Genesis 50:3

Genesis 50:3 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

King James Version KJV

And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.

American Standard Version ASV

And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of embalming: and the Egyptians wept for him threescore and ten days.

Bible in Basic English BBE

And the forty days needed for making the body ready went by: and there was weeping for him among the Egyptians for seventy days.

Free Bible Version FBV

This took a full 40 days, the normal time for the process, and the Egyptians mourned for him for 70 days.

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

So fourtie dayes were accomplished (for so long did the dayes of them that were enbaumed last) and the Egyptians bewayled him seuentie dayes.

Young's Literal Translation YLT

and they fulfil for him forty days, for so they fulfil the days of the embalmed, and the Egyptians weep for him seventy days.

World English Bible WEB

Forty days were used for him, for that is how many days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for Israel for seventy days.

Noah Webster Bible WBS

And forty days were fulfilled for him; (for so are fulfilled the days of those who are embalmed:) and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

And while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and Egypt mourned for him seventy days.

Translation for Translators T4T

So the morticians did that. It took 40 days to embalm Jacob’s body, because that is the amount of time that was always required for them to embalm a body. And the people of Egypt mourned for 70 days because of Jacob’s death.

Plain English Version PEV

It took them 40 days to finish doing all those things. The Egypt people cried for Jacob for 70 days.

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Berean Amplified Bible — Genesis 50:3

BAB

Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

Genesis 50:3 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB

HEB וַ/יִּמְלְאוּ ל/וֹ֙ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם כִּ֛י כֵּ֥ן יִמְלְא֖וּ יְמֵ֣י הַ/חֲנֻטִ֑ים וַ/יִּבְכּ֥וּ אֹת֛/וֹ מִצְרַ֖יִם שִׁבְעִ֥ים יֽוֹם

וַ/יִּמְלְאוּ mâlêʼ H4390 to fill Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp

ל/וֹ֙ Prep | Suff

אַרְבָּעִ֣ים ʼarbâʻîym H705 forty Adj

י֔וֹם yôwm H3117 day N-ms

כִּ֛י kîy H3588 for Conj

כֵּ֥ן kên H3651 right Part

יִמְלְא֖וּ mâlêʼ H4390 to fill V-Qal-Juss-3mp

יְמֵ֣י yôwm H3117 day N-mp

הַ/חֲנֻטִ֑ים chânaṭ H2590 to spice Art | N-mp

וַ/יִּבְכּ֥וּ bâkâh H1058 to weep Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp

אֹת֛/וֹ ʼêth H853 Obj. DirObjM | Suff

מִצְרַ֖יִם Mitsrîy H4713 Egyptian N-proper

שִׁבְעִ֥ים shibʻîym H7657 seventy Adj

יֽוֹם yôwm H3117 day N-ms

Hebrew Word Study

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Hebrew Word Reference — Genesis 50:3

וַ/יִּמְלְאוּ mâlêʼ H4390 "to fill" Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp

To fill means to make something full or complete, like filling a container or fulfilling a promise. This word is used in many contexts, including being full of joy or having a job completed.

Definition: 1) to fill, be full 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be full 1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle) 1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended 1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied 1b2) to be accomplished, be ended 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to fill 1c2) to satisfy 1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete 1c4) to confirm 1d) (Pual) to be filled 1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against Aramaic equivalent: me.la (מְלָא "to fill" H4391)

Usage: Occurs in 242 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, confirm, [phrase] consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, [idiom] draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-) flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-) full, [phrase] have wholly. See also: Genesis 1:22; 2 Chronicles 16:14; Psalms 10:7.

ל/וֹ֙ "" Prep | Suff

אַרְבָּעִ֣ים ʼarbâʻîym H705 "forty" Adj

The number forty is what this Hebrew word represents, often used in the Bible to mark significant periods of time, like the 40 days of rain in Genesis or the 40 years of Israel's wilderness journey.

Definition: forty

Usage: Occurs in 123 OT verses. KJV: -forty. See also: Genesis 5:13; Judges 13:1; Psalms 95:10.

י֔וֹם yôwm H3117 "day" N-ms

The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.

Definition: : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

Usage: Occurs in 1930 OT verses. KJV: age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. See also: Genesis 1:5; Genesis 33:13; Exodus 23:15.

כִּ֛י kîy H3588 "for" Conj

A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.

Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.

כֵּ֥ן kên H3651 "right" Part

In the Bible, this Hebrew word means 'so' or 'thus', often used to show agreement or confirmation, like in the book of Genesis. It can also mean 'rightly' or 'justly', as in doing something the correct way. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Definition: adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

Usage: Occurs in 737 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, [phrase] there (where) -fore, this, thus, true, well, [idiom] you. See also: Genesis 1:7; Exodus 37:19; Judges 7:17.

