Genesis 50

1Then Joseph #Gen. 46:4, 29fell on his father’s face, and #2 Kin. 13:14wept over him, and kissed him. 2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to #Gen. 50:26; 2 Chr. 16:14; Matt. 26:12; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 19:39, 40embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians #Gen. 37:34; Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8mourned for him seventy days.

4Now when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to #Esth. 4:2the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh, saying, 5#Gen. 47:29–31‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave #2 Chr. 16:14; Is. 22:16; Matt. 27:60which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come back.’ ”

6And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

7So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

10Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they #Acts 8:2mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. #1 Sam. 31:13; Job 2:13He observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

12So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them. 13For #Gen. 49:29–31; Acts 7:16his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which Abraham #Gen. 23:16–20bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as property for a burial place. 14And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, #(Job 15:21)they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” 16So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; #(Prov. 28:13)for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of #Gen. 49:25the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18Then his brothers also went and #Gen. 37:7–10; 41:43; 44:14fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”

19Joseph said to them, #Gen. 45:5“Do not be afraid, #Gen. 30:2; 2 Kin. 5:7for am I in the place of God? 20#Gen. 45:5, 7; Ps. 56:5But as for you, you meant evil against me; but #(Acts 3:13–15)God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21Now therefore, do not be afraid; #(Matt. 5:44)I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Death of Joseph

22So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23Joseph saw Ephraim’s children #Gen. 48:1; Job 42:16to the third generation. #Num. 26:29; 32:39The children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, #Gen. 30:3were also brought up on Joseph’s knees.

24And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but #Gen. 15:14; 46:4; 48:21; Ex. 3:16, 17; Josh. 3:17; Heb. 11:22God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land #Gen. 26:3; 35:12; 46:4; Ex. 6:8of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25Then #Gen. 47:29, 30; Ex. 13:19; Josh. 24:32; Acts 7:15, 16; Heb. 11:22Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and #Gen. 17:8; 28:13; 35:12; Deut. 1:8; 30:1–8you shall carry up my #Ex. 13:19bones from here.” 26So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Genesis 50

Burial Preparations and Mourning for Jacob

1Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him [tenderly]. 2Then Joseph ordered his servants the physicians to embalm (mummify) his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel (Jacob). 3Now forty days were required for this, for that is the customary number of days [of preparation] required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept and grieved for him [in public mourning as they would for royalty] for seventy days.

4When the days of weeping and public mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to [the nobles of] the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying, 5‘My father made me swear [an oath], saying, “Hear me, I am about to die; bury me in my tomb which I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.” So now let me go up [to Canaan], please, and bury my father; then I will return.’ ” 6And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

7So Joseph went up [to Canaan] to bury his father, and with him went all the officials of Pharaoh, [the nobles of his court and] the elders of his household and all [the nobles and] the elders of the land of Egypt— 8and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household. They left only their little ones and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 9Both chariots and horsemen also went up [to Canaan] with Joseph; and it was a very great company. 10When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they mourned there with a great lamentation (expressions of mourning for the deceased) and [extreme demonstrations of] sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and Joseph observed a seven-day mourning for his father. 11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim (mourning of Egypt); it is west of the Jordan.

Burial at Machpelah

12So Jacob’s sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him.

15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph carries a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him?” 16So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying, 17‘You are to say to Joseph, “I beg you, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.” ’ Now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18Then his brothers went and fell down before him [in confession]; then they said, “Behold, we are your servants (slaves).” 19But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? [Vengeance is His, not mine.] 20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present outcome, that many people would be kept alive [as they are this day]. 21So now, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and support you and your little ones.” So he comforted them [giving them encouragement and hope] and spoke [with kindness] to their hearts.

Death of Joseph

22Now Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. 23Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children; also the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born and raised on Joseph’s knees. 24Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up out of this land to the land which He promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob [to give you].” 25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel (Jacob) swear [an oath], saying, “God will surely visit you and take care of you [returning you to Canaan], and [when that happens] you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him and he was put #Joseph’s body remained in Egypt until the exodus to the promised land of Canaan about two hundred years later. Its final resting-place was Shechem, near Samaria, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem (Josh 24:32). Here each of his brothers was also buried (Acts 7:15, 16).in a coffin in Egypt.

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Genesis 50

Genesis 50