And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

GENESIS 49:29KJV
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Genesis 49:29 (KJV)

What does Genesis 49:29 mean?

Genesis 49:29 records Jacob instructing his sons to bury him with his ancestors in the cave that belonged to Ephron the Hittite. Jacob is preparing for his death and wants to be laid to rest with his family, emphasizing the importance of his connection to his forefathers.

In this verse, Jacob is speaking to all his sons as he nears the end of his life. The setting is a family gathering in Egypt, where Jacob has just finished blessing each of his sons. By asking to be buried in the family tomb in Canaan, Jacob is reaffirming his identity and the family’s link to the land promised to them by God.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 49:29

  • "gathered" (אָסַף, 'asaf): This word means to be collected or brought together, often used in the Hebrew Bible for death, suggesting being reunited with one’s ancestors rather than just dying.
  • "bury" (קָבַר, qavar): This is the standard Hebrew word for burial, but here it highlights the act of honoring Jacob’s wishes and maintaining family tradition.
  • "fathers" (אָב, av): This word refers to ancestors or forefathers, not just immediate parents, underlining Jacob’s desire to be with his extended family line.
  • "cave" (מְעָרָה, me‘arah): This specifies the burial place, pointing to the well-known family tomb in the field of Ephron, which has significance in the family’s history.

Why Genesis 49:29 matters

  • Genesis 49:29 clarifies that Jacob’s burial was not just about a physical location but about maintaining the family’s heritage and identity.
  • The verse connects the end of Jacob’s life to the promises given to Abraham and Isaac, showing the continuity of God’s covenant with the patriarchs.
  • By naming Ephron the Hittite and the cave, the verse ties the story to a specific, historical place, anchoring the family’s story in real events and locations.

Where else these words appear

“Ephron” Hebrew H6085 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 23:8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
  • Genesis 23:14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
  • Genesis 49:30 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.

“cave” Hebrew H4631 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
  • Joshua 10:17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah.
  • 2 Samuel 23:13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

“Hittite” Hebrew H2850 · used in 47 verses

  • Genesis 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
  • Deuteronomy 7:1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
  • 2 Samuel 11:24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

“bury” Hebrew H6912 · used in 122 verses

  • Genesis 15:15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
  • Ruth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
  • 2 Kings 15:7 So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.