Genesis 50:23 (YLT)

Passage

and Joseph looketh on Ephraim's sons of the third <FI>generation<Fi> ; sons also of Machir, son of Manasseh, have been born on the knees of Joseph.

Nearby Context

Genesis 50:21 and now, fear not: I do nourish you and your infants;' and he comforteth them, and speaketh unto their heart.

Genesis 50:22 And Joseph dwelleth in Egypt, he and the house of his father, and Joseph liveth a hundred and ten years,

Genesis 50:23 and Joseph looketh on Ephraim's sons of the third <FI>generation<Fi> ; sons also of Machir, son of Manasseh, have been born on the knees of Joseph.

Genesis 50:24 And Joseph saith unto his brethren, `I am dying, and God doth certainly inspect you, and hath caused you to go up from this land, unto the land which He hath sworn to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.'

Genesis 50:25 And Joseph causeth the sons of Israel to swear, saying, `God doth certainly inspect you, and ye have brought up my bones from this <FI>place<Fi> .'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "joseph", "looketh", "ephraim's", "sons", "third", "generation", and "machir". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "joseph" and "looketh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "And Joseph dwelleth in Egypt he and..." into verse 24's "And Joseph saith unto his brethren I...", so "joseph" and "looketh" 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 "joseph" and "looketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.