Genesis 50
50
The Burials of Jacob and Joseph
1 Then Joseph hugged his father’s face.#tn Heb “fell on.” The expression describes Joseph’s unrestrained sorrow over Jacob’s death; he probably threw himself across the body and embraced his father. He wept over him and kissed him. 2 Joseph instructed the physicians in his service#tn Heb “his servants the physicians.” to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 They took forty days, for that is the full time needed for embalming.#tn Heb “and forty days were fulfilled for him, for thus are fulfilled the days of embalming.” The Egyptians mourned#tn Heb “wept.” for him seventy days.#sn Seventy days. This probably refers to a time of national mourning.
4 When the days of mourning#tn Heb “weeping.” had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s royal court,#tn Heb “the house of Pharaoh.” “If I have found favor in your sight, please say to Pharaoh,#tn Heb “in the ears of Pharaoh.” 5 ‘My father made me swear an oath. He said,#tn Heb “saying.” “I am about to die. Bury me#tn The imperfect verbal form here has the force of a command. in my tomb that I dug for myself there in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go and bury my father; then I will return.’” 6 So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father, just as he made you swear to do.”#tn Heb “he made you swear on oath.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; all Pharaoh’s officials went with him – the senior courtiers#tn Or “dignitaries”; Heb “elders.” of his household, all the senior officials of the land of Egypt, 8 all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. But they left their little children and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 9 Chariots and horsemen also went up with him, so it was a very large entourage.#tn Heb “camp.”
10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad#sn The location of the threshing floor of Atad is not certain. The expression the other side of the Jordan could refer to the eastern or western bank, depending on one’s perspective. However, it is commonly used in the OT for Transjordan. This would suggest that the entourage came up the Jordan Valley and crossed into the land at Jericho, just as the Israelites would in the time of Joshua. on the other side of the Jordan, they mourned there with very great and bitter sorrow.#tn Heb “and they mourned there [with] very great and heavy mourning.” The cognate accusative, as well as the two adjectives and the adverb, emphasize the degree of their sorrow. There Joseph observed a seven day period of mourning for his father. 11 When the Canaanites who lived in the land saw them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a very sad occasion#tn Heb “this is heavy mourning for Egypt.” for the Egyptians.” That is why its name was called#tn The verb has no expressed subject and so it may be translated as passive. Abel Mizraim,#sn The name Abel Mizraim means “the mourning of Egypt.” which is beyond the Jordan.
12 So the sons of Jacob did for him just as he had instructed them. 13 His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the field Abraham purchased as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After he buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to bury his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repay#tn The imperfect tense could be a simple future; it could also have a desiderative nuance. us in full#tn The infinitive absolute makes the statement emphatic, “repay in full.” for all the harm#tn Or “evil.” we did to him?” 16 So they sent word#tn The verb means “command,” but they would hardly be commanding him. It probably means they sent their father’s instructions to Joseph. to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave these instructions before he died: 17 ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept.#tn Heb “and Joseph wept when they spoke to him.” 18 Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him; they said, “Here we are; we are your slaves.” 19 But Joseph answered them, “Don’t be afraid. Am#tn Heb “For am I.” I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant to harm me,#tn Heb “you devised against me evil.” but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.#tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.” 21 So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindly#tn Heb “spoke to their heart.” to them.
22 Joseph lived in Egypt, along with his father’s family.#tn Heb “he and the house of his father.” Joseph lived 110 years. 23 Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation.#tn Heb “saw Ephraim, the children of the third.” He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; they were given special inheritance rights by Joseph.#tn Heb “they were born on the knees of Joseph.” This expression implies their adoption by Joseph, which meant that they received an inheritance from him.
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to you#tn The verb פָּקַד (paqad) means “to visit,” i.e., to intervene for blessing or cursing; here Joseph announces that God would come to fulfill the promises by delivering them from Egypt. The statement is emphasized by the use of the infinitive absolute with the verb: “God will surely visit you.” and lead you up from this land to the land he swore on oath to give#tn The words “to give” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons. to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of 110.#tn Heb “son of a hundred and ten years.” After they embalmed him, his body#tn Heb “he.” was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
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Genesis 50
50
Jacob’s Funeral
1Joseph flung himself over Jacob, kissing him and weeping. And his tears fell on his father’s face. 2-3When he was able to compose himself, he ordered the royal physicians to embalm his father. So, they began the required forty-day process. The Egyptians mourned for Israel for seventy days, 4and when the weeping period was over, Joseph approached Pharaoh’s officials and said to them, “Please, may I ask a personal favor? Bring my appeal before Pharaoh and tell him: # 50:4 A mourner was considered unclean and unable to come directly to Pharaoh, so Joseph made his appeal to Pharaoh’s officials. See Est. 4:2. 5‘My dying father made me promise that I would bury him in the land of Canaan—in a tomb he had hewn with his own hands. Please give me permission to go and bury my father; then I will return.’ ”
6Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Go to Canaan, bury your father, and keep your promise to him.”
