Genesis 50:13

. And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them. Not only Joseph, but all the sons of Jacob were concerned in the burial of him, being all charged by him with it, and who were obedient to his commands as follows; see Genesis 49:29. Genesis 50:13 Ver. 13. For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan,.... That is, they took care that he was carried there, as he desired to be; for it cannot be thought that they carried him on their shoulders thither, in like manner as the devout men carried Stephen to his burial, Acts 8:2 and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, &c. the very place where he chose to be buried, Genesis 47:29. Genesis 50:14 Ver. 14. And Joseph returned into Egypt,.... As he promised he would, Genesis 50:5 he and his brethren; the eleven sons of Jacob; for though they had not made the same promise, nor Joseph for them, yet they returned, having left their little ones, flocks and herds, in Egypt: and all that went up with him to bury his father; the elders and great men of the land of Egypt, with their attendants: after he had buried his father; in the land of Canaan, which, though given to the seed of Jacob, the time was not come for them to possess it, nor the time of their departure out of Egypt thither, which was to be a good while hence, and after another manner. Genesis 50:15 Ver. 15. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead,....

50:7-14 Jacob's body was attended, not only by his own family, but by the great men of Egypt. Now that they were better acquainted with the Hebrews, they began to respect them. Professors of religion should endeavour by wisdom and love to remove the prejudices many have against them. Standers-by took notice of it as a grievous mourning. The death of good men is a loss to any place, and ought to be greatly lamented.

For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan,.... That is, they took care that he was carried there, as he desired to be; for it cannot be thought that they carried him on their shoulders thither, in like manner as the devout men carried Stephen to his burial, Acts 8:2 . and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, &c. the very place where he chose to be buried, Genesis 47:29.

10. they came to the threshing-floor of Atad, &c.—"Atad" may be taken as a common noun, signifying "the plain of the thorn bushes." It was on the border between Egypt and Canaan; and as the last opportunity of indulging grief was always the most violent, the Egyptians made a prolonged halt at this spot, while the family of Jacob probably proceeded by themselves to the place of sepulture.

CHAPTER 50 Ge 50:1-26. Mourning for Jacob. 1. Joseph fell upon his father's face, &c.—On him, as the principal member of the family, devolved the duty of closing the eyes of his venerable parent (compare Ge 46:4) and imprinting the farewell kiss.Joseph bewails his father’s death; and embalms him, Genesis 50:1,2. The Egyptians mourn for him seventy days, Genesis 50:3. Joseph with Pharaoh’s leave carries him stately accompanied to Canaan, Genesis 50:4-9. They mourn there seven days, and sorely, so that the Canaanites from thence named the place Abel-mizraim, Genesis 50:10,11. They bury him where he commanded, Genesis 50:12,13. They return to Egypt, Genesis 50:14. Jacob being dead, his sons are afraid of their brother Joseph, Genesis 50:15. Pretending their father’s order, they address for pardon, Genesis 50:16-18. He weeps, forgives, and encourageth them, Genesis 50:19-21. Joseph lives to see a third and fourth generation, Genesis 50:22,23. Assures his brethren of their future return to Canaan, Genesis 50:24. He takes an oath of them to carry his bones with them, Genesis 50:25; dies; is embalmed; and put in a coffin, Genesis 50:26. And doubtless closed his eyes, as God had promised, Genesis 46:4, which may be implied in this general phrase.

The funeral procession is now described. "All the servants of Pharaoh." The highest honor is conferred on Jacob for Joseph's sake. "The elders of Pharaoh, and all the elders of the land of Mizraim." The court and state officials are here separately specified. "All the house." Not only the heads, but all the sons and servants that are able to go. Chariots and horsemen accompany them as a guard on the way. "The threshing-floor of Atari, or of the buck-thorn." This is said to be beyond Jordan. Deterred, probably, by some difficulty in the direct route, they seem to have gone round by the east side of the Salt Sea. "A mourning of seven days." This is a last sad farewell to the departed patriarch. Abel-Mizraim. This name, like many in the East, has a double meaning. The word Abel no doubt at first meant mourning, though the name would be used by many, ignorant of its origin, in the sense of a meadow. "His sons carried him." The main body of the procession seems to have halted beyond the Jordan, and awaited the return of the immediate relatives, who conveyed the body to its last resting-place. The whole company then returned together to Egypt.

4 . I will go down ] The promise of the Divine presence is the assurance of safety and blessing. God is no mere local god of Canaan. He will be with His people, where they are; whether in Mesopotamia ( Genesis 31:13 ), in Palestine ( Genesis 35:3 ), or in Egypt. bring thee up again ] i.e. from Egypt back into Canaan. The pronoun “thee” must surely be understood of the people descended from, and personified by, Jacob, and identified with his name. It does not predict his burial in Canaanite land. The words may best be illustrated from Genesis 50:24 , and not from Genesis 50:13 . They foretell the Exodus of the Israelites, not the burial of Jacob. put his hand … eyes ] The last tender office performed by the nearest relative. The promise is fulfilled; see Genesis 50:1 .

18 . the oaks of Mamre ] Better, as R.V. marg., terebinths . Cf. Genesis 14:13 , Genesis 18:1 . Probably the sacred trees of the Canaanite sanctuary at Hebron. Josephus ( Ant . i. x. § 4 and B.J . iv. ix. § 7) mentions the oak tree ( δρύς ) of Hebron. The so-called oak of Abraham, 3 miles N.W. of Hebron, was shattered by a storm in the winter of 1888–9. The tree was said to be six or seven hundred years old. In Genesis 14:24 Mamre is the name of a local chieftain allied with Abram. Here, and in Genesis 23:17 ; Genesis 23:19 , Genesis 25:9 , Genesis 49:30 , Genesis 50:13 , it is the name of a place near Hebron. in Hebron ] The famous city of Judah; cf. Genesis 23:2 . From its connexion with Abram it derives its modern name El Ḥalil , “the friend,” an abbreviation of Ḥalil er-raḥman , “the friend of the Merciful One, i.e. God,” the designation of Abram. Cf. Isaiah 41:8 ; James 2:23 . It stands 3000 ft. above the sea, at the junction of the main roads, from Gaza in the W., from Egypt in the S.W., from the Red Sea on the S.E., and from Jerusalem, 19 miles away, on the N.

[Reformed Biblical] ypt, the other in regard of the place in which Moses wrote. It is certain they fetched a great compass, whether for the commodiousness of the way for their chariots, and for conveniences for so great a company, or to prevent all jealousies in the people, as if they came thither with ill design, is not material. ## There they mourned, because there was the entrance into that country or territory where he was to be buried. Though the Egyptians were not much grieved nor concerned for Jacob’s death, yet they used bitter cries and lamentations, which possibly were made or aggravated by persons hired and used upon such occasions. See Jer_9:17. ## Seven days, according to the custom. See 1Sa_31:13. Genesis 50:11 No text from Poole on this verse. Genesis 50:12 No text from Poole on this verse. Genesis 50:13 No text from Pool