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The Burials of Jacob and Joseph

50 Then Joseph hugged his father’s face.[a] He wept over him and kissed him. Joseph instructed the physicians in his service[b] to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel. They took forty days, for that is the full time needed for embalming.[c] The Egyptians mourned for[d] him seventy days.[e]

When the days of mourning[f] had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s royal court,[g] “If I have found favor in your sight, please say to Pharaoh,[h] ‘My father made me swear an oath. He said,[i] “I am about to die. Bury me[j] in my tomb that I dug for myself there in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go and bury my father; then I will return.’” So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father, just as he made you swear to do.”[k]

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 50:1 tn Heb “fell on.” The expression describes Joseph’s unrestrained sorrow over Jacob’s death; he probably threw himself across the body and embraced his father.
  2. Genesis 50:2 tn Heb “his servants the physicians.”
  3. Genesis 50:3 tn Heb “and forty days were fulfilled for him, for thus are fulfilled the days of embalming.”
  4. Genesis 50:3 tn Heb “wept for.”
  5. Genesis 50:3 sn Seventy days. This probably refers to a time of national mourning.
  6. Genesis 50:4 tn Heb “weeping.”
  7. Genesis 50:4 tn Heb “the house of Pharaoh.”
  8. Genesis 50:4 tn Heb “in the ears of Pharaoh.”
  9. Genesis 50:5 tn Heb “saying.”
  10. Genesis 50:5 tn The imperfect verbal form here has the force of a command.
  11. Genesis 50:6 tn Heb “he made you swear on oath.”

50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.(A) Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,(B) taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.(C)

When the days of mourning(D) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,(E) “If I have found favor in your eyes,(F) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ‘My father made me swear an oath(G) and said, “I am about to die;(H) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself(I) in the land of Canaan.”(J) Now let me go up and bury my father;(K) then I will return.’”

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

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