Genesis 50:4 When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, "If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that

◄ Genesis 50:4 ►

New International Version
When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him,

New Living Translation
When the period of mourning was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh’s advisers and said, “Please do me this favor and speak to Pharaoh on my behalf.

English Standard Version
And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Berean Standard Bible
When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that

King James Bible
And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

New King James Version
Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying,

New American Standard Bible
When the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying,

NASB 1995
When the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying,

NASB 1977
And when the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the days of weeping for him were past, and Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Amplified Bible
When the days of weeping and public mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to [the nobles of] the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying,

Christian Standard Bible
When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell Pharaoh that

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell Pharaoh that

American Standard Version
And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Contemporary English Version
When the time of mourning was over, Joseph said to the Egyptian leaders, "If you consider me your friend, please speak to the king for me.

English Revised Version
And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the time of mourning for Jacob was over, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's palace staff. He said, "Please speak directly to Pharaoh. Tell him,

Good News Translation
When the time of mourning was over, Joseph said to the king's officials, "Please take this message to the king:

International Standard Version
At the conclusion of the mourning period, Joseph addressed Pharaoh's household. "If you're satisfied with me, would you please take this message to Pharaoh for me? Tell him,

Majority Standard Bible
When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh?s court, ?If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that

NET Bible
When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's royal court, "If I have found favor in your sight, please say to Pharaoh,

New Heart English Bible
When the days for mourning for him had passed, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, "f now I have found favor in your sight, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

World English Bible
When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s staff, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And the days of his weeping pass away, and Joseph speaks to the house of Pharaoh, saying, “Now if I have found grace in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Young's Literal Translation
And the days of his weeping pass away, and Joseph speaketh unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, 'If, I pray you, I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the days of his weeping will pass over, and Joseph will speak to the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I found grace in thine eyes, speak now in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And 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:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when the time for mourning was fulfilled, Joseph spoke to the family of Pharaoh: “If I have found favor in your sight, speak to the ears of Pharaoh.

New American Bible
When the period of mourning was over, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s household. “If you please, appeal to Pharaoh, saying:

New Revised Standard Version
When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph addressed the household of Pharaoh, “If now I have found favor with you, please speak to Pharaoh as follows:

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found mercy in your eyes, speak in the presence of Pharaoh, saying,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the days of his mourning passed, and Yoseph said to those of the house of Pharaoh, “If I have found favor in your eyes, say before Pharaoh,

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke unto the house of Pharaoh, saying: 'If now I have found favour in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when the days of mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the princes of Pharao, saying, If I have found favour in your sight, speak concerning me in the ears of Pharao, saying,

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Mourning and Burial for Jacob
…3taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. 4When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that 5my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Nehemiah 2:5
and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”

Esther 4:2
But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.

1 Kings 2:16-17
So now I have just one request of you; do not deny me.” “State your request,” she told him. / Adonijah replied, “Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

1 Samuel 25:35
Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, “Go home in peace. See, I have heeded your voice and granted your request.”

2 Samuel 14:12
Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.

2 Kings 4:13
and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied.

Exodus 3:11
But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Exodus 5:1-3
After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” / But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.” / “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

Numbers 20:14-17
From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us, / how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, / and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. ...

Deuteronomy 1:16
At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident.

Matthew 8:8
The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Matthew 10:18
On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

Matthew 27:58
He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

Mark 15:43
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

Luke 7:6-7
So Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends with the message: “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. / That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to You. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Treasury of Scripture

And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

the days.

Genesis 50:10
And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

Joseph.

Esther 4:2
And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

found grace.

Genesis 18:3
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

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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.

Berean Study Bible

When the days of mourning had passed
This phrase refers to the period of mourning for Jacob, Joseph's father, which lasted for seventy days as noted earlier in Genesis 50:3. In ancient Egyptian culture, mourning periods were significant and often extended, reflecting deep respect and honor for the deceased. The Hebrew word for mourning, "אֵבֶל" (evel), conveys a sense of deep sorrow and lamentation. This period allowed Joseph and his family to express their grief fully, adhering to both Egyptian customs and their own Hebrew traditions. It underscores the importance of honoring one's parents, a theme deeply rooted in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12).

Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court
Joseph, though second in command in Egypt, approaches Pharaoh's court rather than Pharaoh directly. This reflects the protocol and respect for authority in the Egyptian hierarchy. The Hebrew name "יוסף" (Yosef) means "He will add," signifying Joseph's role in adding to the prosperity and survival of both Egypt and his family. His approach to the court demonstrates humility and wisdom, qualities that have defined his leadership throughout his life. Joseph's actions remind us of the importance of respecting authority and following proper channels, even when we hold positions of power.

If I have found favor in your eyes
This phrase is a humble request, reflecting Joseph's understanding of his position and the need for grace from those in authority. The Hebrew word for favor, "חֵן" (chen), implies grace, kindness, and acceptance. Joseph's life has been marked by finding favor, first with his father Jacob, then with Potiphar, the prison warden, and ultimately Pharaoh himself. This favor is a testament to God's providence and Joseph's integrity. It serves as a reminder that favor with God and man often comes through humility, righteousness, and faithful service.

please speak to Pharaoh for me
Joseph requests an intermediary to speak to Pharaoh, which highlights the formalities and respect required in the royal court. The Hebrew word "דַּבֶּר" (daber) means to speak or declare, indicating the importance of communication and advocacy. Joseph's request shows his reliance on others to achieve his goals, a lesson in the value of community and collaboration. It also reflects the biblical principle of intercession, where others stand in the gap on our behalf, much like Christ intercedes for believers (Romans 8:34).

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh.--It may seem at first sight strange that Joseph should make his request through mediators, but probably no one in the attire of mourning might enter the royal presence. (Comp. Esther 4:2.) The dress of a mourner was squalid, his beard unshorn, his hair in disorder, and while these outward signs of grief were maintained, he was also expected to confine himself to his own house.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 4, 5. - And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, - that Joseph did not address himself directly to Pharaoh, but through the members of the royal household, was not owing to the circumstance that, being arrayed in mourning apparel, he could not come before the king (Rosenmüller), since it is not certain that this Persian custom (Esther 4:2) prevailed in Egypt, but is supposed to have been due, either to a desire on Joseph's part to put himself on a good understanding with the priesthood who composed the courtly circle, since the interment of the dead was closely connected with the religious beliefs of Egypt (Havernick), or, what was more likely, to the fact that Joseph, having, according to Egyptian custom (Herod. 2:36), allowed his beard and hair to grow, could not enter the king's presence without being both shaven and shorn (Hengstenberg, Kurtz, Keil). It has been suggested (Kalisch) that Joseph's power may have been restricted after the expiration of the famine, or that another Pharaoh may have succeeded to the throne who was not so friendly as his predecessor with the grand vizier of the realm; but such conjectures are not required to render Joseph's conduct in this matter perfectly intelligible - saying, My father made me swear (Genesis 47:29), saying (i.e. my father saying), Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me - not bought (Onkelos, Drusius, Ainsworth, Bohlen, and others), but digged, ὤρυξα (LXX.), fodi (Vulgate). Jacob may have either enlarged the original cave at Machpelah, or prepared in it the special niche which he designed to occupy - in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore (literally, and now) let me go up, I pray thee (the royal permission was required to enable Joseph to pass beyond the boundaries of Egypt, especially when accompanied by a large funeral procession), and bury my father, and I will come again.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

When the days
יְמֵ֣י (yə·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of mourning
בְכִית֔וֹ (ḇə·ḵî·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1068: A weeping

had passed,
וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֙ (way·ya·‘aḇ·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

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

said
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (way·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

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

Pharaoh’s
פַּרְעֹ֖ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

court,
בֵּ֥ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

“If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I have found
מָצָ֤אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

favor
חֵן֙ (ḥên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2580: Graciousness, subjective, objective

in your eyes,
בְּעֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם (bə·‘ê·nê·ḵem)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

please
נָ֨א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

tell
דַּבְּרוּ־ (dab·bə·rū-)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

Pharaoh that
פַרְעֹ֖ה (p̄ar·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

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OT Law: Genesis 50:4 When the days of weeping for him (Gen. Ge Gn)