Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 47:29 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 29. 29And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
As death approaches, Israel summons Joseph and asks him to act with steadfast kindness and faithfulness by not burying him in Egypt. The hand-under-thigh action makes the promised duty solemn, but its exact symbolism is not explained.
Read It With
- Genesis 47:27–31
Read verses 29–31 with Genesis 24:2–9 and 49:29–50:14. The same rare oath gesture appears in a family-continuity mission, Jacob next names the ancestral burial place, and Joseph later carries out the obligation.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Approaching death creates the need for a trusted executor, so Jacob summons Joseph and defines the burial duty before he can no longer act.
Read Genesis 47:29–30 together
Why these verses belong together: Jacob summons Joseph, defines the obligation not to bury him in Egypt, names the ancestral burial destination, and receives Joseph's promise.
Verse 29. 29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
Verse 30. 30 But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
Follow the Context
- Israel settles, gains holdings, bears fruit, and multiplies greatly in Goshen (47:27).
- Jacob lives seventeen years in Egypt and reaches a total age of 147 (47:28).
- As death approaches, Israel summons Joseph, asks for steadfast and faithful treatment, and requires the hand-under-thigh oath that he not be buried in Egypt (47:29).
- Jacob asks to lie with his fathers and to be carried out of Egypt into their burial place; Joseph promises to act as requested (47:30).
- Jacob insists on an oath, Joseph swears, and Israel bows at the bed's head in the Masoretic/KJV reading or on the staff's top in the Septuagint reading followed by Hebrews 11:21 (47:31).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“the time drew nigh”
In plain language: Jacob's death was approaching.
The phrase begins the final death-bed sequence.
Why it matters: It creates urgency without saying Jacob dies immediately.
How certain? very strong“kindly and truly”
In plain language: With steadfast kindness and faithful reliability.
Jacob asks Joseph to carry out a duty after Jacob's death.
Why it matters: The request concerns loyal action, not merely polite feeling.
How certain? very strong“put ... thy hand under my thigh”
In plain language: Perform a rare bodily oath gesture.
The action solemnizes Joseph's promise.
Why it matters: Its function is clear while its exact symbolism remains uncertain.
How certain? probableWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
The hand-under-thigh gesture does not have one certain anatomical, procreative, circumcision, or covenant symbolism stated in Genesis.
The verse does not command modern readers to reproduce an intimate oath gesture.
Jacob's request does not authorize coercing Joseph; Joseph gives the oath in the following verses.
Not being buried in Egypt does not mean Jacob denies God's provision there or despises every Egyptian person.
What Remains True
End-of-life trust should be explicit, truthful, consensual, and documented so responsibilities can be carried out when the person can no longer act.
How It Can Shape Life
- Discuss burial and care wishes with the people expected to carry them out, confirm their willingness, and record the legal plan rather than relying on vague assumptions.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 47:29's contribution to Genesis 47:27–31. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 47:27–31 — Jacob Makes Joseph Swear to Bury Him in CanaanSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
Where care is needed
Genesis does not give enough information to determine the oath gesture's exact bodily placement, origin, or symbolism with certainty.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed text, settlement, lifespan, oath, burial, canonical land-and-bones movement, and New Testament reception.
Exact location: Genesis 47:27–31 with 23:1–20; 28:10–22; 35:16–20; 46:1–7; 48:1–22; 49:29–50:14; 50:22–26; Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32; and Hebrews 11:21–22 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Settlement, multiplication, oath, death, burial, bowing, and bed/staff lexical and grammatical evidence.
Exact location: WLC Genesis 47:27–31, especially vayye'ahazu, vayyifru, vayyirbu, hesed ve'emet, tahat yereki, shakhav im avot, vayyishtahu, and the consonants h-m-t-h in verse 31
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Translation, syntax, and textual-variant cross-checks.
Exact location: NET Genesis 47:27–31 translator and textual notes, especially possession, kindness and faithfulness, oath wording, bowing, and the Masoretic bed / Septuagint staff difference
Open NET Genesis 47 ↗open Jewish biblical word and reception study
The Function of the Root Y-R-KH in Genesis
Ben Zion Katz
Jewish Bible Quarterly 37(3), pages 189–191, 2009
Supports: One documented Jewish procreative and descendant interpretation preserved as a proposal rather than certainty.
Exact location: Jewish Bible Quarterly 37.3, pages 189–191, especially the two hand-under-thigh oath contexts in Genesis 24 and 47
Open source ↗