Genesis 50: Jacob's burial, and Joseph's last years
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Joseph has his father embalmed and, with Pharaoh's permission, buries him in the cave of Machpelah in Canaan. Back in Egypt, the brothers fear Joseph will now pay them back, but he tells them not to be afraid: they meant evil against him, but God meant it for good. Joseph lives to one hundred ten, and before he dies he makes the sons of Israel swear to carry his bones out of Egypt.
Who is speaking?
Joseph, Pharaoh, the Canaanites and Joseph's brothers speak. The brothers pass on a command they say came from Jacob, and Joseph speaks about what God will do, but God himself does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept on him, and kissed him.
In plain English: Joseph threw himself on his father's face, wept over him, and kissed him.
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2Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.
In plain English: Joseph ordered his servants, the doctors, to embalm his father, and the doctors embalmed Israel.
The Hebrew word: "Embalm" is chanat. It is used in only four verses: three are about embalming Jacob and Joseph (here, and ), and one is about figs ripening ().
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3Forty days were used for him, for that is how many days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for Israel for seventy days.
In plain English: It took forty days, the full time needed for embalming. The Egyptians mourned for Israel seventy days.
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4When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s staff, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
In plain English: When the days of mourning were over, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's household: "If I have found favor with you, please speak to Pharaoh for me and tell him,
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5‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’”
In plain English: 'My father made me swear an oath. He said, "I am about to die. Bury me in the grave I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." So please let me go up and bury my father, and then I will come back.'"
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6Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.”
In plain English: Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear."
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7Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt,
In plain English: So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went all of Pharaoh's officials, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
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8all 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.
In plain English: as well as all of Joseph's household, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen.
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9Both chariots and horsemen went up with him. It was a very great company.
In plain English: Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company.
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10They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.
In plain English: When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan, they mourned there with very great and severe weeping. He mourned for his father for seven days.
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11When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
In plain English: When the people living there, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a deep mourning for the Egyptians." That is why the place, beyond the Jordan, was named Abel Mizraim.
Good to know: The name Abel Mizraim echoes what the Canaanites said: "a grievous mourning (evel) by the Egyptians (Mitsrayim)".
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12His sons did to him just as he commanded them,
In plain English: So his sons did for him just as he had commanded them.
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13for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, as a possession for a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre.
In plain English: His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. Abraham had bought it, with the field, from Ephron the Hittite, to own as a burial place.
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14Joseph returned into Egypt—he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
In plain English: After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
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15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.”
In plain English: Now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the evil we did to him?"
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16They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,
In plain English: So they sent a message to Joseph: "Before your father died, he gave this command:
Good to know: Genesis does not record Jacob giving this command anywhere else. The text does not say whether he did.
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17‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
In plain English: 'Say this to Joseph: Please forgive your brothers for their wrongdoing and their sin, because they did evil to you.' So now, please forgive the wrongdoing of the servants of your father's God." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
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18His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
In plain English: Then his brothers came themselves and threw themselves down in front of him. They said, "Look, we are your servants (or: slaves)."
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19Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
In plain English: But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
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20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.
In plain English: You meant (planned) evil against me, but God meant it for good, so that many people would be kept alive, as is happening today.
The Hebrew word: "Meant" is chashav: to think, plan, or work something out. Joseph uses the same word twice: his brothers planned evil, and God planned good.
Good to know: Joseph said something like this when he first told his brothers who he was: "It wasn't you who sent me here, but God" ().
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21Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.
In plain English: So do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones." He comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
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22Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years.
In plain English: Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father's household. Joseph lived one hundred ten years.
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23Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.
In plain English: Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children of Machir, Manasseh's son, were also born on Joseph's knees.
Good to know: Children born "on the knees" of someone also appear in , where Rachel tells Jacob to go in to her servant Bilhah, so that Bilhah may bear "on my knees" and Rachel can have children through her. Here the phrase may mean the same, that Joseph took these children in as his own. The text does not say.
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24Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
In plain English: Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely come to help you (or: visit you) and will bring you up out of this land to the land he promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
The Hebrew word: "Visit" is paqad, repeated for force: "God will surely visit you." It means to come and see to someone's needs (and, in other places, to punish).
How it is translated: In its 269 verses this Bible says "count" or a longer form of it in about 2 of every 5, and "visit" or a longer form of it in about 1 of every 6.
What changes: In everyday English "visit" can sound like a short call. Here it means God will step in to help them, as he says in : "I have surely visited you".
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25Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
In plain English: Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, "God will surely come to help you (or: visit you), and then you must carry my bones up from here."
Good to know: Joseph's wish is carried out later: Moses takes Joseph's bones with him when Israel leaves Egypt (), and they are buried at Shechem (). remembers Joseph's instructions about his bones.
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26So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
In plain English: So Joseph died at the age of one hundred ten. They embalmed him, and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
The Hebrew word: "Coffin" is aron, a box or chest. It is the same word used for the ark God tells Moses to make ().
How it is translated: In its 174 verses this Bible says "ark" in 168. This is the only one where it says "coffin".
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