Genesis 50:20 (DBY)

Passage

Ye indeed meant evil against me: God meant it for good, in order that he might do as [it is] this day, to save a great people alive.

Nearby Context

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

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

Genesis 50:20 Ye indeed meant evil against me: God meant it for good, in order that he might do as [it is] this day, to save a great people alive.

Genesis 50:21 And now, fear not: I will maintain you and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spoke consolingly to them.

Genesis 50:22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's house; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "for good", "indeed", "meant", "evil", "against", "order", and "might". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "for good" and "indeed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "And Joseph said to them Fear not..." into verse 21's "And now fear not I will maintain...", so "for good" and "indeed" 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 "for good" and "indeed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.