What does Genesis 50:12 mean?
In the moments before his death, Jacob gave his twelve sons an order: to return his body to Canaan (Genesis 49:29–32). He wanted to be buried with his ancestors in family tomb (Genesis 23:17–20). Earlier, Jacob even insisted Joseph take a solemn oath not to bury him in Egypt, but to lay him to rest with his fathers. Joseph had sworn to do exactly that (Genesis 47:29–31). Now Jacob's sons have fulfilled their father's wishes, as the following verses will describe in detail. They have carried him from Egypt to the cave in the field at Machpelah (Genesis 50:7–10).The large procession of Egyptians and Hebrews grieved Jacob for seven days, in the same location. Using wordplay—similarity between the words for "mourning" and "meadow"—locals came to call that place "Mourning / Meadow of Egypt" (Genesis 50:11).
Genesis 50:1–14 begins with Joseph weeping by his father's deathbed. Jacob is embalmed and an official period of mourning is observed in Egypt. With Pharaoh's blessing and a large company of Egyptian mourners, Jacob's sons travel to Canaan. There, as requested, they bury their father in the family tomb, alongside Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob's wife Leah. Then they all return to Egypt.
Genesis 50 begins with Joseph's weeping over his father's body, followed by the embalming of Jacob, a 70–day period of state mourning, and a trip to Canaan to bury Jacob with his fathers. Joseph's brothers, worried that he would take his revenge on them for selling him into slavery, seek Joseph's forgiveness. He assures them he will not harm them. The chapter skips to the end of Joseph's life. After assuring his people that God will return them to Canaan one day, Joseph dies and is embalmed.
