Genesis 49:30 kjv
In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.
Genesis 49:30 nkjv
in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial place.
Genesis 49:30 niv
the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.
Genesis 49:30 esv
in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place.
Genesis 49:30 nlt
This is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a permanent burial site.
Genesis 49 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 23:2-3 | "Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went... to mourn her." | Establishes Hebron/Kiriath-arba as Sarah's death place. |
| Gen 23:7-9 | "Abraham rose and bowed... and spoke to the Hittites... asking them to sell him their cave of Machpelah." | Abraham initiates the purchase for a burial place. |
| Gen 23:14-16 | "Ephron answered Abraham, 'My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels...'" | Price negotiation and Ephron's acceptance. |
| Gen 23:17-18 | "So the field of Ephron... before Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it... were deeded to Abraham." | Official transfer of the property to Abraham. |
| Gen 23:19 | "After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre..." | First burial in the cave of Machpelah. |
| Gen 25:8-9 | "Abraham breathed his last... and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah." | Abraham's burial in the purchased plot. |
| Gen 35:27 | "And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned." | Links Jacob directly to Mamre/Hebron. |
| Gen 35:28-29 | "Isaac breathed his last... and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." | Isaac's burial, implicitly in Machpelah given Gen 50. |
| Gen 47:29-30 | "When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph... 'Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers.'" | Jacob's initial plea to Joseph for burial in Canaan. |
| Gen 49:29 | "Then he charged them and said to them, 'I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite," | Immediate preceding verse; sets up the location. |
| Gen 50:5-6 | "My father made me swear, saying, 'Behold, I am about to die: in my tomb that I dug for myself...'" | Joseph reaffirms Jacob's desire for burial in Canaan. |
| Gen 50:13 | "And carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah." | Confirmation of Jacob's burial in the designated place. |
| Acts 7:15-16 | "So Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he died, he and our fathers... and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought." | Stephen's sermon mentions ancestral burial places (though has Shechem rather than Hebron, possibly referring to a different patriarchal burial or a general ancestral claim). |
| Heb 11:8 | "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance." | Abraham's faith in receiving the promised land. |
| Heb 11:9-10 | "By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land... looking forward to the city that has foundations." | Abraham dwelling in the promised land, looking for more. |
| Heb 11:13 | "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar." | Patriarchs died in faith without fully receiving promises. |
| Heb 11:16 | "But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God." | Patriarchs' ultimate hope transcends earthly inheritance. |
| Josh 14:15 | "Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.)" | Confirms the city name associated with Machpelah. |
| Num 13:22 | "They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there." | Hebron as a significant ancient location. |
| Gen 13:14-15 | "The Lord said to Abram, 'Lift up your eyes and look... for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.'" | Original promise of land to Abraham. |
| Gen 17:7-8 | "And I will establish my covenant between me and you... and to your offspring after you... the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession." | Covenant specifies Canaan as everlasting possession. |
Genesis 49 verses
Genesis 49 30 Meaning
Genesis 49:30 outlines Jacob's precise instruction for his burial location. He commands his sons to bury him with his forefathers—Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah—in the Cave of Machpelah, located within the field before Mamre in Canaan. The verse emphasizes the ancestral claim to this land through Abraham's legal purchase from Ephron the Hittite, underscoring it as a perpetual family burying place. It is a profound declaration of faith in God's covenant promise regarding the land of Canaan as an eternal inheritance for his descendants.
Genesis 49 30 Context
Genesis 49 is a pivotal chapter, recording Jacob's final words and blessings (or prophecies) over his twelve sons just before his death. These blessings are highly symbolic, foreshadowing the future tribal characteristics and destinies of Israel. The instructions for his burial in verse 30 are deeply significant. Immediately preceding this verse (49:29), Jacob reiterates his desire to be "gathered to my people" and specifically buried "with my fathers" in the family plot purchased by Abraham. This demonstrates Jacob's enduring faith in the covenant God made with his forefathers and emphasizes his connection to the promised land, even as he lay dying in Egypt.
Historically, the practice of burying one's dead with their ancestors in a designated family plot was crucial for identity, lineage, and a sense of continuity. The emphasis on the legal purchase by Abraham (Gen 23) highlighted the Israelite claim to the land, not merely as a gift but also as a meticulously acquired possession in the eyes of human law, solidifying its place within their historical narrative and divine promise. The location, "the land of Canaan," is the very land God had promised to Abraham's descendants, making Jacob's request a testament to his belief in the ultimate fulfillment of that promise.
Genesis 49 30 Word analysis
- in the cave: Hebrew: בַּמְּעָרָה (ba-m'arah), from מְעָרָה (m'arah), meaning "cave." This specific cave, "Machpelah," was Abraham's sole land possession in Canaan for a long time. It signifies the permanent claim, however small, to the promised land.
