Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 50:13 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 13. 13For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Jacob's sons carry him to Canaan and bury him in the cave of Machpelah, the field Abraham bought from Ephron near Mamre. The burial completes Jacob's command and Joseph's oath through a specific family property.
Read It With
- Genesis 49:29–50:14
Read 49:29–32 with 50:5–13 and Genesis 23. The repeated purchase details connect the final act to Sarah's burial and confirm command-to-fulfillment.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The exact Canaanite burial and repeated purchase details complete both Jacob's command and Joseph's oath.
Read Genesis 50:12–14 together
Why these verses belong together: The sons obey, bury Jacob at Machpelah, and the full company returns to Egypt.
Verse 12. 12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:
Verse 13. 13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
Verse 14. 14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
Follow the Context
- Jacob commands burial with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah in the purchased cave of Machpelah (49:29–32).
- Jacob completes his command, gathers his feet into the bed, dies, and is gathered to his people (49:33).
- Joseph weeps and kisses his father; physicians embalm Israel for forty days, and Egypt mourns seventy days (50:1–3).
- Joseph asks Pharaoh's household to secure permission, cites his oath and Canaanite tomb, and promises to return; Pharaoh authorizes the burial journey (50:4–6).
- Joseph, his family, and a very large Egyptian company travel while young children and livestock remain in Goshen (50:7–9).
- At the threshing floor of Atad, Joseph makes seven days of intense mourning, and local Canaanites name the place Abel-mizraim because they observe Egyptian mourning (50:10–11).
- Jacob's sons carry out his command, bury him in Machpelah, and the entire company returns to Egypt (50:12–14).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“carried him into the land of Canaan”
In plain language: The sons transport Jacob's body from Egypt to Canaan.
The promised ascent is realized personally through burial while the living family remains in Egypt.
Why it matters: Fulfillment can be real without exhausting the larger Exodus horizon.
How certain? very strong“which Abraham bought”
In plain language: The narrator again names Abraham's paid acquisition from Ephron.
The remembered purchase grounds this specific burial possession.
Why it matters: A bounded ancient holding must not be inflated into unrestricted modern ownership.
How certain? very strong“buried him”
In plain language: The family completes Jacob's final instruction.
The action closes the command begun in 49:29.
Why it matters: The narrative values concrete follow-through rather than only verbal honor.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
Jacob's burial does not give his descendants unrestricted ownership of all Canaan or a simple modern political deed.
The verse does not authorize displacement, trespass, violence, or control over people living near a traditional site.
Burial at Machpelah does not earn Jacob salvation or control his resurrection.
The sons' obedience does not prove that every earlier family conflict was resolved.
What Remains True
Faithfulness often becomes visible through concrete completion of an entrusted duty, including accurate respect for property, place, and the person who died.
How It Can Shape Life
- Complete agreed funeral responsibilities carefully, document what was done, and avoid using the act to claim authority over land or people beyond the lawful arrangement.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 50:13's contribution to Genesis 49:29–50:14. 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 49:29–50:14 — Jacob Dies and Is Buried in CanaanSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
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 wording, burial property, Rachel's separate grave, oath fulfillment, grief, embalming, procession, burial, return, and later bones horizon.
Exact location: Genesis 49:29–50:14 with Genesis 23; 35:16–20, 27–29; 47:27–31; 50:15–26; Exodus 13:19; and Joshua 24:32 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: Death and gathering formulas, embalming, tomb wording, geography, name wordplay, and narrative sequence.
Exact location: WLC Genesis 49:29–50:14, especially ne'esaf el-ammav, vayigva, vayyahantu, kariti, be'ever hayyarden, and avel mitsrayim
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: KJV idiom, embalming, tomb verb, Jordan viewpoint, Atad, and Abel-mizraim alternatives.
Exact location: NET Genesis 49:29–50:14 translator notes, especially 49:33 and 50:2–5, 10–11
Open NET Genesis 49 ↗