יִמְלְא֖וּ mâlêʼ H4390 "to fill" V-Qal-Juss-3mp

To fill means to make something full or complete, like filling a container or fulfilling a promise. This word is used in many contexts, including being full of joy or having a job completed.

יְמֵ֣י yôwm H3117 "day" N-mp

הַ/חֲנֻטִ֑ים chânaṭ H2590 "to spice" Art | N-mp

This Hebrew word refers to the process of embalming or preserving a body after death. In Genesis 50:2, Joseph embalms his father Jacob's body, using spices and other methods to preserve it. This practice was not commonly used by the Israelites.

Definition: v 1) to embalm, spice, make spicy 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to spice, make spicy 1a2) to embalm 2) (CLBL) to ripen

Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: embalm, put forth. See also: Genesis 50:2; Genesis 50:26; Song of Solomon 2:13.

וַ/יִּבְכּ֥וּ bâkâh H1058 "to weep" Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp

To weep means to cry or shed tears, often in grief or sadness. In the Bible, weeping is a common expression of emotion, as seen in the stories of David and Jeremiah, who both wept bitterly in times of sorrow and repentance.

Definition: 1) to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy) 1a2) to weep bitterly (with cognate acc.) 1a3) to weep upon (embrace and weep) 1a4) to bewail 1b) (Piel) participle 1b1) lamenting 1b2) bewailing

Usage: Occurs in 100 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, [idiom] more, mourn, [idiom] sore, [idiom] with tears, weep. See also: Genesis 21:16; 2 Samuel 12:21; Psalms 69:11.

אֹת֛/וֹ ʼêth H853 "Obj." DirObjM | Suff

In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.

Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.

מִצְרַ֖יִם Mitsrîy H4713 "Egyptian" N-proper

In the Bible, this word refers to an Egyptian, someone from the country of Egypt. It appears in the Old Testament, describing people from this northeastern African nation. Egyptians are mentioned in books like Genesis and Exodus.

Definition: Group of mits.ra.yim (מִצְרַ֫יִם "Egypt" H4714G) § Egyptian, of Egypt "double straits" Egyptian-an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt an Egyptian

Usage: Occurs in 67 OT verses. KJV: Egyptian, of Egypt. See also: Genesis 12:12; Exodus 8:17; Ezra 9:1.

שִׁבְעִ֥ים shibʻîym H7657 "seventy" Adj

In the Bible, this Hebrew word means the number seventy, like the seventy disciples Jesus sent out in Luke 10:1. It appears in phrases like threescore and ten. The KJV Bible uses it to describe groups of seventy people.

Definition: seventy

Usage: Occurs in 90 OT verses. KJV: seventy, threescore and ten ([phrase] -teen). See also: Genesis 4:24; Judges 9:2; Psalms 90:10.

יֽוֹם yôwm H3117 "day" N-ms

Study Notes — Genesis 50:3

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Context
Cross References
Genesis 50:3 Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Reflection Questions
Gill's Exposition on Genesis 50:3
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 50:3
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Genesis 50:3
Trapp's Commentary on Genesis 50:3
Ellicott's Commentary on Genesis 50:3
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Genesis 50:3
Cambridge Bible on Genesis 50:3
Whedon's Commentary on Genesis 50:3
Sermons on Genesis 50:3

Context — Mourning and Burial for Jacob

1Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him. 2And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him,

3taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

4When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that 5my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.”

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Numbers 20:29	When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.
2	Deuteronomy 34:8	The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.
3	Genesis 50:10	When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.
4	Deuteronomy 21:13	and put aside the clothing of her captivity. After she has lived in your house a full month and mourned her father and mother, you may have relations with her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.

Genesis 50:3 Summary

Genesis 50:3 tells us that it took forty days to complete the embalming of Jacob's body, and the Egyptians mourned for him for seventy days. This shows the great respect they had for Jacob and his family, as seen in the way they honored him after his death. We can learn from this example about the importance of showing respect and care for those who have passed away, as taught in passages like 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. By reflecting on this verse, we can also consider how we can honor our own loved ones who have passed away, and how we can use times of loss as opportunities to grow closer to God, as discussed in Psalm 34:18.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the Egyptians mourn for Jacob for seventy days?

The Egyptians mourned for Jacob for seventy days because of the great respect they had for Joseph, and by extension, his father Jacob, as seen in Genesis 50:3. This mourning period was likely a sign of their high esteem for Jacob and the Israelites.

What is the significance of the forty-day embalming period?

The forty-day embalming period was a common practice in ancient Egypt, as mentioned in Genesis 50:3, and it allowed for the proper preparation of the body for burial, ensuring that it would be preserved for the afterlife, a concept also discussed in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58.

How did the Egyptians' mourning for Jacob compare to their usual customs?

