Genesis 50.1-14-Joseph Buries Jacob in the Cave of Machpelah
Wednesday April 25, 2007
Genesis: Genesis 50:1-14-Joseph Buries Jacob in the Cave of Machpelah
Lesson # 319
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 50:1.
This evening we will begin a study of the fiftieth and final chapter of the book of Genesis.
The chapter is divided into three sections: (1) Joseph buries Jacob in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 50:1-14). (2) Joseph assures his brothers that he won’t seek revenge upon them (Genesis 50:15-21). (3) Conclusion of Joseph’s life, his last words and death (Genesis 50:22-26).
This evening we will note the first section, which is divided into four sections: (1) Joseph grieves for his father (Genesis 50:1). (2) Jacob is embalmed and mourned (Genesis 50:2-3). (3) Pharaoh grants Joseph permission to bury his father in Canaan (Genesis 50:4-6). (4) Jacob is buried at the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 50:7-14).
Genesis 50:1, “Then Joseph fell on his father's face, and wept over him and kissed him.”
“Wept” is the verb bakhah (hkB) (baw-kaw), which refers to audible weeping.
The verb refers to Joseph’s emotional grief in mourning over the death of his father Israel.
In general, Orientals such as Joseph did not weep quietly but were inclined to loud weeping and lamenting.
Weeping is an emotion and emotion composes one fifth of the human soul with the other elements of the soul being the volition, self-consciousness, mentality and conscience.
Emotion is the responder to what is in the mentality of the soul.
Joseph’s loud crying was an expression of his emotion of grief for the death of his father.
This is the fifth and final time that Joseph weeps in the book of Genesis (See Genesis 42:24; 43:30; 45:1-2; 14-15; 50:17).
The kiss was an expression of Joseph’s affection for his father as well as a farewell gesture to his father.
There are at least three reasons why the narrator emphasizes that Joseph grieved for his father and not his brothers, which is not to say that his brothers did not grieve for their father, they did.
The narrator is emphasizing Joseph since this incident features Joseph and the Egyptians in relation to Jacob’s burial whereas in Genesis 50:12-15, the emphasis is back on the brothers again.
The second reason why the narrator emphasizes Joseph’s grief and not his brothers is that he was the closest to his father.
The third and final reason is that the narrator is attempting to demonstrate that God was keeping His promises to Jacob since in Genesis 46:4, God promised Jacob that Joseph would close his eyes.
Genesis 50:2, “Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.”
Genesis 50:3, “Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.”
Genesis 50:3 records that the period of embalming in Egypt took forty days whereas the period of mourning took another thirty days.
Joseph orders his physicians to embalm his father for two reasons.
The first was “political” in that by embalming his father, Joseph would be honoring his father in the eyes of the Egyptians since they would embalm their honored dead.
The second reason was “practical” in that by embalming his father, Joseph would be preparing his father’s corpse for the long journey to Canaan where he would bury his father at the cave of Machpelah.
The Egyptians embalmed their dead since according to their religion they believed it would assist in the journey after death.
Embalming the dead played a crucial role in the Egyptian religion and was bound up with the cult of Osiris and conceptions of the afterlife.
The Egyptians believed in an afterlife and in relation to this they thought it important to preserve the physical body.
In fact, they took meticulous care to prevent the decomposing of the corpse in order to ensure the right of the deceased to immortality but the embalming of Jacob and Joseph is without any religious significance.
The Israelites did not embalm their dead like the Egyptians since they did not subscribe to the Egyptian religion.
However, the Israelites did handle the body of the deceased in a dignified fashion and would place the body in a grave in confident expectation of the resurrection.
The ancient historian Herodotus describes the process of embalming by the Egyptians, he writes, “They first take a crooked piece of iron and with it draw out the brain through the nostrils, thus getting rid of a portion while the skull is cleared of the rest by rinsing with drugs; next they make a cut along the flank with a sharp Ethiopian stone, and take out the whole contents of the abdomen, which they then cleanse, washing it thoroughly with palm wine and again frequently with an infusion of pounded aromatics. After this they fill the cavity with the purest bruised myrrh with cassia and every other sort of spicery except frankincense and sew up the opening. Then the body is placed in natrum for seventy days and covered entirely over. After the expiration of that space of time, which must not be exceeded, the body is washed and wrapped round from head to foot, with bandages of fine linen cloth, smeared over with gum, which is used generally by the Egyptians in the place of glue, and in this state it is given back to the relations, who enclose it in a wooden case which they have had made for the purpose, shaped into the figure of the man.” (The History, Great Books volume 5, page 66, section 86; Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.).
Our text says that the Egyptians mourned for Joseph’s father for seventy days, which were the number of days that the Egyptians would observe for an Egyptian king.
Therefore, we see the nation of Egypt honored Joseph for his service to their nation in delivering it from famine by honoring his father and mourning for him as if his father was a dead Egyptian king.
