Genesis 50:10
When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The specific detail of this elaborate funeral procession stopping for seven days of mourning at the "threshing floor of Atad" highlights a critical point of intersection: it was here, on Canaanite soil, that the Egyptians (and Joseph's family) performed their ritual lament, marking their presence in the land promised to Abraham. This public display not only honored Jacob but also served as an undeniable marker, naming the very ground where this significant mourning occurred—a subtle, yet powerful, foreshadowing of the Israelites' future claims and connection to the land.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph leads a grand procession to Canaan to bury his father, a journey filled with solemn rites and marked by deep mourning observed by both Egyptians and Israelites. This significant procession stops at the threshing floor of Atad, where a profound lamentation takes place before Jacob is finally laid to rest in the cave of Machpelah. Afterward, Joseph and his entourage return to Egypt, leaving behind the complex emotional aftermath and the brothers' lingering fears of retribution.
Why did Joseph's family and the Egyptians grieve so intensely for Jacob? This wasn't just a sad moment; it was a profound public event.
Jacob's funeral procession was a significant event, not just for his family, but for the nation of Egypt.
A Public Display of Respect
When Joseph and his entourage reached the threshing floor of Atad, the mourning wasn't confined to the immediate family. The text notes a "very great and grievous lamentation," and the place was even named Abel-Mizraim, "the mourning of the Egyptians." This suggests that Jacob, despite being a foreigner, had earned significant respect and influence in Egypt.
The Ritual of Seven Days
The "seven days" of mourning were a significant period, a customary duration for expressing grief before the final burial. This ritualistic mourning allowed for a controlled expression of sorrow, a time to acknowledge the loss and prepare for the finality of interment. It was a cultural practice that acknowledged the gravity of death and the importance of honoring the deceased.
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The 'threshing floor of Atad' wasn't just a stop; it was a place that gained a new name and meaning because of this event.
The stopping point at the threshing floor of Atad marked a crucial transition, both geographically and emotionally.
A Threshold of Grief
Located "beyond the Jordan" (though interpretations vary on the exact location), this threshing floor served as a temporary resting place. It was here, on the edge of the Promised Land (or on a significant route towards it), that the deep lamentations occurred. The name 'Atad' itself, possibly meaning 'thornbush,' suggests a wild or perhaps even a difficult place, making the profound grief even more striking.
Renamed by Sorrow
The Egyptians observed this intense grief and named the place "Abel-Mizraim" – the mourning of Egypt. This act of naming signifies the impact Jacob's passing had on the Egyptians, turning a simple location into a memorial. It’s a powerful reminder that significant events, especially those involving death and divine providence, can transform ordinary places into places of historical and spiritual significance.
Understand the original words
goren · Hebrew Noun
A place where harvested grain was beaten to separate the wheat from the chaff. It was often a large, elevated open-air location, frequently serving as a significant geographical or ritual landmark.
misped · Hebrew Noun
To express deep sorrow, grief, or mourning, often through outward signs such as weeping or formal ritual. Lamentation is a significant cultural response to death and judgment in the biblical narrative.
'ebel · Hebrew Noun
The practice of outward expressions of grief following a death. Biblical mourning is characterized by formal rites, the display of humility, and the recognition of the finality of life under the sovereignty of God.
This passage marks a significant moment of transition, not just in the burial of a patriarch, but in the complex relationship between the Israelites and the Egyptians, foreshadowing future interactions and potential tensions.
c. 1800s BC
Jacob's family settles in Goshen
Jacob and his large family migrate to Egypt and are given the land of Goshen to live in, due to Joseph's high status.
c. 1800s BC - 1500s BC
Israelites prosper in Egypt
The descendants of Jacob multiply and prosper in Egypt, forming a significant population within the land.
c. 1550 BC
Hyksos expelled from Egypt
The expulsion of the Hyksos, a group of foreign rulers, from Egypt may have led to a negative view of foreigners, impacting the Israelites.
