Genesis 50
Expanded Bible
Jacob’s Burial
50 When Jacob died, Joseph ·hugged [L fell on the face of] his father and cried over him and kissed him. 2 He commanded the doctors who served him to ·prepare his father’s body [embalm his father], so the doctors ·prepared Jacob’s body to be buried [L embalmed Israel; C another name for Jacob; 32:28]. 3 It took the doctors forty days to ·prepare his body [embalm him] (the usual time it took). And the Egyptians ·had a time of sorrow for Jacob that lasted [L wept over him for] seventy days.
4 When this time of ·sorrow had ended [L weeping passed], Joseph spoke to ·the king’s officers [L household of Pharaoh] and said, “If ·you think well of me [L I have found grace in your eyes], please ·tell this to the king [L speak now in the ear of Pharaoh]: 5 ‘When my father was near death, ·I made a promise to him [L my father made me swear] that I would bury him in a cave in the land of Canaan, in a burial place that he cut out for himself. So please let me go and bury my father, and then I will return.’ ”
6 ·The king [L Pharaoh] answered, “·Keep your promise. Go [L As he made you swear, go] and bury your father.”
7 So Joseph went to bury his father. All ·the king’s officers [L servants of Pharaoh], the elders of his ·court [L house], and all the elders of Egypt went with Joseph. 8 ·Everyone who lived with [L All the house of] Joseph and his brothers went with him, as well as ·everyone who lived with [L all the house of] his father. They left only their ·children [little ones], their flocks, and their herds in the land of Goshen [45:10]. 9 They went with Joseph in chariots and on horses. It was a very large ·group [camp].
10 When they came to ·the threshing floor of Atad [or Goren-ha-atad; or the threshing floor of the bramble], near the Jordan River, they ·cried loudly and bitterly for his father [L lamented there with a great and exceedingly strong lament]. Joseph’s time of ·sorrow [mourning] continued for seven days. 11 The people that lived in Canaan saw the ·sadness [mourning] at the threshing floor of Atad [or Goren-ha-atad; or threshing floor of the bramble] and said, “Those Egyptians are ·showing great sorrow [intense in their mourning]!” So now that place is named ·Sorrow of the Egyptians [or Abel-mizraim].
12 So Jacob’s sons did as their father commanded. 13 His sons carried ·his body [L him] to the land of Canaan and buried ·it [or him] in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre. Abraham had bought this cave and field from Ephron the Hittite to use as a burial ·place [site]. 14 After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and everyone who had gone with him to bury his father.
The Brothers Fear Joseph
15 ·After Jacob [L The brothers of Joseph saw that their father had] died, ·Joseph’s brothers [L and they] said, “What if Joseph ·is still angry with [holds a grudge against] us? We did many wrong things to him. What if he plans to pay us back?” 16 So they ·sent a message to [instructed; commanded] Joseph that said, “Your father gave this command before he died. 17 He said to us, ‘You have done wrong and have sinned and done evil to Joseph. Tell Joseph to forgive you, his brothers.’ So now, Joseph, we beg you to forgive our wrong. We are the servants of the God of your father.” When Joseph received the message, he cried.
18 And his brothers went to him and bowed low before him and said, “We are your slaves.”
19 Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. ·Can I do what only God can do [Am I in the place of God]? 20 You meant ·to hurt [to harm; or evil against] me, but God ·turned your evil into [L meant it for] good to save the lives of many people, which is being done. 21 So don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your ·children [little ones].” So Joseph ·comforted [consoled; reassured] his brothers and spoke kind words to them.
22 Joseph continued to live in Egypt with all ·his father’s family [L the house of his father]. ·He died when he was [L Joseph lived until he was] one hundred ten years old. 23 ·During Joseph’s life Ephraim had children and grandchildren [L Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation], and Joseph’s son Manasseh had a son named Makir. ·Joseph accepted Makir’s children as his own [L The children of Makir were born on his knees].
The Death of Joseph
24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will ·take care of [provide for] you. He will ·lead you out of [bring you up from] this land to the land he ·promised [swore] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph had the sons of Israel ·make a promise [swear]. He said, “·Promise [Swear to] me that you will ·carry [bring up] my bones with you out of Egypt.”
26 Joseph died when he was one hundred ten years old. ·Doctors prepared his body for burial [L Doctors embalmed him], and then they put him in a coffin in Egypt.
Genesis 50
Amplified Bible
Burial Preparations and Mourning for Jacob
50 Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him [tenderly]. 2 Then Joseph ordered his servants the physicians to embalm (mummify) his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel (Jacob). 3 Now forty days were required for this, for that is the customary number of days [of preparation] required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept and grieved for him [in public mourning as they would for royalty] for seventy days.
4 When the days of weeping and public mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to [the nobles of] the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear [an oath], saying, “Hear me, I am about to die; bury me in my tomb which I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.” So now let me go up [to Canaan], please, and bury my father; then I will return.’” 6 And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
7 So Joseph went up [to Canaan] to bury his father, and with him went all the officials of Pharaoh, [the nobles of his court and] the elders of his household and all [the nobles and] the elders of the land of Egypt— 8 and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household. They left only their little ones and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 9 Both chariots and horsemen also went up [to Canaan] with Joseph; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they mourned there with a great lamentation (expressions of mourning for the deceased) and [extreme demonstrations of] sorrow [according to Egyptian custom]; and Joseph observed a seven-day mourning for his father. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim (mourning of Egypt); it is west of the Jordan.
Burial at Machpelah
12 So Jacob’s sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph carries a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded us before he died, saying, 17 ‘You are to say to Joseph, “I beg you, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ Now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers went and fell down before him [in confession]; then they said, “Behold, we are your servants (slaves).” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? [Vengeance is His, not mine.] 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present outcome, that many people would be kept alive [as they are this day]. 21 So now, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and support you and your little ones.” So he comforted them [giving them encouragement and hope] and spoke [with kindness] to their hearts.
Death of Joseph
22 Now Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. 23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children; also the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born and raised on Joseph’s knees. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up out of this land to the land which He promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob [to give you].” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel (Jacob) swear [an oath], saying, “God will surely visit you and take care of you [returning you to Canaan], and [when that happens] you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him and he was put [a]in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes
- Genesis 50:26 Joseph’s body remained in Egypt until the exodus to the promised land of Canaan about two hundred years later. Its final resting-place was Shechem, near Samaria, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem (Josh 24:32). Here each of his brothers was also buried (Acts 7:15, 16).
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