Jacob’s Burial Instructions

29 Then he commanded them, “I am about to be gathered to my people.(A) Bury me with my ancestors(B) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hethite.(C) 30 The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hethite as burial property.(D) 31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there,(E) Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there,(F) and I buried Leah there.(G) 32 The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hethites.” 33 When Jacob had finished giving charges to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, took his last breath, and was gathered to his people.

Jacob’s Burial

50 Then Joseph, leaning over his father’s face, wept and kissed him. He commanded his servants who were physicians to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. They took forty days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.(H)

When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell Pharaoh that my father made me take an oath,(I) saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.’(J) Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.”

So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father in keeping with your oath.”

Then 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, along with all Joseph’s family, his brothers, and his father’s family. Only their dependents, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. Horses and chariots went up with him; it was a very impressive procession. 10 When 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. 11 When 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.[a] It is across the Jordan.

12 So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. 13 They 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 burial property from Ephron the Hethite.(K) 14 After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

Notas al pie

  1. 50:11 = Mourning of Egypt

Jacob Dies

29 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am about to be (A)gathered to my people; (B)bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in (C)the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the (D)cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a [a]burial site. 31 There they buried (E)Abraham and his wife (F)Sarah, there they buried (G)Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and (H)breathed his last, and was (I)gathered to his people.

Jacob Is Buried

50 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians (J)embalmed Israel. Now forty days were [b]required for [c]it, for [d]such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians (K)wept for him seventy days.

When the days of [e]mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak [f]to Pharaoh, saying, (L)My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave (M)which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now then, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’” Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.”

So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. Chariots with teams of horses also went up with him; and it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the [g]threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they (N)mourned there with a very great and [h]sorrowful lamentation; and he [i]observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at [j]the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a [k]grievous [l]mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named [m]Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

Burial at Machpelah

12 And so his sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in (O)the cave of the field of Machpelah opposite Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a [n]burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

Notas al pie

  1. Genesis 49:30 Lit possession of a burial place
  2. Genesis 50:3 Lit fulfilled
  3. Genesis 50:3 Or him
  4. Genesis 50:3 Lit so are fulfilled the days of embalming
  5. Genesis 50:4 Lit weeping
  6. Genesis 50:4 Lit In the ears of
  7. Genesis 50:10 Heb Goren ha-Atad
  8. Genesis 50:10 Lit heavy
  9. Genesis 50:10 Lit made a mourning for seven days
  10. Genesis 50:11 Heb Goren ha-Atad
  11. Genesis 50:11 Lit heavy
  12. Genesis 50:11 Heb ebel
  13. Genesis 50:11 I.e., the meadow (or mourning) of Egypt
  14. Genesis 50:13 Lit possession of a burial place