Unknown date before c. 1400 BC
Jacob's death and embalming
Jacob dies, and Joseph oversees a lengthy process of embalming, which typically took about 70 days in Egypt.
Unknown date after embalming
Jacob's funeral procession to Canaan
Joseph, accompanied by a vast retinue of Egyptians and Israelites, carries Jacob's mummified body from Egypt towards Canaan for burial.
Unknown date, en route to Hebron— this verse
Mourning at the Threshing Floor of Atad
The procession halts at the Threshing Floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan, where a profound and extended period of mourning takes place before the final burial.
Unknown date, after mourning
Burial of Jacob at Machpelah
After the seven-day mourning period at Atad, Jacob's body is finally laid to rest in the family tomb at Machpelah, in Canaan.
This passage describes God calling for professional mourners to lament, highlighting the intense and sometimes performative nature of public grief, much like the 'great and very sore lamentation' for Jacob.
1 Samuel 31:13After the defeat at Mount Gilboa, David and his men mourned for Saul and Jonathan for seven days, showing a deep sorrow and respect for leaders, similar to the mourning period observed for Jacob.
Luke 7:12-15The story of the widow of Nain whose son was raised from the dead shows a similar scene of intense lamentation and grief for a deceased loved one, emphasizing the profound impact of death and the possibility of divine intervention.
John 11:33-35Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus, demonstrating deep empathy and sorrow over death, even though He knew He would raise him. This shows that even with the hope of resurrection, grief is a natural and sometimes profound human response.
Genesis 23:2Sarah's death and Abraham's subsequent mourning are recorded here, establishing a precedent for significant lamentation and the purchase of a burial place, mirroring the events surrounding Jacob's death and burial.
calvinGenesis 50:1-26: "And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him."
- Et viderunt habitatores terrae Chenaaneaei luctum in area Atad, et dixerunt, Luctus gravis est iste Aegyptiis: idcirco vocatum fuit nomen ejus Abel -- Misraim, (id est luctus Aegyptorum,) qui est trand Jordanem.
12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them:
- Fecerunt ergo filii ejus ei sic, quemadmodum praeceperat eis.
13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and bu…
bensonGenesis 50:10: "And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days."
Genesis 50:10 . They mourned with a very great and sore lamentation — “This,” says Sir John Chardin, quoted by Harmer, (vol. 2. p. 136,) “is exactly the genius of the people of Asia, especially of the women. Their sentiments of joy or grief are properly transports; and their transports are ungoverne…
The specific detail of this elaborate funeral procession stopping for seven days of mourning at the "threshing floor of Atad" highlights a critical point of intersection: it was here, on Canaanite soil, that the Egyptians (and Joseph's family) performed their ritual lament, marking their presence in the land promised to Abraham. This public display not only honored Jacob but also served as an undeniable marker, naming the very ground where this significant mourning occurred—a subtle, yet powerful, foreshadowing of the Israelites' future claims and connection to the land.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph leads a grand procession to Canaan to bury his father, a journey filled with solemn rites and marked by deep mourning observed by both Egyptians and Israelites. This significant procession stops at the threshing floor of Atad, where a profound lamentation takes place before Jacob is finally laid to rest in the cave of Machpelah. Afterward, Joseph and his entourage return to Egypt, leaving behind the complex emotional aftermath and the brothers' lingering fears of retribution.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph leads a grand procession to Canaan to bury his father, a journey filled with solemn rites and marked by deep mourning observed by both Egyptians and Israelites. This significant procession stops at the threshing floor of Atad, where a profound lamentation takes place before Jacob is finally laid to rest in the cave of Machpelah. Afterward, Joseph and his entourage return to Egypt, leaving behind the complex emotional aftermath and the brothers' lingering fears of retribution.
"When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days." — The specific detail of this elaborate funeral procession stopping for seven days of mourning at the "threshing floor of Atad" highlights a critical point of intersection: it was here, on Canaanite…
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