Genesis 50:15 (YLT)

Passage

And the brethren of Joseph see that their father is dead, and say, `Peradventure Joseph doth hate us, and doth certainly return to us all the evil which we did with him.'

Nearby Context

Genesis 50:13 and his sons bear him away to the land of Canaan, and bury him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying-place, from Ephron the Hittite, on the front of Mamre.

Genesis 50:14 And Joseph turneth back to Egypt, he and his brethren, and all who are going up with him to bury his father, after his burying his father.

Genesis 50:15 And the brethren of Joseph see that their father is dead, and say, `Peradventure Joseph doth hate us, and doth certainly return to us all the evil which we did with him.'

Genesis 50:16 And they give a charge for Joseph, saying, `Thy father commanded before his death, saying,

Genesis 50:17 Thus ye do say to Joseph, I pray thee, bear, I pray thee, with the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, for they have done thee evil; and now, bear, we pray thee, with the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father;' and Joseph weepeth in their speaking unto him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brethren", "joseph", "father", "dead", "peradventure", "doth", and "hate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brethren" and "joseph", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "And Joseph turneth back to Egypt he..." into verse 16's "And they give a charge for Joseph...", so "brethren" and "joseph" 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 "joseph" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.