Genesis 50

Step in their obedience was proper Egyptian embalming. Eventually his bones were taken to the plot Jacob had purchased at Shechem instead of Abraham’s plot at Mamre near Hebron. Genesis begins with the stories of God’s creation and ends with a dead man in an Egyptian coffin, far different than man could have had if they had obeyed God from the start.
Jacob would have been embalmed in the MANNER OF THE WEALTHIER EGYPTIANS.
They skillfully removed the brain through the nose with a hooked bronze instrument, then the cavity was washed out with medicates and the nostrils plugged. The eyes were removed and replaced with ones of ivory or obsidian. Finger nails were kept in place with thread, or silver stalls were placed over the fingers. An opening was cut in the right side and the entrails were entirely removed and placed in sepulchral urns. The abdominal cavity was cleansed with palm wine and filled with spices and the entire body was immersed in a salt peter solution for up to seventy days.
The incision was closed with a tin plate and the arms arranged as chosen. The body was then wrapped in white linen bandages three or four inches wide and up to 700 to 1000 yards long, all kept in place with a pitch or gum. An outer decorative shroud was then wrapped on. In other cases, more layers of linen were glued on making a sort of pasteboard envelope. The body was then placed in a coffin made to fit, and it might be placed inside others just a little larger. For poorer people, some of these procedures were omitted, all the way down to merely being dried and salted and wrapped in rags. The latter would be buried in the ground, singly or in groups, without coffins.
There were millions of mummified people and animals, and at one time the English took shiploads of them and ground them up for fertilizer.

KING JAMES BIBLE

And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him.

2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel.

3And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.

4And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

5My 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.

6And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

7And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

8And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.

9And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.

10And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

11And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.

12And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:

13For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

14And 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.

15And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

19And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

21Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

22And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.

23And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.

24And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

25And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

26So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

KING JAMES 1611

1. And Ioseph fell vpon his fathers face, and wept vpon him, and kissed him.

2. And Ioseph commanded his seruants the physicians to imbalme his father: and the physicians imbalmed Israel.

3. And fortie dayes were fulfilled for him, (for so are fulfilled the dayes of those which are imbalmed) and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten dayes.

4. And when the dayes of his mourning were past, Ioseph spake vnto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I haue found grace in your eyes, speake, I pray you, in the eares of Pharaoh, saying,

5. My father made me sweare, saying, Loe, I die: in my graue which I haue digged for me, in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therfore let me goe vp, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come againe.

6. And Pharaoh said, Goe vp, and bury thy father, according as he made thee sweare.

7. And Ioseph went vp to bury his father: and with him went vp all the seruants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

8. And all the house of Ioseph, and his brethren, and his fathers house: onely their litle ones, and their flockes, and their heards, they left in the land of Goshen.

9. And there went vp with him both charets and horsemen: and it was a very great company.

10. And they came to the threshing floore of Atad, which is beyond Iordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seuen dayes.

11. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites sawe the mourning in the floore of Atad, they saide, This is a grieuous mourning to the Egyptians: wherfore the name of it was called, Abel Mizraim, which is beyond Iordan.

12. And his sonnes did vnto him according as he commanded them.

13. For his sonnes caried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the caue of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying place, of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

14. And Ioseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren, and all that went vp with him, to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

15. And when Iosephs brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Ioseph will peraduenture hate vs, and will certainely requite vs all the euill which we did vnto him.

16. And they sent a messenger vnto Ioseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17. So shall ye say vnto Ioseph, Forgiue, I pray thee now, the trespasse of thy brethren, and their sinne: for they did vnto thee euill: And now wee pray thee, forgiue the trespasse of the seruants of the God of thy father. And Ioseph wept, when they spake vnto him.

18. And his brethren also went and fell downe before his face, and they said, Behold, we be thy seruants.

19. And Ioseph saide vnto them, Feare not: for am I in the place of God?

20. But as for you, yee thought euill against me, but God meant it vnto good, to bring to passe, as it is this day, to saue much people aliue.

21. Now therefore feare yee not: I will nourish you, and your litle ones. And hee comforted them, and spake kindly vnto them.

22. And Ioseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his fathers house: and Ioseph liued an hundred and ten yeeres.

23. And Ioseph sawe Ephraims children, of the third generation: the children also of Machir, the sonne of Manasseh were brought vp vpon Iosephs knees.

24. And Ioseph saide vnto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land, vnto the land which hee sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Iacob.

25. And Ioseph tooke an othe of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visite you, and ye shal carie vp my bones from hence.

