Bible Strands
Hebrews 11:22
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes Joseph addressing his brothers at the moment his death is imminent. He directs them regarding the future departure of their descendants and the disposition of his physical remains.
The words — Πίστει (Pistei) literally means "by faith," establishing trust as the operative motive. τελευτῶν (teleutōn) literally means "dying" or "at the point of death," fixing the action to his final hours.
The thread — The command originates in Genesis 50:24 where Joseph predicts God's visitation and directs his brothers. It executes in Exodus 13:19 when Moses transports the bones out of Egypt and concludes in Joshua 24:32 when they are interred at Shechem.
Why it lands — The text explicitly records a dying man issuing concrete orders about future events and physical objects. It requires a reader to treat faith as practical obedience to a promised timeline rather than abstract belief.
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 Greek words
King James Version
By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
Cross-references
- Genesis 50:24 Then 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.”
- Exodus 13:19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.”
- Joshua 24:32 And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.
- Acts 7:16 Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.