Genesis 50:7 - Meaning and Application

Here we have the account of Jacob’s funeral. When the funerals of the kings of Judah are described, the Bible usually says only that they were buried with their fathers in the city of David. But Jacob’s funeral is told in much more detail. This shows how much better God treated him than he expected. He had often spoken as if he would die from grief and go to the grave deprived of his children, but instead he died with honor and was followed to the grave by all his children.

It is also described this way because Jacob’s burial instructions were given and carried out in faith. He looked ahead, not only to the land of Canaan on earth, but also to the heavenly Canaan. His funeral was a grand one. He was escorted to the grave not only by his own family, but also by the court and all the leading men of the kingdom. They did this to show gratitude to Joseph, and they honored Joseph’s father because of him.

The Egyptians had once disliked the Hebrews and looked down on them (Genesis 43:32). But now that they knew them better, they began to respect them. Jacob had lived among them in such a good and upright way that he won general esteem. Those who follow God should also try, by wisdom and love, to remove the prejudice many people may have against them because they do not know them.

A large number of chariots and horsemen went with the funeral, not just for part of the way, but all the way. The proper and solemn customs of a funeral, according to a person’s station in life, are very fitting. We should not say of such things, “What a waste” (Acts 8:2; Luke 7:12).

It was also a sad funeral (Genesis 50:10, Genesis 50:11). People who saw it noticed how deeply they mourned. The death of good people is a great loss to any place, and it should be deeply grieved over. Stephen died as a martyr, and still godly men greatly mourned for him.

The public mourning for Jacob gave the place a new name, Abel-Mizraim, which means “the mourning of the Egyptians.” This also stood as a witness against the next generation of Egyptians, who later oppressed the descendants of this Jacob, even though their ancestors had shown such honor to him.