Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Genesis » Chapter 50 » Verse 1-26

Genesis 50:1-26 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And Joseph H3130 fell H5307 upon his father's H1 face, H6440 and wept H1058 upon him, and kissed H5401 him.

2 And Joseph H3130 commanded H6680 his servants H5650 the physicians H7495 to embalm H2590 his father: H1 and the physicians H7495 embalmed H2590 Israel. H3478

3 And forty H705 days H3117 were fulfilled H4390 for him; for so are fulfilled H4390 the days H3117 of those which are embalmed: H2590 and the Egyptians H4714 mourned H1058 for him threescore and ten H7657 days. H3117

4 And when the days H3117 of his mourning H1068 were past, H5674 Joseph H3130 spake H1696 unto the house H1004 of Pharaoh, H6547 saying, H559 If now I have found H4672 grace H2580 in your eyes, H5869 speak, H1696 I pray you, in the ears H241 of Pharaoh, H6547 saying, H559

5 My father H1 made me swear, H7650 saying, H559 Lo, H2009 I die: H4191 in my grave H6913 which I have digged H3738 for me in the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 there shalt thou bury me. H6912 Now therefore let me go up, H5927 I pray thee, and bury H6912 my father, H1 and I will come again. H7725

6 And Pharaoh H6547 said, H559 Go up, H5927 and bury H6912 thy father, H1 according as he made thee swear. H7650

7 And Joseph H3130 went up H5927 to bury H6912 his father: H1 and with him went up H5927 all the servants H5650 of Pharaoh, H6547 the elders H2205 of his house, H1004 and all the elders H2205 of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714

8 And all the house H1004 of Joseph, H3130 and his brethren, H251 and his father's H1 house: H1004 only their little ones, H2945 and their flocks, H6629 and their herds, H1241 they left H5800 in the land H776 of Goshen. H1657

9 And there went up H5927 with him both chariots H7393 and horsemen: H6571 and it was a very H3966 great H3515 company. H4264

10 And they came H935 to the threshingfloor H1637 of Atad, H329 which is beyond H5676 Jordan, H3383 and there they mourned H5594 with a great H1419 and very H3966 sore H3515 lamentation: H4553 and he made H6213 a mourning H60 for his father H1 seven H7651 days. H3117

11 And when the inhabitants H3427 of the land, H776 the Canaanites, H3669 saw H7200 the mourning H60 in the floor H1637 of Atad, H329 they said, H559 This is a grievous H3515 mourning H60 to the Egyptians: H4714 wherefore the name of it H8034 was called H7121 Abelmizraim, H67 which is beyond H5676 Jordan. H3383

12 And his sons H1121 did H6213 unto him according as he commanded H6680 them:

13 For his sons H1121 carried H5375 him into the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 and buried H6912 him in the cave H4631 of the field H7704 of Machpelah, H4375 which Abraham H85 bought H7069 with the field H7704 for a possession H272 of a buryingplace H6913 of Ephron H6085 the Hittite, H2850 before H6440 Mamre. H4471

14 And Joseph H3130 returned H7725 into Egypt, H4714 he, and his brethren, H251 and all that went up H5927 with him to bury H6912 his father, H1 after H310 he had buried H6912 his father. H1

15 And when Joseph's H3130 brethren H251 saw H7200 that their father H1 was dead, H4191 they said, H559 Joseph H3130 will peradventure H3863 hate us, H7852 and will certainly H7725 requite H7725 us all the evil H7451 which we did H1580 unto him.

16 And they sent a messenger H6680 unto Joseph, H3130 saying, H559 Thy father H1 did command H6680 before H6440 he died, H4194 saying, H559

17 So shall ye say H559 unto Joseph, H3130 Forgive, H5375 I pray thee H577 now, the trespass H6588 of thy brethren, H251 and their sin; H2403 for they did H1580 unto thee evil: H7451 and now, we pray thee, forgive H5375 the trespass H6588 of the servants H5650 of the God H430 of thy father. H1 And Joseph H3130 wept H1058 when they spake H1696 unto him.

18 And his brethren H251 also went H3212 and fell down H5307 before his face; H6440 and they said, H559 Behold, we be thy servants. H5650

19 And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto them, Fear H3372 not: for am I in the place of God? H430

20 But as for you, ye thought H2803 evil H7451 against me; but God H430 meant it H2803 unto good, H2896 to H4616 bring to pass, H6213 as it is this day, H3117 to save H2421 much H7227 people H5971 alive. H2421

21 Now therefore fear H3372 ye not: I will nourish H3557 you, and your little ones. H2945 And he comforted H5162 them, and spake H1696 kindly H3820 unto them.

