Reading for July 11, Memorial: St Benedict, Abbott

Saturday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a

The Death of Jacob
[29] Then he (Jacob) 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, [30] 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. [31] There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah --[32] the field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites."

After the Death of Jacob
[15] When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil which we did to him." [16] So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father gave this command before he died, [17] 'Say to Joseph, Forgive, I pray you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.' And now, we pray you, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him. [18] His brothers also came and fell down before him, and said, "Behold, we are your servants." [19] But Joseph said to them, "Fear not, for am I in the place of God? [20] As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. [21] So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he reassured them and comforted them. [22] So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's house; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. [23] And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation; the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph's knees.

The Death of Joseph
[24] And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die; but God will visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." [25] Then Joseph took an oath of the Sons of Israel, saying, "God will visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here." [26] So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
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Commentary:
49:29-32. This repeats, in different words, the information given in 47:29-31, but now with express reference to the life and burial of the previous patriarchs, Abraham (cf. 23:1-20; 25:9) and Isaac (cf. 25:27-29). This is the only place where it is mentioned that Abraham, Rebekah and Leah were buried here. The passage acts as a reminder that they belong where their ancestors are, and that they must return there. The scene is set for the theme of the book of Exodus. Verse 32 is missing from the Vulgate Latin version.

50:1-26. In this final chapter further stress is put on the greatness of the figure of Jacob by the account of that great mourning (vv. 1-14); and the meaning is clearly revealed of the entire story of Joseph and his brothers in the context of God's plans (vv. 15-26).

50:15-21. In spite of the marks of fraternity Joseph has shown his brothers, when they lose their common father they also seem to lose their sense of fraternity. They continue to see things from a very human perspective; whereas Joseph has a more supernatural outlook, which also extends to his hope in the future (cf. v. 24). In this way the book of Genesis concludes its account of the origins of the world, of mankind and of the people of God, leaving the way open to a new and decisive intervention by God -- the great deliverance from Egypt, which the book of Exodus will recount.

50:22-26. The Lord has blessed Joseph with a long life and the joy of seeing his great-grandchildren. Even as he dies, Joseph continues to think about his people, whose destiny (he reminds them) is the fulfillment of the promise God made to his ancestors. Joseph reaffirms that that promise will be kept, and he feels that he has a part in it. Therefore, he makes them swear that his bones will be taken up from Egypt to the promised land. And so the book of Genesis comes to an end, by showing Joseph's faith in the divine promises and inviting the reader, no matter what happens, to keep alive his or her hope in God's active help.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.