Genesis 50:13 Meaning and Explanation
“For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jacob was buried in the cave of Machpelah, the ancestral burial ground Abraham had purchased generations earlier.
The Context of Genesis 50:13
This same cave would later hold Jacob's other descendants (Genesis 49-50; 1 Samuel 25).
What Does Genesis 50:13 Mean?
The cave of Machpelah was not just any grave but the family's covenant burial ground, purchased by Abraham as a testimony to God's promise of the land (Genesis 23). Burying Jacob there placed him alongside his ancestors and affirmed the family's claim to Canaan.
The specific details—naming Abraham's purchase, identifying Ephron as the previous owner, locating it at Mamre—anchor Jacob's burial in the family's history and faith. This continuity shows how each generation held to the same hope of an eternal inheritance.
Genesis 50:13 in the Original Language
Machpelah (מַכְפֵּלָה), 'the double cave' — a cave with multiple chambers, purchased by Abraham as the family burial site.
Frequently Asked Questions About Genesis 50:13
What does Genesis 50:13 mean?
Jacob was buried in the cave of Machpelah, the ancestral burial ground Abraham had purchased generations earlier.
What is the context of Genesis 50:13?
This same cave would later hold Jacob's other descendants (Genesis 49-50; 1 Samuel 25).