Genesis 50:21 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Genesis 50:23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third [generation]; the sons also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born on Joseph's knees.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fear", "maintain", "little", "ones", "comforted", "spoke", and "consolingly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fear" and "maintain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Ye indeed meant evil against me God..." into verse 22's "And Joseph dwelt in Egypt he and...", so "fear" and "maintain" 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 "fear" and "maintain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.