Genesis50

After Jacob's death, Joseph oversaw his embalming and a seventy-day period of mourning in Egypt. Joseph then secured Pharaoh's permission to bury his father in the land of Canaan, fulfilling Jacob's dying wish. Following the burial, Joseph's brothers feared his retribution, but Joseph reassured them, explaining that God had intended their evil for good to preserve many lives. Joseph lived to be one hundred and ten years old, and before his death, he prophesied that God would bring Israel out of Egypt and commanded that his bones be carried with them.

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Jacob's Embalming and Burial Preparation

Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.

And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,

taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that

my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.”

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

Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him—the elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt—

along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.

Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession.

When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.

When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim.

So Jacob’s sons did as he had charged them.

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 from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

Reconciliation and Joseph's Forgiveness

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.”

So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded,

‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”

But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?

As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.

Joseph's Last Instructions and Death

Now Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110.

He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.

Study Notes for Genesis 50

Verse 1

Joseph’s immediate and intense grief (wept and kissed) highlights his deep filial devotion, even after years of separation and his high status in Egypt.

Verse 2

Embalming was a necessary Egyptian custom for preservation during the long procession to Canaan. Joseph utilized the resources and customs of his adopted land to honor his father.

Verse 3

The 40 days for embalming and 70 days of mourning reflect standard Egyptian royal funerary rites, demonstrating the immense respect shown to Jacob due to Joseph's status.

Verse 5

Jacob’s final oath regarding his burial underscores the centrality of the covenant land (Canaan) to the patriarchs, even while the family was residing safely in Egypt.

Verse 7

The procession included high-ranking Egyptian officials and elders, signifying the strategic importance of Joseph and serving as a major diplomatic event.

Verse 10

The mourning ritual at Atad was so profound that the local Canaanites named the place Abelmizraim ('Mourning of Egypt'). This location was likely east of the Jordan, a common staging area before crossing to the burial site.

Verse 13

Jacob was buried in the Cave of Machpelah, fulfilling the promise and joining Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah. This act reaffirmed the family's claim to the promised land.

Verse 15

The brothers' persistent fear shows that they believed Joseph's kindness was conditional upon Jacob’s life. Their guilt resurfaces immediately upon their father's death, fearing retribution.

Verse 17

The brothers appeal not just to kinship but to covenant, calling themselves 'servants of the God of thy father.' Joseph’s weeping demonstrates his genuine sorrow over their continued distress and lack of trust.

Verse 19

Joseph’s response is a profound theological statement, asserting that judgment and vengeance belong solely to God. He refuses to usurp divine authority or act as God’s avenger.

Verse 20

This verse is the theological climax of the Joseph narrative. It articulates the doctrine of divine sovereignty, where God orchestrates human evil for a greater redemptive purpose—in this case, the preservation of Israel and Egypt.

Verse 24

Joseph ensures the family’s future focus remains fixed on the covenant promise. By reminding them that God 'will surely visit you,' he points forward to the Exodus event.

Verse 25

Joseph’s command to carry his bones to Canaan mirrors Jacob’s request, making him a perpetual symbol of Israel's promised return and faithfulness to the covenant.

Verse 26

Joseph’s death at 110 years (an idealized Egyptian lifespan) and his embalming symbolize his complete integration into Egyptian high society, yet his request for burial in Canaan confirms his identity as a member of the covenant people.

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Genesis50

Jacob's Embalming and Burial Preparation

Reconciliation and Joseph's Forgiveness

Joseph's Last Instructions and Death

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