Genesis 50
50
1Then Joseph #ch. 46:4fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. 2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to #ver. 26; [2 Chr. 16:14; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56; John 19:39, 40]embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians #[ver. 10; Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8; 1 Sam. 31:13; Job 2:13]wept for him seventy days.
4And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, #ch. 47:29; See ch. 33:15“If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb #2 Chr. 16:14; Isa. 22:16; Matt. 27:60that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” 6And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left #See ch. 45:10in the land of Goshen. 9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, #[2 Sam. 1:17; Acts 8:2] they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he #[ver. 3]made a mourning for his father seven days. 11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim;#50:11 Abel-mizraim means mourning (or meadow) of Egypt it is beyond the Jordan. 12Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13for #ch. 49:29, 30; [Acts 7:16] his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham #ch. 23:16bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
God’s Good Purposes
15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of #ch. 49:25the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18His brothers also came and #[ch. 37:7, 10]fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for #ch. 30:2; [2 Kgs. 5:7]am I in the place of God? 20As for you, you meant evil against me, but #ch. 45:5, 7God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people#50:20 Or a numerous people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21So do not fear; #ch. 45:11; 47:12I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
22So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children #[Job 42:16; Ps. 128:6] of the third generation. The #Num. 32:39; 1 Chr. 7:14, 15 children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were #[ch. 30:3]counted as Joseph’s own.#50:23 Hebrew were born on Joseph’s knees 24And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but #ch. 15:14; 46:4; 48:21; Ex. 3:16, 17; [Heb. 11:22] God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land #ch. 15:18; 26:3; 28:13; 35:12; 46:4that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25Then #Ex. 13:19; Josh. 24:32Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They #See ver. 2embalmed him, and he was put 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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