Genesis 50:20 (GNV)

Passage

When ye thought euill against mee, God disposed it to good, that he might bring to passe, as it is this day, and saue much people aliue.

Nearby Context

Genesis 50:18 Also his brethren came vnto him, and fell downe before his face, and sayde, Beholde, we be thy seruants.

Genesis 50:19 To whome Ioseph sayde, Feare not: for am not I vnder God?

Genesis 50:20 When ye thought euill against mee, God disposed it to good, that he might bring to passe, as it is this day, and saue much people aliue.

Genesis 50:21 Feare not nowe therefore, I will nourish you, and your children: and hee comforted them, and spake kindly vnto them.

Genesis 50:22 So Ioseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his fathers house: and Ioseph liued an hundreth and tenne yeere.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thought", "euill", "against", "disposed", "good", "might", "bring", and "passe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thought" and "euill", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "To whome Ioseph sayde Feare not for..." into verse 21's "Feare not nowe therefore I will nourish...", so "thought" and "euill" 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 "thought" and "euill" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.