Next, we will note Genesis 50:4-6 in which we will see Pharaoh granting Joseph permission to bury his father in Canaan.
Genesis 50:4-5, “When the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, ‘If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, ‘Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.’ Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’”
Joseph is conveying the conversation that he had with his father prior to his death, which is recorded in Genesis 47:27-31.
The expression “the household of Pharaoh” refers to the members of the Egyptian government who assisted Pharaoh in state affairs.
Some commentators suggest that Joseph spoke directly to Pharaoh’s advisors rather than Pharaoh himself because he was considered by the Egyptians as ceremonially unclean due to the mourning rites of the Egyptians however, the text does not say this to be the case.
Since Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt, he needed to guard against giving an impression that he no longer needed to be accountable to Pharaoh.
Therefore, he requests permission through Pharaoh’s advisors rather than Pharaoh directly since he wants to demonstrate to all of Pharaoh’s advisors that he still respects Pharaoh’s authority and considers himself accountable to Pharaoh.
Romans 13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”
Joseph tactfully omits the oath ceremony with his father in which his father prohibited him from burying him in Egypt since it might suggest a lack of commitment to Egypt on the part of Joseph (See Genesis 47:27-31) but instead he emphasizes with Pharaoh that his father had a tomb already prepared for himself.
The expression “If now I have found favor in your sight” is deferential language, which is normally used by an inferior when speaking to a superior and is used by Joseph in order to acknowledge that he is subordinate to Pharaoh and his dependence upon Pharaoh to permit him to meet his need in burying his father in Canaan.
Genesis 50:6, “Pharaoh said, ‘Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.’”
Pharaoh grants Joseph permission to bury his father in Canaan without any hesitation since he greatly respects Joseph as a result of his service to the nation of Egypt and trusts Joseph since he has demonstrated great concern for the Egyptian people.
Genesis 50:7-8, “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.”
“All the servants of Pharaoh” does “not” refer to slaves who are in bondage to another against their will but rather refers to Pharaoh’s advisers and officials in his cabinet who helped him in deciding state affairs.
“Elders of his household” refers to the senior dignitaries from Pharaoh’s court.
“Elders of the land of Egypt” refers to the senior dignitaries throughout the Egyptian empire.
“The household of Joseph” would include his wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On and his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
The expression “his brothers and his father’s household,” seems redundant since Joseph’s brothers were a part of their father’s household, but such expressions are common in Hebrew and should be understood as “his brothers and in particular his father’s household.”
“His brothers” refers to Joseph’s eleven brothers: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali.
“His father’s household” would include the wives and children and grandchildren of Jacob’s sons, not to mention the women and children of Shechem who were absorbed into Jacob’s family according to Genesis 34:29 as well servants.
The statement “they left only their little ones” would include of course the mothers of the children.
Joseph’s family left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen for two reasons.
First, it was a practical necessity and secondly, to assure Pharaoh that Joseph intends to return to Egypt as prime minister.
Genesis 50:9, “There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company.”
The chariots and horseman accompanied the large funeral procession for protection from any would be hostile forces.
So we can see that this was a massive state funeral to honor Joseph’s father.
Jacob’s funeral takes place in two stages according to Genesis 50:10-13: (1) The entire procession proceeds to a place at which a great public mourning ceremony is held. (2) After a week, then the immediate family continues the journey to the cave of Machpelah where in a private ceremony the body of Jacob is buried.
Genesis 50:10, “When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful lamentation; and he observed seven days mourning for his father.”
Bruce K. Waltke commenting on the location of “Atad,” writes, “The sixth century A.D. Madeba mosaic map locates an Alon Atad (terebinth of Atad) near Beth Agla (Beth Hogla-modern Deir Hajlah) between Jericho and the Dead Sea.” (Genesis, page 620-621, Zondervan)
“Threshing floor” is the noun goren (/r#G)) (go-ren), which was a place near a city where the people separated grain from straw and chaff and was often a bare rock on top of a hill where the wind could drive away the chaff.
Seven days was the usual period of time to mourn for the dead in Israel and in the ancient Middle East (See 1 Samuel 31:13; Job 2:13; Ezekiel 3:15).
“Lamented” is the verb saphadh (rp^s*) (saw-fad), which connotes that of loudly wailing, or specifically, short cries or exclamations of sorrow for someone who recently died.
The verb was connected with other practices of mourning rites, such as tearing clothes, wearing sackcloth, a coarse and uncomfortable material worn next to the skin (2 Sam. 3:31), fasting (2 Sam. 1:12) and beating one’s breast (Isa. 32:12).
These actions were considered appropriate signifying anguish in the ancient world of Joseph’s day.
“Lamentation” is the noun mispedh (dP@s+m!) (mis-pade), which is used to describe more of a prolonged mourning custom that involves certain rituals, which we have noted rather than mere expressions of emotion.