The Egyptians' mourning for Jacob for seventy days was a significant period of time, indicating the high regard they had for him, as seen in Genesis 50:3, and it may have been even more extensive than their usual customs, as they typically mourned for a shorter period, such as during the embalming process, which lasted forty days.

What can we learn from the way Joseph and the Egyptians honored Jacob's death?

We can learn from Genesis 50:3 that honoring our loved ones who have passed away is important, and it can be a way to show respect and gratitude for their lives, as seen in the way Joseph and the Egyptians mourned for Jacob, and as taught in passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Reflection Questions

What can I learn from the way Joseph cared for his father's body after his death, and how can I apply that to my own relationships?
How can I balance my grief with the knowledge that my loved ones who have passed away are now with the Lord, as discussed in 2 Corinthians 5:8?
What role does respect and honor play in my relationships, and how can I show those qualities to others, as seen in Genesis 50:3?
How can I use times of mourning and loss as opportunities to reflect on my own mortality and my relationship with God, as discussed in Psalm 90:12?

Gill's Exposition on Genesis 50:3

Forty days were fulfilled for him,.... Were spent in embalming him: for so are fulfilled the days of those that are embalmed; so long the body lay in the pickle, in ointment of cedar, myrrh and

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 50:3

And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. Forty days were fulfilled for him.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on Genesis 50:3

For him, i.e. for his embalming; that so the drugs or spices which were applied might more effectually reach to all the parts of the dead body, and keep it from corruption. And the effect of their diligence and so long continuance in this work was, that bodies have been preserved uncorrupt for some thousand of years. Threescore and ten days, i.e. thirty days, (according to the custom of the Hebrews, , to which doubtless the Egyptians in this case did accommodate themselves,) besides the forty days spent in embalming him, which also was a time of mourning. And thus I suppose the Egyptians reckoned those seventy-two days which Diodorus Siculus saith they spent in mourning for their deceased kings.

Trapp's Commentary on Genesis 50:3

Genesis 50:3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.Ver. 3. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.] Longer than Joseph mourned; they did it through "ignorance," and as men "without hope"; for both which, see 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Joseph could look through his own loss, and see his father’ s gain beyond it. Besides, he could say, as Jerome in like case, Tulisti, Domine, patrem, quem ipse dederas: Non coutristor quid recepisti; ago gratias, quod dedisti. And if epicures could comfort themselves in their greatest dejections, ex praeteritarum voluptatum recordatione; how much more could Joseph now; not only by calling to mind this last seventeen years’ enjoyment of his dear father, beyond all hope and expectation; but chiefly, that happy change his father had made, from darkness to light, from death to life, from sorrow to solace; from a factious world, to a heavenly habitation, where he drinks of that torrent of pleasure, without let or loathing. Jerome, ad Julian. Cic., De Finib., lib. ii.

Ellicott's Commentary on Genesis 50:3

(3) Forty days.—Herodotus (ii. 86) describes the process of embalming as occupying seventy days, but he was speaking of what he saw at Thebes, whereas Memphis was the Egyptian capital in Joseph’s time; and the mummies of Thebes are, we are told, far more perfectly preserved than those of Memphis. Diodorus agrees very nearly with the periods mentioned here, saying (i. 91) that the embalming took somewhat more than thirty days, and the mourning for a king seventy-two. The usual period of mourning among the Israelites was thirty days (Numbers 20:29 : Deuteronomy 34:8). Probably, therefore, the forty days spent in the embalming were included in the “threescore and ten days,” during which the Egyptians mourned for Jacob.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Genesis 50:3

Verse 3. Forty days] The body it appears required this number of days to complete the process of embalming; afterwards it lay in natron thirty days more, making in the whole seventy days, according to the preceding accounts, during which the mourning was continued.

Cambridge Bible on Genesis 50:3

3. forty days] Herod. ii. 86 mentions 70 days, and Diodorus (i. 72) mentions 72 days as the time required for the process of embalming. threescore and ten days] It is here specially mentioned in honour of Jacob, that the Egyptian nation mourned him for 70 days. The period of mourning for Aaron and for Moses was 30 days (Numbers 20:29; Deuteronomy 34:8). In later historic times the period of mourning for the dead was seven days (cf. 1 Samuel 31:13; Job 2:13; Sir 22:12; Jdt 16:24).

Whedon's Commentary on Genesis 50:3

3. Forty days… of those which are embalmed… mourned for him threescore and ten days — That is, it required forty days for the embalming, during which time the mourning for him went on, and after the

Sermons on Genesis 50:3

	Sermon	Description
	(Genesis) Genesis 50:4-13 by J. Vernon McGee	In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the burial of Jacob, also known as Israel, and the significance of his burial place. Joseph, Jacob's son, requests permission from Pharaoh to

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