94 | Genesis 50:11
pe ri od of mourn ing for his fa ther . 11 When the Canaan ites who lived there saw the mourn ing at the thresh ing floor of Atad , they said , “ The Egyp tians are hold ing a sol emn cer e mo ny of mourn ing .” That is why that place near the Jor dan is called Abel Miz ra im . a
12
So Ja cob ’ s sons did as he had com mand ed them : 13 They car ried him to the land of Ca naan and bur ied him in the cave in the field of Machpe lah , near Mam re , which Abra ham had bought along with the field as a buri al place from Ephron the Hit tite . 14 Af ter bury ing his fa ther , Jo seph returned to Egypt , to geth er with his broth ers and all the oth ers who had gone with him to bury his fa ther .
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
15
When Jo seph ’ s broth ers saw that their father was dead , they said , “ What if Jo seph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him ?” 16 So they sent word to Jo seph , say ing , “ Your fa ther left these in structions be fore he died : 17 ‘ This is what you are to say to Jo seph : I ask you to for give your broth ers the sins and the wrongs they com mit ted in treat ing you so bad ly .’ Now please for give the sins of the ser vants of the God of your fa ther .” When their mes sage came to him , Jo seph wept .
18
His broth ers then came and threw them selves down be fore him . “ We are your slaves ,” they said .
19
But Jo seph said to them , “ Don ’ t be afraid . Am I in the place of God ? 20 You in tend ed to harm me , but God in tend ed it for good to ac com plish what is now be ing done , the sav ing of many lives . 21 So then , don ’ t be afraid . I will pro vide for you and your chil dren .” And he re as sured them and spoke kind ly to them .
The Death of Joseph
22
Jo seph stayed in Egypt , along with all his father ’ s fam i ly . He lived a hun dred and ten years
23 and saw the third gen er a tion of Ephra im ’ s children . Also the chil dren of Ma kir son of Ma nas seh were placed at birth on Jo seph ’ s knees . b
24
Then Jo seph said to his broth ers , “ I am about to die . But God will sure ly come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abra ham , Isaac and Ja cob .” 25 And Jo seph made the Is ra el ites swear an oath and said , “ God will sure ly come to your aid , and then you must car ry my bones up from this place .”
26
So Jo seph died at the age of a hun dred and ten . And af ter they em balmed him , he was placed in a cof fin in Egypt .
a
11 Abel Mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians . b
23 That is , were counted as his mentioned elsewhere in the OT and has not been identified with certainty ; its significance is unknown . See the infographic “ A Threshing Floor ” on p . 497 . 50:11 Abel Mizraim This alternate name for the threshing floor of Atad means “ mourning of Egypt ” or “ meadow of Egypt .” 50:13 field of Machpelah See Ge 49:30 ; compare 23:9,17 – 19 .
50:20 This climactic statement is the culmination of the Joseph saga .
50:22 a hundred and ten years This may not be Joseph ’ s true age , since 110 years represented the ideal lifespan in Egyptian thought and served as an honorific description . 50:24 out of this land This statement foreshadows the exodus . Compare 15:13 – 14 . 50:25 from this place When the Israelites finally leave Egypt in the exodus under Moses , they fulfill this vow ( see Ex 13:19 ). Compare Jos 24:32 . 50:26 he was placed in a coffin The use of a coffin is characteristically Egyptian .