The public display of sorrow indicated the communal and not just individual, nature of mourning.
Mourning for the dead began immediately at death, went on as the body was carried to the tomb, was observed at the tomb and lasted at least seven days after the burial.
Genesis 50:11, “Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, ‘This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.’ Therefore it was named Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.”
The term “Canaanite” denotes those individuals descended from Canaan who lived in the land west of the Jordan River before the conquest of Joshua and whose western border was the Mediterranean Sea, especially in the lower and coastal regions (Gen. 13:12; Num. 33:51).
In Genesis 10:19, Moses defines the borders of the Canaanites because it is this land that the Lord will dispossess for Israel and fulfill the prophecy of Noah in Genesis 9:24-25 regarding Canaan.
The northern border of the land of the Canaanites went as far as Sidon, which is 120 miles north of Jerusalem and the southern border extended to Gerar, which is about 11 miles south-southeast of Gaza, which was on the coast 50 miles southeast of Jerusalem.
The Canaanites who lived in the highland regions were often called “Amorite.”
At times the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, were called “Canaanites” but strictly speaking the nations who dwelt on the coasts or river lowlands were called “Canaanite” (Nm. 13:29).
The Canaanites were so impressed with the massive state funeral that the Egyptians were holding for Israel that the Canaanites named the place “Abel-mizraim,” which means, “mourning of Egypt.”
Bruce K. Waltke commenting on the meaning of the name “Abel-mizraim,” writes, “The name involves a pun. Hebrew `ebel means, “mourning,” and `abel means “brook,” but only as the first part of a Canaanite place name (e.g. 2 Sam. 20:14, 15; Judg. 11:33; 2 Chron. 16:4). Hence the name means “brook of Egypt,” a play with “mourning of Egypt.” (Genesis, page 621, Zondervan).
Genesis 50:12-13, “Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.”
Genesis 50:12-13 records Israel’s sons obeying his command to bury him in the cave of Machpelah in the land of Canaan, and which command appears in Genesis 49:29-32.
Also, by burying his father in the land of Canaan, Joseph was obeying his father’s command to bury him in Canaan, which is recorded in Genesis 47:29-31.
Genesis 23 records that for four hundred shekels of silver, Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite “the cave of Machpelah” as a burial plot for Sarah, himself and his descendants.
“Machpelah” is located west of modern Hebron on the outskirts and the city is situated on the eastern slope of a narrow valley, which runs north and south and is surrounded by rocky hills.
“Hebron” was located nineteen miles southwest of Jerusalem, on the way to Beersheba and was 3,040 feet above sea level, dominating a beautiful and fruitful area and ancient oaks (terebinths) filled the area.
“Mamre” was located in “Hebron” as indicated by the phrase “that is, Hebron” in Genesis 23:19 and received its name from its owner, Mamre, who was a chief of the Amorites who sought security in an alliance with Abram and was blessed because of Abram (cf. Gen. 14:13, 24).
“Ephron” was the son of Zohar and was among the crowd of Hittites who had come to the gate of the city where Abraham negotiated the purchase of the burial plot with the Hittites and was an outstanding individual among these people.
Genesis 50:14, “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.”
Joseph’s return to Egypt fulfills his promise to Pharaoh, which is recorded in Genesis 50:5.
It was the will of God that Joseph and his family return to Egypt and not the land of Canaan since the iniquity of the Amorite was not yet complete according to the prophecy given to Abraham recorded in Genesis 15:12-16.
Genesis 15:16, “Then in the fourth generation they (the Israelites) will return here (Canaan), for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”
“Generation” is the noun dor (rw{D) (dore), which denotes a “cycle of time, a life span,” which in the context of Genesis 15 is calculated to be one hundred years since Abram had his first child at one hundred years of age (Gen. 21:5).
Therefore, the “fourth generation” indicates that after four hundred years Abram’s descendants, i.e., the nation of Israel would come back into to the land of Canaan promised to Abram by the Lord.
The “Amorite” is a figure of speech called “synecdoche of the part” where a part is put for the whole, thus the term “the Amorite” is put for the ten nations listed in Genesis 15:19-21, of which “the Amorite” and the “Canaanite” were a part of (cf. Gen. 48:22; Nm. 13:29; 21:21).
The Lord does not dispossess and judge a nation immediately until He has given it grace in the sense of giving it a sufficient amount of time to repent.
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Once a nation has completely rejected God’s grace and every opportunity to repent and accept Christ as Savior, it will become totally and completely saturated with evil (see Lev. 18:24-28; 20:23) and then the Lord sends judgment.
The judgment and dispossessing of these ten nations called the “Amorite” who are also called the “Canaanite” would be a fulfillment of Noah’s prophecy in Genesis 9:24-27.