GENESIS 50
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
– Genesis 50:7-14
GENESIS 50 THE BURIAL OF JACOB IN CANAAN
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
After Joseph’s body was embalmed by the Egyptian physicians
And they have grieved and mourned for seventy days,
Joseph and all Pharaoh’s servants, his brothers and his household
They all went to bury Jacob as he requested in the field of Macphelah
Because the Canaanites witnessed the grievous mourning of the Egyptians
They called the burial place Abel-mizraim which was beyond the Jordan.
In Genesis 23:9-17 we can recall how Abraham purchased the field of Macphelah to bury Sarah. He was a sojourner, so this was the only place Abraham owned as he followed God’s directive when he needed to move from one place to another until Canaan became their own land as God promised. It was here that Isaac, Rebekah and Leah were also buried (Genesis 49:31). So, it was understandable that Jacob requested that he be buried there as well. The Canaanites witnessed the honorable burial that Jacob was given.
REFLECTION
- Why do you think this burial of Jacob was so honorable?
