Genesis 50:6

Study note

Setting — Pharaoh addresses Joseph immediately after Joseph petitions to leave Egypt and honor his father’s burial request. The dialogue occurs at the threshold of departure, just before Joseph and Egyptian officials travel to Canaan.

The words — The imperative עֲלֵה ('a.Leh) literally means "go up," denoting the geographic ascent from the Nile valley to Canaan. The verb הִשְׁבִּיעֶֽךָ (hish.bi.'E.kha) translates directly to "he made you swear," mirroring the exact oath language from Genesis 50:5.

The thread — The geographic ascent parallels Genesis 48:21, where Jacob states God will bring Joseph back to the land of his fathers. The burial command directly references the oath recorded in Genesis 50:5, where Jacob specifies a Canaanite tomb he personally dug.

Why it lands — The text requires recognizing that royal permission enables the fulfillment of a familial oath. It places the reader in the factual sequence of political authorization preceding covenantal burial without adding theological commentary.

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.