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Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
Genesis 48:21 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.
  • KJV And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
  • NKJV Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
  • NASB Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
  • NLT Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jacob assures Joseph that, though he is dying, God will be present and return them to Canaan.

Overview

Facing death, Jacob rests not in his own continued presence but in God's covenant promise to bring his offspring back to the land of their fathers. This is faith looking beyond the grave to God's faithfulness across generations, the same hope that sustained the patriarchs (Hebrews 11:21-22). It points forward to the God who is 'with us' in Christ, Immanuel, and who keeps every promise He makes to His people.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 25

  • Gen 46:4I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”
  • Gen 50:24Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
  • Gen 28:15Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
  • Gen 26:3Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.
  • Heb 7:3Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.
  • Heb 7:23–25Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office.
  • Deut 31:8The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
  • Zech 1:5–6Where are your fathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever?
  • Deut 1:1–46These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—in the Arabah opposite Suph—between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
  • Josh 3:7Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.
  • Josh 1:5No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
  • Josh 24:1–33Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
  • Josh 1:9Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
  • Gen 12:5And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
  • Gen 15:14But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
  • 2 Tim 4:6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
  • Ps 18:46The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted—
  • Luke 2:29“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace.
  • Gen 37:1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
  • Heb 7:8In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on.
  • Acts 13:36For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.
  • Ps 146:3–4Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
  • 2 Pet 1:14because I know that this tent will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
  • 1 Kgs 2:2–4“I am about to go the way of all the earth. So be strong and prove yourself a man.
  • Josh 23:14Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Genesis videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Genesis 48:21YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GenesisMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.

How Genesis 48:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.