22 And Joseph H3130 dwelt H3427 in Egypt, H4714 he, and his father's H1 house: H1004 and Joseph H3130 lived H2421 an hundred H3967 and ten H6235 years. H8141

23 And Joseph H3130 saw H7200 Ephraim's H669 children H1121 of the third H8029 generation: the children H1121 also of Machir H4353 the son H1121 of Manasseh H4519 were brought up H3205 upon Joseph's H3130 knees. H1290

24 And Joseph H3130 said H559 unto his brethren, H251 I die: H4191 and God H430 will surely H6485 visit H6485 you, and bring you out H5927 of this land H776 unto the land H776 which he sware H7650 to Abraham, H85 to Isaac, H3327 and to Jacob. H3290

25 And Joseph H3130 took an oath H7650 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 God H430 will surely H6485 visit H6485 you, and ye shall carry up H5927 my bones H6106 from hence. H2088

26 So Joseph H3130 died, H4191 being an hundred H3967 and ten H6235 years H8141 old: H1121 and they embalmed H2590 him, and he was put H3455 in a coffin H727 in Egypt. H4714

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 50

Commentary on Genesis 50 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verses 1-3

Burial of Jacob. - Genesis 50:1-3. When Jacob died, Joseph fell upon the face of his beloved father, wept over him, and kissed him. He then gave the body to the physicians to be embalmed, according to the usual custom in Egypt. The physicians are called his servants, because the reference is to the regular physicians in the service of Joseph, the eminent minister of state; and according to Herod. 2, 84, there were special physicians in Egypt for every description of disease, among whom the Taricheuta , who superintended the embalming, were included, as a special but subordinate class. The process of embalming lasted 40 days, and the solemn mourning 70 (Genesis 50:3). This is in harmony with the statements of Herodotus and Diodorus when rightly understood (see Hengstenberg, Egypt and the Books of Moses , p. 67ff.).


Verse 4-5

At the end of this period of mourning, Joseph requested “the house of Pharaoh,” i.e., the attendants upon the king, to obtain Pharaoh's permission for him to go to Canaan and bury his father, according to his last will, in the cave prepared by him there. כּרה (Genesis 50:5) signifies “to dig” (used, as in 2 Chronicles 16:14, for the preparation of a tomb), not “to buy,” In the expression לי כּריתי Jacob attributes to himself as patriarch what had really been done by Abraham (Gen 24). Joseph required the royal permission, because he wished to go beyond the border with his family and a large procession. But he did not apply directly to Pharaoh, because his deep mourning (unshaven and unadorned) prevented him from appearing in the presence of the king.


Verses 6-9

After the king's permission had been obtained, the corpse was carried to Canaan, attended by a large company. With Joseph there went up “ all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, ” i.e., the leading officers of the court and state, “ and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house, ” i.e., all the members of the families of Joseph, of his brethren, and of is deceased father, “ excepting only their children and flocks; also chariots and horsemen, ” as an escort for the journey through the desert, “ a very large army .” The splendid retinue of Egyptian officers may be explained, in part from the esteem in which Joseph was held in Egypt, and in part from the fondness of the Egyptians for such funeral processions (cf. Hengst . pp. 70, 71).


Verse 10-11

Thus they came to Goren Atad beyond the Jordan, as the procession did not take the shortest route by Gaza through the country of the Philistines, probably because so large a procession with a military escort was likely to meet with difficulties there, but went round by the Dead Sea. There, on the border of Canaan, a great mourning and funeral ceremony was kept up for seven days, from which the Canaanites, who watched it from Canaan, gave the place the name of Abel-mizraim , i.e., meadow ( אבל with a play upon אבל mourning) of the Egyptians. The situation of Goren Atad (the buck-thorn floor), or Abel-mizraim , has not been discovered. According to Genesis 50:11, it was on the other side, i.e., the eastern side, of the Jordan. This is put beyond all doubt by Genesis 50:12, where the sons of Jacob are said to have carried the corpse into the land of Canaan (the land on this side) after the mourning at Goren Atad.

(Note: Consequently the statement of Jerome in the Onam. s. v. Area Atad - “ locus trans Jordanem, in quo planxerunt quondam Jacob, tertio ab Jerico lapide, duobus millibus ab Jordane, qui nunc vocatur Bethagla, quod interpretatur locus gyri, eo quod ibi more plangentium circumierint in funere Jacob ” - is wrong. Beth Agla cannot be the same as Goren Atad , if only because of the distances given by Jerome from Jericho and the Jordan. They do not harmonize at all with his trans Jordanem , which is probably taken from this passage, but point to a place on this side of the Jordan; but still more, because Beth Hagla was on the frontier of Benjamin towards Judah (Joshua 15:6; Joshua 18:19), and its name has been retained in the fountain and tower of Hajla , an hour and a quarter to the S.E. of Riha (Jericho), and three-quarters of an hour from the Jordan, by which the site of the ancient Beth Hagla is certainly determined. (Vid., Robinson, Pal. , ii. p. 268ff.))


Verse 12-13

There the Egyptian procession probably stopped short; for in Genesis 50:12 the sons of Jacob only are mentioned as having carried their father to Canaan according to his last request, and buried him in the cave of Machpelah.


Verse 14

After performing this filial duty, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brethren and all their attendants.


