Genesis 50:1-14
A Father's Burial
1Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.
2And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,
3taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
4When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that
5my 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.”
6Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
7Then 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—
8along 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.
9Chariots and horsemen alike went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession.
10When 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.
11When 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.
12So Jacob’s sons did as he had charged them.
13They 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.
14After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.
Berean Standard Bible
Joseph falls on his father's face, weeps over him, and kisses him. He orders the physicians who serve him to embalm Israel, and the physicians take forty days. The Egyptians mourn for Jacob seventy days. The process is public and extended; the family does not rush past his death because the nation has other needs.
Joseph asks Pharaoh's household to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf. He reminds them that his father made him swear to bury him in the tomb he prepared in Canaan. He asks permission to go up and bury his father, promising to return. Pharaoh allows Joseph to go and tells him to fulfill the oath.
Joseph goes up with Pharaoh's servants, the elders of Pharaoh's household, the elders of Egypt, and all Joseph's household, brothers, and father's household. Only the children, flocks, and herds remain in Goshen. Chariots and horsemen go with them, creating a very great company.
They come to the threshing floor of Atad beyond the Jordan and mourn with a very great and grievous lamentation for seven days. The Canaanites see the mourning and name the place Abel-mizraim, mourning of Egypt. Jacob's sons do what he commanded: they carry him to Canaan and bury him in the cave of Machpelah that Abraham bought as a burial place.
After the burial, Joseph and his brothers return to Egypt, along with everyone who went up with him. The journey honors Jacob's wish and demonstrates the family's place in both worlds: Egypt has sheltered them, while Canaan holds the burial and the promise.
Grief here is communal, physical, and patient. People prepare a body, ask for permission, travel together, lament, bury, and return. Care for the dead is also care for the living who need time to say goodbye.
Questions
1 How did Joseph respond to Jacob’s death?
AnswerJoseph wept over his father and kissed him.
2 How long did the Egyptians mourn?
AnswerThe Egyptians mourned for seventy days.
3 Who traveled to Canaan for the burial?
AnswerJoseph’s household, brothers, Egypt’s elders, and Pharaoh’s servants traveled.
4 Where was Jacob buried?
AnswerJacob was buried in the cave of Machpelah.
What This Means for Us
Grief is not an inconvenience to finish quickly. Give mourners time, practical help, and permission to lament in ways that fit the relationship. Honor a person's end-of-life wishes as far as possible, and remember that communal care can carry a family when private strength runs out.
Prayer
God who receives our tears, comfort those who bury parents and loved ones. Give families time, help, and trustworthy companions for the work of mourning. Teach us to honor the dead faithfully, to respect clear wishes, and to return gently to the responsibilities of life after loss. Amen.