Bible Strands
Genesis 50:4
When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — After the seventy-day Egyptian mourning period for Jacob concludes, Joseph addresses Pharaoh’s court to request temporary leave. He speaks to the royal household at the precise moment the mandated rites of weeping are complete.
The words — The verb וַ/יַּֽעַבְרוּ (va/i.ya.'av.Ru) translates literally as “and they passed,” signaling the end of the יְמֵי בְכִיתוֹ (days of his weeping) before Joseph opens his petition.
The thread — The petition formula “if I have found favor in your eyes” appears in Genesis 18:3 when Abraham approaches God, establishing a pattern of respectful supplication before a superior.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to observe how Joseph transitions from formal mourning to practical negotiation with political authority. It shows that fulfilling a sworn familial duty demands structured communication and adherence to court protocol.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
Cross-references
- Genesis 18:3 “My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.
- Esther 4:2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.