Genesis 50:1 - Meaning and Application

Joseph here pays his last respects to his dead father. With tears and kisses, and every tender sign of a son’s love, he says goodbye to the body left behind (Genesis 50:1). Jacob was old and frail, and he had to die in the normal course of life. He was also poor when compared with Joseph, and had long been supported by his son. Even so, Joseph loved his father deeply, and he felt the loss of a wise, godly, praying father so sharply that he could not part from him without many tears.

It is an honor to be mourned after death, and it is right for those left behind to grieve for people who were useful in their time, even if they had lived beyond the point where they could still serve much. The soul that has gone is beyond the reach of our tears and kisses, but those words and actions still fit the body. We honor that body, because we expect a glorious and joyful resurrection. Joseph showed both faith in God and love for his father when he kissed his pale, cold lips and gave him a loving farewell. Most likely, Jacob’s other sons did the same, deeply moved by his final words.

Joseph also ordered the body to be embalmed (Genesis 50:2). He did this not only because Jacob had died in Egypt, where embalming was the custom, but also because the body had to be carried to Canaan, which would take time. So the body needed to be preserved as well as possible from decay. This reminds us how low our bodies become after the soul leaves them. Without much skill, effort, and care, they quickly become foul. After four days, a body is already offensive.

Joseph then observed the formal mourning for his father (Genesis 50:3). It took forty days to embalm the body, and the Egyptians, according to reports, had such skill that they could preserve even the face’s features. During that time, and for thirty days after, seventy days in all, they either stayed apart in grief or appeared in mourning clothes, following the proper custom of the land. Even many Egyptians mourned for Jacob because they greatly respected Joseph, whose good service to the king and the nation was still fresh in memory. In that way, just as people of high rank among us go into mourning, so the court of Egypt mourned for Jacob. This shows us that we should mourn sincerely, not just in ceremony. We should weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn, because we too live in mortal bodies.

Joseph then asked Pharaoh for permission to go to Canaan and attend his father’s funeral (Genesis 50:4-6). This showed proper respect to Pharaoh, since Joseph likely still held an important office of state and should not be absent without leave. He also showed good judgment by asking through members of the royal household or officials of the court. That may have been because his mourning made it unfit for him to enter the king’s presence, or because he did not want to rely too much on his own influence. Modesty is a great ornament to dignity.

Joseph also appealed to the oath his father had made him swear, to bury him in Canaan (Genesis 50:5). He was not acting from pride or stubbornness, but from a clear duty. All nations agree that oaths must be kept, and that the wishes of the dead should be honored. He also promised to return, saying, “I will come again.” When we come back from burying a relative, we often say we have left them behind. But if their souls have gone to our heavenly Father’s house, it is more true to say they have left us behind.

Pharaoh granted the request (Genesis 50:6): “Go and bury your father.” Pharaoh was willing for his work to wait for a time, but the service of Christ is even more urgent. So Christ would not allow a man called to follow him to go first and bury his father. He said, “Let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22).