
Jacob acknowledges his impending death, a moment of transition and reflection. In Hebrew, the phrase conveys a sense of immediacy and certainty. This acknowledgment is not one of despair but of faith, as Jacob prepares to pass on the blessings and promises of God to his descendants. It reflects the biblical theme of mortality and the hope of God's eternal promises.

but God will be with you
This phrase is a powerful assurance of God's presence. The Hebrew word for "God" here is "Elohim," emphasizing His power and sovereignty. Jacob reassures Joseph that, despite his own absence, God's presence will remain with him. This echoes God's promise to be with His people throughout the Bible, providing comfort and guidance.

and bring you back to the land of your fathers
The "land of your fathers" refers to Canaan, the Promised Land given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This promise is central to the Abrahamic covenant, symbolizing God's faithfulness and the hope of future fulfillment. The phrase "bring you back" indicates a divine action, underscoring God's role in the unfolding of His plan. Historically, this points to the eventual return of the Israelites to Canaan, fulfilled in the Exodus and later conquests.

Verse 21. - And Israel (Jacob) said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God (Elohim) shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. "For Joseph and his children a great promise and dispensation" (Lange).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Joseph,
יוֹסֵ֔ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

“Look,
הִנֵּ֥ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

I
אָנֹכִ֖י (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

am about to die,
מֵ֑ת (mêṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

but God
אֱלֹהִים֙ (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

will be
וְהָיָ֤ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

with you
עִמָּכֶ֔ם (‘im·mā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

and bring
וְהֵשִׁ֣יב (wə·hê·šîḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

you
אֶתְכֶ֔ם (’eṯ·ḵem)
Direct object marker | second person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

back to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the land
אֶ֖רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of your fathers.
אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (’ă·ḇō·ṯê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father


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OT Law: Genesis 48:21 Israel said to Joseph Behold (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 48:20
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