The Meaning of Genesis 50:15 Explained

Genesis 50:15

KJV: And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

YLT: 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.'

Darby: And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, If now Joseph should be hostile to us, and should indeed requite us all the evil that we did to him!

ASV: And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when Joseph's  brethren  saw  that their father  was dead,  they said,  Joseph  will peradventure  hate us,  and will certainly  requite  us all the evil  which we did  unto him. 

What does Genesis 50:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 50:15-26 - Joseph Loves Until His Death
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Chapter Summary: Genesis 50

1  The mourning for Jacob
4  Joseph gets leave of Pharaoh to go to bury him
7  The funeral
15  Joseph comforts his brothers, who crave his pardon
22  His age
23  He sees the third generation of his sons
24  He prophesies unto his brothers of their return
25  He takes an oath of them concerning his bones
26  He dies, and is put into a coffin

What do the individual words in Genesis 50:15 mean?

And when saw the brothers of Joseph that was dead their father then they said Perhaps will hate us Joseph and actually may repay us - for all the evil which we did to him
וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֲחֵֽי־ יוֹסֵף֙ כִּי־ מֵ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ ל֥וּ יִשְׂטְמֵ֖נוּ יוֹסֵ֑ף וְהָשֵׁ֤ב יָשִׁיב֙ לָ֔נוּ אֵ֚ת כָּל־ הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּמַ֖לְנוּ אֹתֽוֹ

וַיִּרְא֤וּ  And  when  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֲחֵֽי־  the  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
יוֹסֵף֙  of  Joseph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מֵ֣ת  was  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
אֲבִיהֶ֔ם  their  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ  then  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֥וּ  Perhaps 
Parse: Preposition
Root: לוּ  
Sense: if, oh that!, if only!.
יִשְׂטְמֵ֖נוּ  will  hate  us 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: שָׂטַם  
Sense: to hate, oppose oneself to, bear a grudge, retain animosity against, cherish animosity against.
יוֹסֵ֑ף  Joseph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
וְהָשֵׁ֤ב  and  actually 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יָשִׁיב֙  may  repay 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לָ֔נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כָּל־  for  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָ֣רָעָ֔ה  the  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
גָּמַ֖לְנוּ  we  did 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: גָּמַל  
Sense: to deal fully with, recompense.
אֹתֽוֹ  to  him 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.