What does Genesis 49:30 mean?
Jacob is on his death bed (Genesis 48:1), speaking his last words. Those words take the form of an urgent command to his sons: bury his body in the family tomb in Canaan (Genesis 47:29–30). Jacob does not want to be buried in Egypt. He knows that is not where his body belongs. It belongs with that of his father and grandfather and their wives.Jacob provides very specific directions to the burial cave beginning in the previous verse. It is located in the field of Ephron the Hittite at Machpelah, east of Mamre. He reminds his sons—who have undoubtedly heard this before—that the cave was purchased by their great grandfather Abraham. It is one of the few places in Canaan that the family already owns, in this case by legal contract (Genesis 23:17–20).