Genesis 50:4-5
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Even though Joseph was the most powerful man in Egypt besides Pharaoh, he didn't ask the king directly for permission to bury his father. Instead, he went through the royal household, showing a wise humility and understanding of Egyptian customs around mourning and court protocol. This indirect approach also subtly involved the courtiers, potentially garnering their support and preventing future criticism.
And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joseph's father, Jacob, has just died, and Joseph, along with his brothers, has completed the elaborate mourning rituals in Egypt. Now, with his father buried in Canaan, Joseph needs to make a formal request to Pharaoh to travel back to Canaan to ensure his father's final resting place is as promised. He approaches Pharaoh's household, not Pharaoh directly, seeking their intercession for his request to leave Egypt temporarily.
After days of deep mourning, Joseph turns his attention to a significant task: burying his father. This moment reveals how faith guides us through loss and directs our actions.
Joseph's mourning for his father Jacob is profound. The text notes his tears and kisses, a natural expression of filial love. Yet, even amidst his grief, Joseph must navigate practicalities and responsibilities. He requests permission from Pharaoh, not directly, but through the royal household. This highlights several things:
The brothers, still plagued by guilt, fear Joseph's retribution. Joseph's response reveals a profound trust in God's sovereign plan, even amidst human evil.
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After Jacob's death, Joseph's brothers are gripped by fear. They send a messenger to Joseph, pleading for forgiveness for their past actions, reminding him of their father's dying wish that Joseph forgive them. Joseph's reaction is remarkable:
Understand the original words
chen · Hebrew Noun
Grace, kindness, or acceptance shown by a superior to an inferior. It describes a state of being looked upon with approval, often resulting in favorable treatment or mercy.
shaba' · Hebrew Verb
A solemn appeal or declaration made in the presence of God, invoking His witness to the truthfulness or binding nature of a promise. Swearing an oath carries grave weight and implies divine accountability.
qeber · Hebrew Noun
A place of burial or a grave. In the Old Testament, the act of burial is a significant cultural marker of respecting the deceased and awaiting the final gathering to one's ancestors.
Kena'an · Hebrew Noun
The territory promised by God to Abraham and his descendants as an everlasting possession. It holds deep theological significance as the setting for the unfolding of God’s covenantal history.
Joseph's request to bury his father in Canaan, a land outside Egypt, highlights the deep-seated desire of the patriarchs to remain connected to God's promises for their people, even while living as sojourners in a foreign land.
~1800 BC
Joseph rises to power in Egypt
Joseph, after being sold into slavery and imprisoned, interprets Pharaoh's dreams and becomes second-in-command of Egypt, managing the nation through a prophesied famine.
c. 1730 BC
Jacob and his family move to Egypt
Jacob and his entire family, numbering about 70 people, move to the land of Goshen in Egypt to escape the famine, sustained by Joseph's provision.
c. 1710 BC
Death of Jacob
After 17 years in Egypt, Jacob dies. Joseph obtains Pharaoh's permission to travel to Canaan to bury his father, accompanied by a large contingent of Egyptians.
c. 1710 BC— this verse
Jacob's funeral and burial in Canaan
Jacob is mourned for 70 days in Egypt and then buried in the cave of Machpelah in Canaan, fulfilling his dying wish. Joseph and his brothers return to Egypt.
c. 1710 BC
Joseph reassures his brothers
After Jacob's death and burial, Joseph's brothers fear his retribution. Joseph reassures them, emphasizing that God intended their actions for good.
c. 1570 BC - 1450 BC
Israelites' sojourn and growth in Egypt
The descendants of Jacob live in Goshen, prospering and multiplying significantly over generations, while Joseph and his generation pass away.
This passage directly precedes the verse in question and sets up Joseph's request, showing Jacob's oath to Joseph to bury him in Canaan. It highlights the importance of honoring familial promises and God's covenant land, even after death.
Genesis 50:25This verse shows Joseph making his own sons swear an oath to carry his bones out of Egypt, mirroring the request made for Jacob. It demonstrates a consistent family commitment to the promise of the land of Canaan and the future redemption of Israel.
Esther 4:2This passage mentions a similar custom where mourners or those in a state of distress might not be able to approach the king directly. It provides cultural context for why Joseph might have used intermediaries to speak to Pharaoh.
Hebrews 11:22This verse in Hebrews speaks of Joseph by faith commanding concerning his bones, looking forward to God's visitation and the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. It underscores the theological significance of Joseph's actions and his enduring faith.
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…
clarkeGenesis 50:4: "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,"
Speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh - But why did not Joseph apply himself? Because he was now in his mourning habits, and in such none must appear in the presence of the eastern monarchs. See Esther 4:2 .
Even though Joseph was the most powerful man in Egypt besides Pharaoh, he didn't ask the king directly for permission to bury his father. Instead, he went through the royal household, showing a wise humility and understanding of Egyptian customs around mourning and court protocol. This indirect approach also subtly involved the courtiers, potentially garnering their support and preventing future criticism.
Joseph's father, Jacob, has just died, and Joseph, along with his brothers, has completed the elaborate mourning rituals in Egypt. Now, with his father buried in Canaan, Joseph needs to make a formal request to Pharaoh to travel back to Canaan to ensure his father's final resting place is as promised. He approaches Pharaoh's household, not Pharaoh directly, seeking their intercession for his request to leave Egypt temporarily.
Joseph's father, Jacob, has just died, and Joseph, along with his brothers, has completed the elaborate mourning rituals in Egypt. Now, with his father buried in Canaan, Joseph needs to make a formal request to Pharaoh to travel back to Canaan to ensure his father's final resting place is as promised. He approaches Pharaoh's household, not Pharaoh directly, seeking their intercession for his request to leave Egypt temporarily.
"And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: i…" — Even though Joseph was the most powerful man in Egypt besides Pharaoh, he didn't ask the king directly for permission to bury his father. Instead, he went through the royal household, showing a wise…
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Last reviewed October 2026
