Genesis 47:28-31 Meaning: A Dying Man's Final Request
28Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.
29The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don’t bury me in Egypt,
30but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you have said.”
31Israel said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head.
28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
29And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
30But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
31And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.
28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty and seven years.
29And the time drew near that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me: bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt;
30but when I sleep with my fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
31And he said, Swear unto me: and he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.
28and Jacob liveth in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, are an hundred and forty and seven years.
29And the days of Israel are near to die, and he calleth for his son, for Joseph, and saith to him, `If, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and thou hast done with me kindness and truth; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt,
30and I have lain with my fathers, and thou hast borne me out of Egypt, and buried me in their burying-place.' And he saith, `I--I do according to thy word;'
31and he saith, `Swear to me;' and he sweareth to him, and Israel boweth himself on the head of the bed.
28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years.
29And the days of Israel approached that he should die. And he called his son Joseph, and said to him, If now I have found favour in thine eyes, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me: bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt;
30but when I shall lie with my fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their sepulchre. And he said, I will do according to thy word.
31And he said, Swear to me; and he swore to him. And Israel worshipped on the bed's head.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Genesis record Jacob's 147 years and 17 years in Egypt? His deathbed request to be buried in Canaan reveals his faith in God's covenant promises.
Context
Jacob (also called Israel) has spent seventeen years in Egypt, reunited with Joseph after more than two decades of grief. He is 147 years old, and he knows his time is short. The surrounding chapters show Jacob settled and prosperous in Goshen, but his heart never moved to Egypt. Now, as he summons Joseph, he does not ask for medical help or a final blessing for himself. He asks for one thing: a promise that his body will not stay in Egypt. The request seems small, but it carries the weight of everything Jacob believed. He is reaching past the comforts of Egypt toward the land God swore to give his descendants. This is not a sentimental wish; it is an act of faith, as the writer of Hebrews later recognized (Hebrews 11:21).
Key Words
Two Hebrew words form the heart of Jacob's request. He asks Joseph to show him chesed ve'emet (חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת), often translated "kindly and truly" or "loyalty and faithfulness." Chesed is the covenant love God shows His people, a stubborn, faithful kindness that does not give up. Emet means firmness, reliability, truth. Together they ask for something more than a favor: Jacob is asking Joseph to act with the same kind of faithful love that God shows His covenant people. Then, when Joseph swears, the text says va-yishtachu Yisrael (וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל), "Israel bowed himself." The verb shachah means to prostrate in homage or worship. Jacob is not just sinking back on his bed from exhaustion; he is bowing before God in gratitude, because his dying wish, grounded in the promise, has been secured.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen in this passage a model of dying faith. Matthew Henry (Reformed) highlights that Jacob's request to be buried in Canaan was "in faith, because it was the land of promise" and a type of heaven. The Cambridge Bible (Anglican) notes that Jacob "bows himself" on the bed in silent thanksgiving, a posture of worship echoed in 1 Kings 1:47 when David worships. Keil & Delitzsch (Lutheran/Protestant) agree with the Vulgate reading that "Israel adored God, turning to the bed's head," emphasizing worship over mere physical gesture. The Wesleyan tradition (Adam Clarke) reads the bowing more literally as the old man reclining after exertion, while still affirming the faith behind the request. All traditions unite around this: Jacob's final act is not about where his bones lie, but about whose promises he trusts.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
You may not be lying on a deathbed this week, but you are choosing, every day, where your heart lives. Jacob had seventeen years of peace and plenty in Egypt. He could have been buried in a fine tomb near the Nile, honored by Pharaoh's court. But he wanted to be with his fathers in the dusty cave of Machpelah because that piece of ground was the down payment on a promise. This week, notice the small ways you settle for Egypt, comfort, security, approval, while God is calling you to set your hope on something more. You can live in Egypt but belong to Canaan. Jacob's request is a quiet challenge: where are you banking your hopes?
Main takeaway: Trusting God's promises sometimes means refusing to get comfortable here, because your true home is where God is leading you.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jacob was very old and about to die. He asked his son Joseph to promise that he would not be buried in Egypt, but back in the special land God promised to his family. Jacob trusted God's promise even at the very end of his life.
For ages 9, 12
Jacob could have been buried in Egypt with great honor, but he chose to be buried in the land of Canaan because he believed God's promise to give that land to his family. He wanted his children and grandchildren to remember that God keeps His promises, even when it takes a long time. Jacob's last act was to worship God because his request had been promised.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jacob make Joseph put his hand under his thigh when swearing?
This was an ancient custom used when making a solemn oath, especially about a serious matter. Abraham made his servant do the same thing in Genesis 24:2. Placing the hand under the thigh was a gesture tied to the family line and covenant promises, making the oath especially binding and sacred.
Did Jacob worship God or just bow down from weakness at the end?
The Hebrew verb shachah means to bow down in homage or worship. Most Christian commentators (including the writer of Hebrews 11:21) understand this as an act of worship. Jacob was giving thanks to God because his dying wish, to be buried in the land of promise, had been secured by Joseph's oath.
Why was it so important to Jacob to be buried in Canaan rather than Egypt?
Jacob was not just homesick. The land of Canaan was the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and him. By insisting on burial there, Jacob was declaring his faith that God would keep His covenant and give that land to his descendants. His burial became a kind of claim on the promise, even before Israel possessed the land.
What does the number 147 (Jacob's age) mean in this passage?
Jacob earlier told Pharaoh that his years had been few and difficult (130 years). He lived seventeen more years in Egypt, making 147. The Cambridge Bible notes that 147 is 7 x 7 x 3, and seven often symbolizes completeness or divine perfection in Scripture. The exact number emphasizes that God gave Jacob a full and completed life, even after great hardship.
For pastors & researchers
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