- of the field: Hebrew: הַשָּׂדֶה (ha-sadeh), meaning "the field" or "the cultivated land." This emphasizes that the cave was not isolated but part of a larger property. It highlights Abraham's careful acquisition of the entire field, not just the cave, as stipulated in Gen 23, securing access and full ownership.
- of Machpelah: Hebrew: הַמַּכְפֵּלָה (ha-Machpelah), meaning "the double" or "the portion." Its name might imply its doubled nature (field and cave), or its location facing another point. It is the family sepulcher, holding deep spiritual significance as a place of ancestral rest and a symbol of their future inheritance of the land.
- which is before Mamre: Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא (asher al-penei Mamre), meaning "which is on the face of Mamre" or "opposite Mamre." Mamre was an Amorite chief, Abraham's ally (Gen 14:13), who lived in the vicinity of Hebron. This phrase provides a precise geographical reference, anchoring the sacred burial site to a recognizable landmark of the time, near modern-day Hebron.
- in the land: Hebrew: בְּאֶרֶץ (b'eretz), from אֶרֶץ (eretz), meaning "land" or "earth." Refers to a specific territory.
- of Canaan: Hebrew: כְּנָעַן (k'na'an), referring to the geographic region of Canaan. This repeatedly stresses the precise, divinely promised land. For Jacob, despite dying in Egypt, burial here affirms his identity as an heir of the promise and roots his family within their spiritual heritage, awaiting the complete possession of the land by his descendants.
- which Abraham bought: Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר קָנָה אַבְרָהָם (asher qanah Avraham), from קָנָה (qanah), "to buy" or "acquire." This reiterates the meticulous and legal acquisition by Abraham as recorded in Gen 23. It demonstrates a legitimate claim against any future disputers and underlines God's promise being actualized, even if only initially through a burial plot.
- with the field: Hebrew: אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶה (et-ha-sadeh), repeating the emphasis on the field along with the cave, reinforcing the completeness of the transaction.
- from Ephron the Hittite: Hebrew: מֵאֵפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי (me'Efron ha-Chiti). Ephron was a prominent local Heth (Hittite) inhabitant from whom Abraham acquired the property. This detail grounds the transaction in a specific historical encounter and the prevailing legal customs of the time. The Hittites were a major power, lending weight to the legality of the transaction.
- for a possession of a buryingplace: Hebrew: לַאֲחֻזַּת קָבֶר (la'akhuzzat qaver), from אֲחֻזָּה (akhuzzah) meaning "possession" or "property," and קֶבֶר (qever) meaning "tomb" or "burial place." This phrase clearly states the purpose of the purchase: an ancestral burial site. The term "possession" is significant; it implies a permanent, owned property, serving as an initial fulfillment of the broader promise of the land as an "everlasting possession" (Gen 17:8). This single plot served as a powerful down payment and tangible representation of God's greater promise for the entire land of Canaan to Abraham's descendants.
Genesis 49 30 Bonus section
- The cave of Machpelah in Hebron remains a significant holy site for both Jews and Muslims, known today as the Ibrahimi Mosque. This historical continuity further attests to the long-standing importance of this burial site as recorded in the Bible.
- The detail of Abraham buying the land from the Hittites is supported by ancient Near Eastern customs regarding land sales, particularly the explicit description of Ephron as "the Hittite," reflecting the historical presence of various ethnic groups in Canaan during the patriarchal period.
- Jacob's choice to be buried in Canaan, rather than in Egypt where he died, sets a powerful precedent for the eventual Exodus. His act signals a forward-looking faith that anticipated God bringing his people back to the Promised Land. This also served as a constant reminder to his descendants that Egypt was a temporary dwelling place, and their true home lay in Canaan.
Genesis 49 30 Commentary
Genesis 49:30, Jacob's final burial instruction, serves as a poignant testament to the unwavering faith of the patriarchs in God's covenant promises, especially concerning the land of Canaan. This verse is not merely a death wish but a profound theological statement. By demanding burial alongside his ancestors in the specific field and cave of Machpelah, Jacob reaffirms his family's enduring claim to the promised land.
The emphasis on Abraham's legal purchase of this plot from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23) is crucial. This meticulously documented transaction served multiple purposes: it validated the Israelites' initial legitimate land claim within Canaan, securing it through legal means rather than conquest; it highlighted the sanctity and permanence of the family's resting place; and most significantly, this small, acquired plot acted as a symbolic down payment on God's larger promise of the entire land to Abraham's descendants. Each successive burial (Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and finally Jacob) reinforced this ancestral claim and embodied a silent declaration of faith: that God's promise would surely be fulfilled, and one day their descendants would fully inherit this land. For Jacob, dying in Egypt, his final request ties him back to the spiritual roots and the physical inheritance of his lineage, showcasing a hope that transcends his immediate circumstances and looks to the faithfulness of God's word. This commitment to an ancestral burial plot demonstrates the patriarchs' confidence in a future where their offspring would populate and possess the land God had promised.