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Jacob’s Burial
1Then Joseph, leaning over his father’s face, wept and kissed him. 2He commanded his servants who were physicians to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. 3They took 40 days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him 70 days. # Gn 50:10; Nm 20:29; Dt 34:8
4When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell # Lit please speak in the ears of Pharaoh that 5my father made me take an oath, # Gn 47:29-31 saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.’ # 2Ch 16:14; Is 22:16; Mt 27:60 Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.”
6So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father in keeping with your oath.”
7Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went with him, 8along with all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their sheep, and their cattle were left in the land of Goshen. 9Horses and chariots went up with him; it was a very impressive procession. 10When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wept loudly, and Joseph mourned seven days for his father. 11When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place is named Abel-mizraim. # = Mourning of Egypt It is across the Jordan.
12So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. 13They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. # Gn 23:16-20 14After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.
Joseph’s Kindness
15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.” # Gn 37:28; 42:21-22
16So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command: 17‘Say this to Joseph: Please forgive your brothers’ transgression and their sin — the suffering they caused you.’ Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept # Gn 43:30; 46:29; 50:1 when their message came to him. 18Then his brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves! ”
19But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? # Gn 3:5 20You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result — the survival of many people. # Gn 45:7; Rm 8:28 21Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your little ones.” # Gn 45:11; 47:12 And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. # Lit spoke to their hearts
Joseph’s Death
22Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt. Joseph lived 110 years. 23He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation; # Jb 42:16; Ps 128:6 the sons of Manasseh’s son Machir were recognized by # Lit were born on the knees of # Referring to a ritual of adoption or of legitimation; Gn 30:3 Joseph. # Gn 30:3
24Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, # Gn 48:21; Ex 3:16-17; Heb 11:22 but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land He promised Abraham, # Gn 13:15-17; 15:7-8 Isaac, # Gn 26:3 and Jacob.” # Gn 28:13; 35:12 25So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.” # Ex 13:19
26Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.