Genesis 50:5
in Genesis 50my 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
My 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.
KJV
My 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.
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This verse in Genesis 50
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
When the days of mourning had passed
on Genesis 50:4-6
Joseph sends his request through Pharaoh's court, and Adam Clarke notes a man in mourning dress did not come before an eastern king. The request is leave to go up, bury his father, and return. A later Pharaoh is asked for the same leave at Exodus 5:1 and refuses it.
This site's exposition
the tomb that I dug for myself
Joseph cites the oath of 47:29 to 31, so Pharaoh hears a promise made to a dying man. The words about a tomb Jacob dug suggest he had prepared his own place inside the family cave. Joseph promises to come back.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
My father made me swear, saying, lo, I die,.... Having reason to believe he should not live long, he sent for Joseph, and took an oath of him to do as follows; this Joseph would have observed to Pharaoh, to show the necessity of his application to him, and the reasonableness of his request.
(1.) It was a piece of necessary respect to Pharaoh that he would not go without leave; for we may suppose that, though his charge about the corn was long since over, yet he continued a prime-minister of state, and therefore would not be so long absent from his business without licence.
It was not from pride or humour, but from his regard to an indispensable duty, that he desired it. All nations reckon that oaths must be performed, and the will of the dead must be observed. (4.) He promised to return: I will come again.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָבִ֞י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִי | hishbiani | he made swear an oath me | H7650 → | 186 times |
| לֵאמֹ֗ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּ֣ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אָנֹכִי֮ | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מֵת֒ | met | [am] about to die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בְּקִבְרִ֗י | bekivri | in grave my | H6913 → | 67 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כָּרִ֤יתִי | kariti | I dug | H3738 → | |
| לִי֙ | li | for myself | ||
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כְּנַ֔עַן | kenaan | Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
| שָׁ֖מָּה | shamah | there <towards> | H8033 → | 834 times |
| תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִי | tikbereni | you will bury me | H6912 → | 133 times |
| וְעַתָּ֗ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| אֶֽעֱלֶה־ | ʾeeleh- | let me go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| נָּ֛א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה | veekberah | so I may bury | H6912 → | 133 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָבִ֖י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְאָשֽׁוּבָה׃ | veashuvah | and I will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
אָבִ֞יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִיhe made swear an oath me
hishbianiH7650 →186 times
לֵאמֹ֗ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּ֣הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אָנֹכִי֮I
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מֵת֒[am] about to die
metH4191 →839 times
בְּקִבְרִ֗יin grave my
bekivriH6913 →67 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
כָּרִ֤יתִיI dug
karitiH3738 →
לִי֙for myself
li
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
כְּנַ֔עַןCanaan
kenaanH3667 →94 times
שָׁ֖מָּהthere <towards>
shamahH8033 →834 times
תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִיyou will bury me
tikbereniH6912 →133 times
וְעַתָּ֗הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
אֶֽעֱלֶה־let me go up
ʾeeleh-H5927 →890 times
נָּ֛אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥הso I may bury
veekberahH6912 →133 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָבִ֖יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
וְאָשֽׁוּבָה׃and I will return
veashuvahH7725 →1056 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 48:21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
it leads to
- Genesis 46:4
I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”
- Genesis 50:24
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac,…
- Genesis 46:4
Through
Matthew 27:60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.
it leads to
- Isaiah 53:9
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.
- Isaiah 53:9
Through
2 Chronicles 16:14And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes;…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 21:19
This continued day after day until two full years had passed. Finally, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in severe pain. And his people did not make a fire…
- Genesis 50:2
And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,
- Jeremiah 34:5
you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have…
- 2 Chronicles 21:19
Through
Isaiah 22:16What are you doing here, and who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here—to chisel your tomb in the height and cut your resting place in the rock?
it leads to
- Matthew 27:60
and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.
- 2 Chronicles 16:14
And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes;…
- Matthew 27:60
Where this verse is studied
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Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.