Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 50:5 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 5. 5My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Joseph reports that Jacob made him swear to bury him in a prepared or acquired tomb in Canaan, and Joseph asks to go and promises to return. The KJV's 'digged' is difficult and must be read beside Abraham's purchase in Genesis 23.
Read It With
- Genesis 49:29–50:14
Read verse 5 with 47:29–31; 49:29–32; and Genesis 23. The oath supplies Joseph's obligation, Jacob supplies the exact tomb, and Abraham is the named purchaser of the field and cave.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Joseph gives the court the reason, destination, and return commitment that make the request accountable.
Read Genesis 50:4–6 together
Why these verses belong together: Joseph's mediated request, oath explanation, return promise, and Pharaoh's authorization form one court exchange.
Verse 4. 4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
Verse 5. 5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
Verse 6. 6 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.
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
“grave which I have digged”
In plain language: A tomb Jacob describes as prepared, dug, or acquired for himself.
It identifies his intended burial place while the wider narrative locates its purchase with Abraham.
Why it matters: Translation uncertainty must not create a contradiction or a false ownership claim.
How certain? probable“I will come again”
In plain language: Joseph promises to return to Egypt after the burial.
The request is temporary and accountable.
Why it matters: The funeral does not yet relocate the living household to Canaan.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
'The grave which I have digged' does not prove Jacob purchased Machpelah from Ephron; Genesis 23 names Abraham as purchaser.
Joseph's oath does not allow him to ignore lawful permission or the needs of those remaining in Egypt.
The promise to return does not make Egypt the family's final covenant destination.
The verse does not command every worker or migrant to return a body across borders.
What Remains True
Promises concerning a dead person's care should be communicated accurately to the authorities whose permission or assistance is required.
How It Can Shape Life
- When requesting leave or transport for a funeral, state the obligation, destination, duration, and return plan truthfully rather than exaggerating the claim.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 50:5'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? probable
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 ↗