Genesis Chapter Fifty Series

GENESIS CHAPTER FIFTY OVERVIEW

Overall what is happening in this chapter is that Jacob dies and Joseph dies.

Thomas Coke (1801) – Genesis 50

Joseph, with the permission of the king, goes and buries his father in Canaan. The sons of Jacob apprehend the resentment of their brother Joseph, conscious of their offence towards him: Joseph comforts them. He gives commandment concerning his bones and dies.

Adam Clarke (1826) - Genesis 50

Joseph bewails the death of his father, and commands the physicians to embalm him, (Genesis 50:1-2). The Egyptians mourn for him seventy days, (Genesis 50:3). Joseph begs permission from Pharaoh to accompany his father’s corpse to Canaan, (Genesis 50:4-5). Pharaoh consents, (Genesis 50:6). Pharaoh’s domestics and elders, the elders of Egypt, Joseph and his brethren, with chariots, horsemen, etc., form the funeral procession, (Genesis 50:7-9). They come to the threshing-floor of Atad, and mourn there seven days, (Genesis 50:10). The Canaanites call the place Abel-Mizraim, (Genesis 50:11). They bury Jacob in the cove of Machpelah, (Genesis 50:12-13). Joseph returns to Egypt, (Genesis 50:14). His brethren, fearing his displeasure, send messengers to him to entreat his forgiveness of past wrongs, (Genesis 50:15-17). They follow, and prostrate themselves before him, and offer to be his servants, (Genesis 50:18). Joseph receives them affectionately, and assures them and theirs of his care and protection, (Genesis 50:19-21). Joseph and his brethren dwell in Egypt, and he sees the third generation of his children, (Genesis 50:22-23). Being about to die, he prophecies the return of the children of Israel from Egypt, (Genesis 50:24), and causes them to swear that they will carry his bones to Canaan, (Genesis 50:25). Joseph dies, aged one hundred and ten years; is embalmed, and put in a coffin in Egypt, (Genesis 50:26).

Matthew Henry (1714) - Genesis 50

Here is:

I. The preparation for Jacob's funeral (Genesis 50:1-6).

II. The funeral itself (Genesis 50:7-14).

III. The settling of a good understanding between Joseph and his brethren after the death of Jacob (Genesis 50:15-21).

IV. The age and death of Joseph (Genesis 50:22-26).

Thus the book of Genesis, which began with the origin of light and life, ends with nothing but death and darkness; so sad a change has sin made.

KEY VERSE

Genesis 50:26”So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.”

KEY CROSS-REFERENCES

Exodus 13:19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, "God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you."

Joshua 24:32 Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph's sons.

KEY EVENT

Jacob and Joseph both die in Egypt.

KEY QUOTE

“The death of a good man is a great loss to any place, and ought to be greatly lamented.” Matthew Henry