Genesis 50:20 (WEB)
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Genesis 50:20 (KJV)
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Key words
- אַתֶּם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָהattem chashavtem alay ra'ah, Elohim chashavah letovah · Hebrew
- 'ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good' — the same verb, 'meant,' for the brothers' plot and God's plan.
- לְהַחֲיֹת עַם־רָבlehachayot am-rav · Hebrew
- 'to save much people alive' — Joseph's suffering becomes the salvation of Israel and the nations.
Why it matters
Joseph tells the brothers who sold him that God turned their evil to good, to save many. Pitre calls this the key to the whole Joseph story (p 139, where the book cites it as Genesis 37:20): precisely through his suffering Joseph becomes the saviour of the very brothers who rejected him. That is the shape of Jesus' passion, and it is why Joseph is one of the most striking biblical types of Christ.
Catechism · 1
“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive."” — Catechism footnote: Gen 45:8; 50:20; cf. Tob 2:12 (Vulgate).
Fathers and councils · 2
John Cassian
- John Cassian, Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11Conference XIII
“You imagined evil against me but God turned it into good, that He might exalt me, as ye see at the present time, that He might save much people.”” — editor's note: Gen. xlv. 5–8; l. 19, 20.
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John Chrysostom
“…who gives the fruits, who said at the beginning, “Let the earth put forth the herb of grass,” and “Let the waters bring forth things moving with living souls.”” — editor's note: Gen. l. 11, 20. [LXX., ἐρπετ ψυχν ζωσν.]
Read the whole comment
Cross-references · 12
Cited together in Catechism §312.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Catechism §312.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Conferences XI–XVII XIII.11.
Cited together in Catechism §312 and 1 other place.