And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that [is] in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
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Commentary for Genesis 47:30
Genesis 47:30 is part of the narrative concerning the life of Joseph, one of the patriarchs in the Book of Genesis. This verse is set towards the end of Joseph's life, during the time when he is reunited with his father, Jacob, in Egypt. Jacob, also known as Israel, has moved his entire family to Egypt to escape a severe famine in Canaan.
**Themes:**
1. **Mortality and Burial Customs:** The verse reflects the theme of mortality, as Jacob is nearing the end of his life and is concerned with his burial place. It highlights the importance of ancestral burial sites, which was a significant aspect of ancient Near Eastern culture, indicating a connection to one's ancestors and the promise of land that was central to the covenant between God and the patriarchs.
2. **Fulfillment of Promises:** Jacob's request to be buried in the ancestral tomb in Canaan (the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham had purchased) is a testament to his faith in the promises of God regarding the land. This theme of divine promise and its fulfillment is a recurrent motif in the Genesis narrative.
3. **Father-Son Relationship:** The interaction between Jacob and Joseph showcases the strong bond between father and son. Joseph's agreement to fulfill his father's wishes demonstrates filial piety and respect, which was highly valued in ancient societies.
**Historical Context:**
The historical context of this verse is set during the latter part of the patriarchal period, which is traditionally dated around the 2nd millennium BCE. At this time, the Hebrews were a semi-nomadic people who eventually settled in Egypt due to the famine. The narrative reflects the historical reality of burial practices and the significance of lineage and ancestral heritage in the ancient Near East.
The verse also reflects the broader historical context of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt, which would later lead to their enslavement and the eventual Exodus, a pivotal event in Jewish history and identity. Joseph's high position in Egypt and the integration of his family into Egyptian society would have been notable exceptions to the usual experience of foreigners in ancient Egypt, highlighting the unique circumstances of the patriarchs' lives.
In summary, Genesis 47:30 encapsulates themes of mortality, the importance of ancestral burial places, the fulfillment of divine promises, and strong family bonds, all set against the backdrop of the Israelites' migration to and settlement in Egypt during the patriarchal age.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
Strong's Number: H7901 There are 194 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שָׁכַב Transliteration: shâkab Pronunciation: shaw-kab' Description: a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose); [idiom] at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.
Strong's Number: H1 There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אָב Transliteration: ʼâb Pronunciation: awb Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
Strong's Number: H5375 There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: נָשָׂא Transliteration: nâsâʼ Pronunciation: naw-saw' Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield.
Strong's Number: H4714 There are 602 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: מִצְרַיִם Transliteration: Mitsrayim Pronunciation: mits-rah'-yim Description: dual of מָצוֹר; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt; Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.
Strong's Number: H6912 There are 122 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: קָבַר Transliteration: qâbar Pronunciation: kaw-bar' Description: a primitive root; to inter; [idiom] in any wise, bury(-ier).
Strong's Number: H6900 There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: קְבוּרָה Transliteration: qᵉbûwrâh Pronunciation: keb-oo-raw' Description: or קְבֻרָה; feminine passive participle of קָבַר; sepulture; (concretely) a sepulchre; burial, burying place, grave, sepulchre.
Strong's Number: H559 There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אָמַר Transliteration: ʼâmar Pronunciation: aw-mar' Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
Strong's Number: H6213 There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: עָשָׂה Transliteration: ʻâsâh Pronunciation: aw-saw' Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.
Strong's Number: H1697 There are 1290 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: דָּבָר Transliteration: dâbâr Pronunciation: daw-baw' Description: from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work.