What is the meaning of Genesis 50:6? Pharaoh replied - The narrative pauses to let us hear the voice of the most powerful man in Egypt. His immediate response reveals: • Respect for Joseph. Pharaoh’s favor toward Joseph had already been demonstrated in Genesis 41:38-44, and here it continues without hesitation. • God’s providence. Genesis 45:8 reminds us that Joseph saw his rise as God’s doing; Pharaoh’s quick consent is another piece of that divine tapestry (cf. Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD; He directs it wherever He pleases,”). • Protection for the covenant family. Later, Exodus 1:8 marks a new Pharaoh who does not know Joseph; the contrast highlights how gracious this earlier ruler’s reply truly was. Go up and bury your father - Pharaoh releases Joseph from his official duties so he can keep a sacred family obligation. • Place matters. Jacob wanted to rest in the cave of Machpelah—the same ground Abraham bought in Genesis 23:17-20—because Canaan, not Egypt, was Israel’s promised home (Hebrews 11:13-16). • Public witness. A royal entourage will accompany Joseph (Genesis 50:7-9), proclaiming to both Egyptians and Canaanites that the patriarchs lived—and died—trusting God’s promises. • Hope of resurrection. Physical burial in the promised land points forward to a bodily future (cf. Isaiah 26:19; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Even Jacob’s death serves the storyline of redemption. as he made you swear to do - Pharaoh acknowledges the binding nature of Joseph’s oath to his father (Genesis 47:29-31). • Biblical gravity of vows. Numbers 30:2 urges that a vow to the LORD must not be broken; Solomon echoes this in Ecclesiastes 5:4-5. By honoring Jacob’s dying request, Joseph models integrity (cf. Matthew 5:37, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes.’”). • Honoring parents. The soon-to-be-written Fifth Commandment (Exodus 20:12) calls God’s people to “honor your father and your mother.” Joseph’s obedience lives that out ahead of time. • Covenant continuity. Just as Abraham bound his servant by oath to find Isaac a wife (Genesis 24:3), Jacob binds Joseph; covenant faithfulness is preserved through solemn promises. summary Pharaoh’s brief statement in Genesis 50:6 shows that God, who had elevated Joseph, now uses Egypt’s throne to safeguard a dying patriarch’s final wish. The king’s quick consent underscores Joseph’s integrity, honors Jacob’s faith, and moves the covenant family one step closer to the promised land—all reinforcing that when God makes promises, He also arranges the circumstances so His people can walk in them. |
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