Genesis 50:18 (ASV)

Passage

And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we are thy servants.

Nearby Context

Genesis 50:16 And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

Genesis 50:17 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.

Genesis 50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we are thy servants.

Genesis 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

Genesis 50:20 And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brethren", "went", "fell", "down", "before", "face", "said", and "behold". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brethren" and "went", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "So shall ye say unto Joseph Forgive..." into verse 19's "And Joseph said unto them Fear not...", so "brethren" and "went" belong inside that flow. In Genesis context, the local focus is creation, human rebellion, covenant promise, and God's providence.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "brethren" and "went" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.