Genesis 47:29
in Genesis 47When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the time drew near that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me: bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt;
KJV
And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
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This verse in Genesis 47
Commentary
8 notes on this verseHe would be buried in Canaan, not because Canaan was the land of his nativity, but in faith, because it was the land of promise, which he desired thus, as it were to keep possession of 'till the time should come when his posterity should be masters of it: and because it was a type of heaven, that better country, which he was in expectation of.
This site's exposition
the time drew near for Israel to die
on Genesis 47:29-30
Jacob asks for the oath in the form Abraham used at Genesis 24:2, a hand under the thigh. Abraham used it to send for a wife from his own kindred, and Jacob uses it over his grave. His burial is to be in Canaan with his fathers. John Wesley read the request as faith, a hold kept on the land of promise until his descendants should own it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Many mean-spirited people, when we exhort them not to be overly concerned about burial or to give highest priority to having the remains of the dead brought back from foreign parts to their native land, quote this story to us, claiming that the patriarch also gave attention to it. First of all, however, as I said before, it must be remembered that the same set of values is not to be looked for at that time as it is with people of today. Second, the good man wanted this done not without reason but to let his descendants have a glimpse of the real prospect of returning themselves some day to the Promised Land.… I mean, for proof that future events become visible to the eyes of faith, listen to Jacob already calling death sleeping; he said, remember, "I want to sleep with my forebears," Hence Paul also said, "By faith these people passed on without having received what was promised but having seen it from afar and greeted it." How? By the eyes of faith. So let no one think Jacob's instruction came from meanness of spirit. It was due to the times and the vision of the return that would be theirs. Acquit the good man of any blame.I mean, today when there has been a deepening of our values in the wake of Christ's coming, it would be proper for someone to be blamed for worrying about things such as burial. Let him not think it a misfortune for someone to end his days in a foreign land or to pass from this life in solitude. After all, it is not such a person who deserves to be thought unfortunate, but the one who dies in sin, even if he dies in bed, at home, in the bosom of his family.… For proof that nothing of the kind causes any harm to the virtuous person, learn that good people generally—I mean the prophets and the apostles—with few exceptions were buried we know not where.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And the time drew nigh that Israel must die,....
Nothing will better help to make a death-bed easy than the certain prospect of a rest in Canaan after death. (3.) When this was done Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head, yielding himself, as it were, to the stroke of death ("Now let it come, and it shall be welcome"), or worshipping God, as it is explained, Heb. xi.
Israel, a prince with God, that had power over the angel and prevailed, yet must yield to death. There is no remedy, he must die: it is appointed for all men, therefore for him; and there is no discharge in that war.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
His address to Joseph--"if now I have found grace in thy sight," that is, as the vizier of Egypt--his exacting a solemn oath that his wishes would be fulfilled and the peculiar form of that oath, all pointed significantly to the promise and showed the intensity of his desire to enjoy its blessings (compare Nu 10:29).
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Put - thy hand under my thigh - See Clarke on Gen 24:2 (note).
The words behind it
27 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרְב֣וּ | vaiyikrevu | and they drew near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| יְמֵֽי־ | yemei- | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לָמוּת֒ | lamut | to die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וַיִּקְרָ֣א׀ | vaiyikra' | and he summoned | H7121 → | 733 times |
| לִבְנ֣וֹ | livno | <to> son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לְיוֹסֵ֗ף | leyosef | <to> Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to him | ||
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| נָ֨א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| מָצָ֤אתִי | matzati | I have found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| חֵן֙ | chen | favor | H2580 → | 69 times |
| בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ | beeineikha | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| שִֽׂים־ | sim- | put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| נָ֥א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| יָדְךָ֖ | yadekha | hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| יְרֵכִ֑י | yerekhi | thigh my | H3409 → | 34 times |
| וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ | veasita | and you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| עִמָּדִי֙ | ʾimadi | with me | H5978 → | 42 times |
| חֶ֣סֶד | chesed | loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| וֶאֱמֶ֔ת | veemet | and faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| נָ֥א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| תִקְבְּרֵ֖נִי | tikbereni | you bury me | H6912 → | 133 times |
| בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃ | bemitzrayim | in Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
וַיִּקְרְב֣וּand they drew near
vaiyikrevuH7126 →280 times
יְמֵֽי־[the] days of
yemei-H3117 →2304 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֘לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לָמוּת֒to die
lamutH4191 →839 times
וַיִּקְרָ֣א׀and he summoned
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
לִבְנ֣וֹ<to> son his
livnoH1121 →4930 times
לְיוֹסֵ֗ף<to> Joseph
leyosefH3130 →213 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לוֹ֙to him
lo
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
נָ֨אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
מָצָ֤אתִיI have found
matzatiH4672 →455 times
חֵן֙favor
chenH2580 →69 times
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָin view your
beeineikhaH5869 →887 times
שִֽׂים־put
sim-H7760 →584 times
נָ֥אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
יָדְךָ֖hand your
yadekhaH3027 →1618 times
תַּ֣חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
יְרֵכִ֑יthigh my
yerekhiH3409 →34 times
וְעָשִׂ֤יתָand you will do
veasitaH6213 →2628 times
עִמָּדִי֙with me
ʾimadiH5978 →42 times
חֶ֣סֶדloyalty
chesedH2617 →247 times
וֶאֱמֶ֔תand faithfulness
veemetH571 →127 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
נָ֥אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
תִקְבְּרֵ֖נִיyou bury me
tikbereniH6912 →133 times
בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃in Egypt
bemitzrayimH4714 →641 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 24:2So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
it leads to
- Genesis 39:4–6
Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.
- Genesis 15:2
But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
- Genesis 39:4–6
Through
Deuteronomy 31:14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua…
it leads to
- Numbers 27:13
After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;
- Deuteronomy 31:23
Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with…
- 1 Samuel 10:19
But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the…
- Numbers 27:13
Through
Genesis 24:49Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.”
it leads to
- Joshua 2:14
“Our lives for your lives!” the men agreed. “If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness when the LORD gives us the land.”
- Genesis 32:10
I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
- Joshua 2:14
Through
1 Kings 2:1As the time drew near for David to die, he charged his son Solomon,
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua…
- Deuteronomy 31:14
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 66.2-5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.