Verses 15-21

After their father's death, Joseph's brethren were filled with alarm, and said, “ If Joseph now should punish us and requite all the evil that we have done to him, ” sc., what would become of us! The sentence contains an aposiopesis , like Psalms 27:13; and לוּ with the imperfect presupposes a condition, being used “in cases which are not desired, and for the present not real, though perhaps possible” ( Ew . §358). The brethren therefore deputed one of their number (possibly Benjamin) to Joseph, and instructed him to appeal to the wish expressed by their father before his death, and to implore forgiveness: “ O pardon the misdeed of thy brethren and their sin, that they have done thee evil; and now grant forgiveness to the misdeed of the servants of the God of thy father .” The ground of their plea is contained in ועתּה “and now,” sc., as we request it by the desire and direction of our father, and in the epithet applied to themselves, “servants of the God of thy father.” There is no reason whatever for regarding the appeal to their father's wish as a mere pretence. The fact that no reference was made by Jacob in his blessing to their sin against Joseph, merely proved that he as their father had forgiven the sin of his sons, since the grace of God had made their misdeed the means of Israel's salvation; but it by no means proves that he could not have instructed his sons humbly to beg for forgiveness from Joseph, even though Joseph had hitherto shown them only goodness and love. How far Joseph was from thinking of ultimate retribution and revenge, is evident from the reception which he gave to their request (Genesis 50:17): “ Joseph wept at their address to him .” viz., at the fact that they could impute anything so bad to him; and when they came themselves, and threw themselves as servants at his feet, he said to them (Genesis 50:19), “ Fear not, for am I in the place of God? ” i.e., am I in a position to interfere of my own accord with the purposes of God, and not rather bound to submit to them myself? “ Ye had indeed evil against me in your mind, but God had it in mind for good (to turn this evil into good), to do ( עשׂה like ואה Genesis 48:11), as is now evident (lit., as has occurred this day, cf. Deuteronomy 2:30; Deuteronomy 4:20, etc.), to preserve alive a great nation (cf. Genesis 45:7). And now fear not, I shall provide for you and your families .” Thus he quieted them by his affectionate words.


Verse 22-23

Death of Joseph. - Joseph lived to see the commencement of the fulfilment of his father's blessing. Having reached the age of 110, he saw Ephraim's שׁלּשׁים בּני “ sons of the third link, ” i.e., of great-grandsons, consequently great-great-grandsons. שׁלּשׁים descendants in the third generation are expressly distinguished from “children's children” or grandsons in Exodus 34:7. There is no practical difficulty in the way of this explanation, the only one which the language will allow. As Joseph's two sons were born before he was 37 years old (Genesis 41:50), and Ephraim therefore was born, at the latest, in his 36th year, and possibly in his 34th, since Joseph was married in his 31st year, he might have had grandsons by the time he was 56 or 60 years old, and great-grandsons when he was from 78 to 85, so that great-great-grandsons might have been born when he was 100 or 110 years old. To regard the “sons of the third generation” as children in the third generation (great-grandsons of Joseph and grandsons of Ephraim), as many commentators do, as though the construct בּני stood for the absolute, is evidently opposed to the context, since it is stated immediately afterwards, that sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, i.e., great-grandsons, were also born upon his knees, i.e., so that he could take them also upon his knees and show them his paternal love. There is no reason for thinking of adoption in connection with these words. And if Joseph lived to see only the great-grandsons of Ephraim as well as of Manasseh, it is difficult to imagine why the same expression should not be applied to the grandchildren of Manasseh, as to the descendants of Ephraim.


Verses 24-26

When Joseph saw his death approaching, he expressed to his brethren his firm belief in the fulfilment of the divine promise (Genesis 46:4-5, cf. Genesis 15:16, Genesis 15:18.), and made them take an oath, that if God should bring them into the promised land, they would carry his bones with them from Egypt. This last desire of his was carried out. When he died, they embalmed him, and laid him ( ויּישׂם from ישׂם , like Genesis 24:33 in the chethib ) “in the coffin,” i.e., the ordinary coffin, constructed of sycamore-wood (see Hengstenberg, pp. 71, 72), which was then deposited in a room, according to Egyptian custom ( Herod . 2, 86), and remained in Egypt for 360 years, until they carried it away with them at the time of the exodus, when it was eventually buried in Shechem, in the piece of land which had been bought by Jacob there (Genesis 33:19; Joshua 24:32).

Thus the account of the pilgrim-life of the patriarchs terminates with an act of faith on the part of the dying Joseph; and after his death, in consequence of his instructions, the coffin with his bones became a standing exhortation to Israel, to turn its eyes away from Egypt to Canaan, the land promised to its fathers, and to wait in the patience of faith for the fulfilment of the promise.

Chronological Survey of the Leading Events of the Patriarchal History

Arranged according to the Hebrew Text, as a continuation of the Chronological Tables at p. 77, with an additional calculation of the year before Christ.