The Meaning of Genesis 50:5 Explained

Genesis 50:5

KJV: My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.

YLT: My father caused me to swear, saying, Lo, I am dying; in my burying-place which I have prepared for myself in the land of Canaan, there dost thou bury me; and now, let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and return;'

Darby: My father made me swear, saying, Behold, I die; in my grave which I have dug myself in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. And now, let me go up, I pray thee, that I may bury my father; and I will come again.

ASV: My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

My father  made me swear,  saying,  Lo,  I die:  in my grave  which I have digged  for me in the land  of Canaan,  there shalt thou bury me.  Now therefore let me go up,  I pray thee, and bury  my father,  and I will come again. 

What does Genesis 50:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 50:4-14 - Jacob Mourned And Buried
The days of mourning for Jacob were only two less in number than for a king. Three hundred miles were traversed by that splendid funeral cavalcade, which included not only the family of Israel, but the magnates of Egypt. The words, beyond Jordan (Genesis 50:10), indicate that this book was finished on the further side of Jordan, where Moses afterward died.
The evident grief with which the precious remains were laid beside the great dead, reminds us that when God wills to do honor to any servant of His, He can secure it in remarkable ways-and ways which are entirely independent of human methods and reasoning. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." At birth He cared for your helpless body; when you die He will see to its sepulcher. The bones of the saints hold the earth for the ultimate reign of Christ! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 50

1  The mourning for Jacob
4  Joseph gets leave of Pharaoh to go to bury him
7  The funeral
15  Joseph comforts his brothers, who crave his pardon
22  His age
23  He sees the third generation of his sons
24  He prophesies unto his brothers of their return
25  He takes an oath of them concerning his bones
26  He dies, and is put into a coffin

What do the individual words in Genesis 50:5 mean?

My father made me swear saying behold I am dying in my grave that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan there you shall bury me Now therefore let me go up please and bury - my father and I will return
אָבִ֞י הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִי לֵאמֹ֗ר הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִי֮ מֵת֒ בְּקִבְרִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר כָּרִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן שָׁ֖מָּה תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִי וְעַתָּ֗ה אֶֽעֱלֶה־ נָּ֛א וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־ אָבִ֖י וְאָשֽׁוּבָה

אָבִ֞י  My  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִי  made  me  swear 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּ֣ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
מֵת֒  am  dying 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בְּקִבְרִ֗י  in  my  grave 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קֶבֶר  
Sense: grave, sepulchre, tomb.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
כָּרִ֤יתִי  I  dug 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: כּוּר 
Sense: to dig, excavate, dig through.
לִי֙  for  myself 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּנַ֔עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִי  you  shall  bury  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: קָבַר  
Sense: to bury.
וְעַתָּ֗ה  Now  therefore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
אֶֽעֱלֶה־  let  me  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
נָּ֛א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה  and  bury 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: קָבַר  
Sense: to bury.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אָבִ֖י  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְאָשֽׁוּבָה  and  I  will  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.