NOTES for Gen 50:1-26
As can be seen, Joseph's brothers cannot bring themselves to believe that he has really forgiven them. Of course, in principle there is nothing strange about this: in those days people forgave rarely and reluctantly, and all the more after what Joseph's brothers had done to him. Now they feared revenge, for their father had died and there was no one left to restrain Joseph.
But Joseph himself does not intend to take revenge. He says words to his brothers that they do not seem to understand completely: it was not you who sold me into slavery; it was God who brought me to Egypt in order to save all of you from death by famine.
What is this: an excuse meant to calm his brothers? Hardly. Joseph was sufficiently open with his brothers. He clearly really believes that, whether his brothers wanted it or not, God was acting through their hands. Of course, this in no way excuses the brothers themselves, for when they got rid of Joseph they were thinking least of all about the future of their kin. Everything turned out for the better only by the will of God, not because of their efforts but in spite of them. Joseph, however, focuses precisely on the will of God and leaves the brothers' intentions aside.
Of course, this decision was preceded by a certain formative process, to use modern language, during which Joseph made his brothers understand and feel what it means to suffer guilt without being guilty. He apparently did everything to lead them to repentance. But judging by the fear that continued to torment them, they never experienced true repentance. Perhaps that is exactly why it is so hard for them to believe in forgiveness.
And Joseph forgives them with the will of God in mind: after all, a person can truly forgive only in this way, only by looking at the situation, so to speak, through God's eyes. Joseph managed to do this. But the perspective of God's providence, alas, remained hidden from his brothers.