7So Joseph went to Canaan to bury his father, and all the officials of Pharaoh, the elite members of his court, and all of Egypt’s dignitaries accompanied him. 8All of Joseph’s household and all his brothers and their father’s household went, too. Only the children and livestock remained behind in Goshen. 9Many chariots and horsemen—a huge entourage—accompanied Joseph to Canaan in a grand procession!
10When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad # 50:10 Atad means “brambles.” on the other side of the Jordan, # 50:10 The phrase “the other side of the Jordan” usually refers to the Transjordan. It is possible that the funeral procession crossed over the Jordan near Jericho, the place where Joshua would later cross with Israel to take possession of Canaan. they mourned loudly with bitter sorrow for a long time. And Joseph spent seven days there in ceremonial mourning for his father. # 50:10 A strict custom of a seven-day period of mourning remains in Judaism even to this day. See 1 Sam. 31:13; Job 2:13. For the first time, Joseph returned to what had been his boyhood home for thirty-nine years, sadly, for his father’s funeral. 11When the people of Canaan saw the depth of mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn occasion of grief for the Egyptians,” and named the place near the Jordan, The Mourning of the Egyptians. # 50:11 Or, in Hebrew, “Abel Mizraim.”
12So Jacob’s sons did as they were instructed 13and carried his body to the land of Canaan. They buried him there in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, where Abraham had purchased a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 14After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.
Joseph Comforts His Brothers
15When the brothers realized they were now without their father, they said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and decides to pay us back for all the trouble we brought on him?” 16So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before he died, your father left us this instruction: 17‘Tell Joseph that I beg him to completely forgive the sin of his brothers who treated him so harshly.’ Now, please forgive us, servants of the God of your father, of the horrible wrong we did to you.” Joseph cried and wept as they read this message to him. # 50:17 His brothers’ shame brought Joseph to tears. Without hesitation, he offered them reassurance and forgiveness. Joseph spoke kindly to those who hurt him, and he comforted their hearts. He refused to harbor a grudge or treat them differently for what they had done.
18Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph’s feet, saying, “We are here as your slaves!”
19But Joseph dried his tears and said, “Don’t be afraid. How could I ever take the place of God? # 50:19 Only God can judge, for he has perfect love and knows all things. Since we are not in his place, we only have the right to forgive. Many assume the role of a judge when they have someone cornered and vulnerable, but Joseph refused. He understood that God had turned the evil intentions of others into something good. God has power to transform pain into blessing when we love him through it all. 20Even though you intended to hurt me, God intended it for good. It was his plan all along, # 50:20 See Prov. 16:9; 20:24; Rom. 8:28. to ensure the survival of many people. So, don’t worry. I myself will provide for you all that you need, both for you and your little ones.” 21Then with more kind, reassuring words, Joseph comforted his brothers.
Joseph Dies in Egypt
22Joseph lived in Egypt along with his father’s family and lived to be one hundred and ten years old. # 50:22 From ancient Egyptian writings we learn that Egyptians considered the age of one hundred and ten to be the ideal life span. 23He lived to see the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Joseph also lived to see the children of Makir, son of Manasseh; and Joseph gave Makir’s children inheritance rights. # 50:23 Or “Makir’s children were born on Joseph’s knees,” a figure of speech for being given inheritance rights.
24Then Joseph declared to his brothers, “I will die one day, but God will certainly come to you # 50:24 Or “visit you.” and fulfill his promises to bring you and your descendants from this land and lead you to the land he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25So Joseph had his brothers, the sons of Israel, make a solemn oath, saying, “When God comes to you, you will carry my bones up from Egypt.” # 50:25 Even in death, Joseph fixed his eyes on eternity. Joseph foresaw life beyond the grave. By his astonishing declaration about his bones, Joseph proclaimed he lived for the promises rather than temporal concerns; he refused to be identified with his successes, accomplishments, or the blessings on his life, but only with the promises. He proclaimed that his home was not Egypt but the promised land. See Heb. 11:22.
26Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten. He was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. # 50:26 Genesis begins with God and ends with a coffin in Egypt. It begins with God’s command for light to sparkle, thrusting its way throughout the universe, and it ends here with this sad moment as a family grieved over a loved one who had passed away. Genesis ends with the reader longing for the curse of sin and death to be broken. Exodus will bring us closer to seeing the Passover Lamb (see 1 Cor. 5:7) who would one day be born to take away the sin of the world.
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