Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Genesis 50:20

וְאַתֶּ֕ם חֲשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָלַ֖י רָעָ֑ה אֱלֹהִים֙ חֲשָׁבָ֣הּ לְטֹבָ֔ה לְמַ֗עַן עֲשֹׂ֛ה כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה לְהַחֲיֹ֥ת עַם־רָֽב׃

And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Rashbam on Genesis

אלוקים חשבה לטובה, you were the unwitting agents of G’d and you are therefore not to blame. G’d had planned that it should all be for the good.
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Sforno on Genesis

ואתם חשבתם עלי רעה, you had mistakenly considered me as a רודף, someone threatening your very lives. Had you not erred, your actions would have been perfectly justified.
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Or HaChaim on Genesis

ואתם חשבתם עלי רעה, והאלוקים חשבה לטובה, "what you had planned as harm for me, G'd planned it for good, etc." The whole matter is comparable to that of a person who plans to give his friend a poisoned drink in order to kill him, but who mistakenly pours him a cup of wine. Legally speaking, such a person is not guilty before a human tribunal. Similarly, the brothers were not guilty before Joseph though they were guilty before a Heavenly Tribunal. It is possible that the forgiveness of the victim even to a Jewish criminal would not free the criminal from the death penalty if the deed had been committed under circumstances warranting such a verdict.
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Haamek Davar on Genesis

Elokim meant it for good. Hashem arranged for them to suspect him and try to harm him in order to bring about this great event, otherwise Yaakov’s righteous sons would never have done such a deed.
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Sforno on Genesis

אלקים חשבה לטובה, G’d exploited your error for something good.
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