Genesis 50:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

NIV: taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

NASB: Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

CSB: They took forty days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

NLT: The embalming process took the usual forty days. And the Egyptians mourned his death for seventy days.

KJV: And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.

NKJV: Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

The man God renamed Israel (Genesis 35:10–11) has died (Genesis 49:33). Jacob's son, Joseph, second in command over the nation of Egypt (Genesis 41:44), has ordered his father's body to be embalmed (Genesis 50:1–2). Egyptian mummification varied from era to era, but it was usually an extensive process. Typical steps included removal of internal organs, insertion of spices into the body, and extensive soaking in preserving liquids.

In addition, all of Egypt seems to enter a period of state-sponsored mourning for Joseph's father. Scholars indicate the standard period of mourning following the death of a Pharaoh was 72 days. Jacob was mourned in Egypt for 70 days, an enormous honor for the shepherd from whom the people of Israel would take their name.

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.

After settling in Egypt, under his son's protection (Genesis 47—49), Jacob dies (Genesis 49:33). He is embalmed and all of Egypt mourns. Joseph buries his father in the family tomb in Canaan, then returns to Egypt. He asks that his body be taken back to Canaan someday. This sets up the events of the book of Exodus. Over centuries, Israel will grow into a prosperous people, only to be enslaved by a jealous Egyptian monarchy. This provides a context for God to rescue Israel and demonstrate His power.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/21/2024 8:37:38 PM