26. So Ioseph died, being an hundred and ten yeeres old: and they imbalmed him, and he was put in a coffin, in Egypt.

Compare Verses to Verses

I == Gen 46:4 ; 2nd Kings 13:14

II == Gen 50:26 ; 2nd Chr 16:14 ; Matt 26:12 ; Mark 14:8 ; 16:1 ; Luke 24:1 ; John 12:7 ; 19:39-40

III Num 20:29 ; Deut 34:8

IV == Esth 4:2

V == Gen 47:29

XIII == Gen 23:16 ; 49:29-30 ; Acts 7:16

XV == Job 15:21-22

XVII == Gen 49:25 ; Prov 28:13

XVIII == Gen 37:7 , 10

XIX == gen 45:5 ; Deut 32:35 ; 2nd Kings 5:7 ; Job 34:29 ; Rom 12:19 ; Heb 10:30

XX == Gen 45:5 , 7 ; Ps 56:5 ; Isa 10:7 ; Acts 3:13-15

XXI == Gen 34:3 ; 47:12 ; Matt 5:44

XXIII == Gen 30:3 ; Num 32:39 ; Job 42:16

XXIV == Gen 15:14 , 18 ; Ex 3:16-17 ; Heb 11:22

XXV == Ex 13:19

THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE

1 Joseph threw himself on his father's face and wept over him as he kissed him.

2 Then he ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father. When they embalmed Israel,

3 they spent forty days at it, for that is the full period of embalming; and the Egyptians mourned him for seventy days.

4 When that period of mourning was over, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's courtiers. "Please do me this favor," he said, "and convey to Pharaoh this request of mine.

5 Since my father, at the point of death, made me promise on oath to bury him in the tomb that he had prepared for himself in the land of Canaan, may I go up there to bury my father and then come back?"

6 Pharaoh replied, "Go and bury your father, as he made you promise on oath."

7 So Joseph left to bury his father; and with him went all of Pharaoh's officials who were senior members of his court and all the other dignitaries of Egypt,

8 as well as Joseph's whole household, his brothers, and his father's household; only their children and their flocks and herds were left in the region of Goshen.

9 Chariots, too, and charioteers went up with him; it was a very large retinue.

10 When they arrived at Goren-ha-atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they held there a very great and solemn memorial service; and Joseph observed seven days of mourning for his father.

11 When the Canaanites who inhabited the land saw the mourning at Goren-ha-atad, they said, "This is a solemn funeral the Egyptians are having." That is why the place was named Abel-mizraim. It is beyond the Jordan.

12 Thus Jacob's sons did for him as he had instructed them.

13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, facing on Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought for a burial ground from Ephron the Hittite.

14 After Joseph had buried his father he returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all who had gone up with him for the burial of his father.

15 Now that their father was dead, Joseph's brothrs became fearful and thought, "Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!"

16 So they approached Joseph and said: "Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:

17 'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers, who treated you so cruelly.' Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we, the servants of your father's God, committed." When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.

18 Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him and said, "Let us be your slaves!"

19 But Joseph replied to them: "Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?

20 Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.

21 Therefore have no fear. I will provide for you and for your children." By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.

22 Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years.

23 He saw Ephraim's children to the third generation, and the children of Manasseh's son Machir were also born on Joseph's knees.

24 Joseph said to his brothers: "I am about to die. God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

25 Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued, "When God thus takes care of you, you must bring my bones up with you from this place."

26 Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. He was embalmed and laid to rest in a coffin in Egypt.

COMMENTARIE

v 1. All the sons no doubt sorrowed, but the closeness of his youth and the long separation made Joseph’s grief more intense.

v 2,3. Israelites buried as soon as possible after death, but Joseph commanded Jacob’s body to be embalmed in the Egyptian way for the long journey. After 40 days of embalming, the Egyptians grieved for another 30 days. Honoring Jacob a total of 70 days was only 2 days less than the mourning time allotted for a Pharaoh.

v 4-6. To avoid misunderstanding, Joseph requested leave to fulfill Jacob’s request to be returned to Canaan for burial. Ceremonial uncleanness may have been the reason he didn’t go directly to Pharaoh. By now it was a different Pharaoh, but Joseph was well favored, his promise was noted, and the request readily granted.

v 7-9. Because of Joseph’s prominence, we see from the Egyptians going along, that this was what we would call a “state funeral”. Apparently Israelite mothers even left the small children in charge of siblings and servants in order to go. Jacob expected to go to his grave in sorrow over the loss of Joseph, but he goes in high honor.

v 10,11. Atad means brambles, and probably described the location, not the name of a man. Beyond Jordan means west of Jordan, from where Moses wrote. Abelmizraim means meadow of mourning of Egypt, and some claim it was later called Bethhogla, Josh 15:6 That is unlikely as that is southeast of Jericho near the Jordan. They would have no reason to be there before going to Mamre, so undoubtedly, writers are wrong in their location. The Egyptian custom may have been for another week of mourning near the grave site, but this was not just ceremonial, it was deep grief.

V 12-14. Burial being properly completed, all returned to Egypt.

v 15-18. Joseph’s brothers feared that with Jacob gone, Joseph would finally get revenge for what they had done. They sent a messenger ahead with the lie of Jacob’s request, then appeared themselves. Joseph probably saw through their deception and wept over them. They were so truly repentant they offered themselves as slaves.

v 19. Joseph assures them it is not he but God who avenges, Rom 12:19

V 20,21. His words of comfort to them can apply in many situations in our own lives, “ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good. The critical famine is long past, but he is in a position to still care for them.

22 to 26 The Death of Joseph

v 22-26. Joseph lived to 110 and saw at least some of his great grandchildren. Some of his brothers had probably already died, but he told his relatives that God would definitely bring them out of Egypt back to the land that was promised to them. He made them take an oath that when that time came, they would take his bones along with them to be buried in the land of promise. He tried to instill his faith into them. It took persecution over 300 years later to make them willing to leave the desirable location in Egypt.