Timeline
The Patriarchs
A chronological walk through the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, from the call of Abram out of Ur to Joseph's death in Egypt (Genesis 11:27–50:26).
The Patriarchs
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Joseph
I. Abraham: The Call and the Promise
II. Isaac: The Son of Promise
III. Jacob: Israel
IV. Joseph: Into Egypt
The Call of Abram (Genesis 11:27–12:9)
Jehovah tells Abram to leave his country and kindred for a land He will show him, and promises a great nation, a great name, and a blessing for all the families of the earth.
The account - Terah takes Abram, Sarai and his grandson Lot out of Ur of the Chaldees toward Canaan, but they settle in Haran, where Terah dies (11:31-32). - Sarai is barren; she has no child (11:30). - Abram departs from Haran at seventy-five with Sarai, Lot, their goods and the souls they had gotten (12:4-5). - At Shechem, by the oak of Moreh, Jehovah appears to him and promises the land to his seed. Abram builds an altar there, and another between Bethel and Ai (12:6-8).
Scripture > “Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” > — Genesis 12:1-3
“And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him.” — Genesis 12:7
Looking ahead > “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” > — Hebrews 11:8
Paul calls the promise of 12:3 the gospel preached beforehand: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed.” (Galatians 3:8)
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A note on dates Abram's age here is the text's own. The year (c. 2091 BC) is reckoned back from the exodus and is only approximate.
Terah was seventy when he began to beget Abram, Nahor and Haran (11:26) and died at 205 (11:32), yet Abram left at seventy-five, and Stephen says he moved to Canaan after his father died (Acts 7:4). The usual way of reconciling these is that Abram was not Terah's eldest son but is named first for his importance.
Famine: down into Egypt · Gen 12:10-20
Abram and Lot Part (Genesis 13)
Back from Egypt, Abram and Lot have more flocks than the land can bear. Abram gives Lot the choice; Lot takes the well-watered plain of the Jordan and moves his tent as far as Sodom.
The account - Abram returns from Egypt very rich in cattle, silver and gold, and goes back to the altar between Bethel and Ai (13:1-4). - Their herdsmen quarrel, and Abram offers Lot the land on either hand (13:7-9). - Lot chooses the plain of the Jordan, which was well watered everywhere before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (13:10-12). - After Lot leaves, Jehovah promises Abram all the land he can see and a seed as the dust of the earth. Abram moves his tent to the oaks of Mamre at Hebron (13:14-18).
Scripture > “And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren.” > — Genesis 13:8
“Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah exceedingly.” — Genesis 13:13
“for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may thy seed also be numbered.” — Genesis 13:15-16
The Rescue of Lot and Melchizedek (Genesis 14)
Four eastern kings plunder Sodom and carry Lot away. Abram pursues with 318 trained men, brings Lot back, and is blessed by Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High.
The account - Chedorlaomer and the kings with him defeat the kings of the plain and take Lot and his goods (14:1-12). - Abram arms his 318 trained servants, born in his house, and pursues them as far as Dan, then to Hobah north of Damascus (14:14-16). - Abram gives Melchizedek a tenth of all, but refuses to take anything from the king of Sodom (14:20-23).
Scripture > “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all.” > — Genesis 14:18-20
Looking ahead Psalm 110 and Hebrews 7 take up Melchizedek as a priest-king whose order belongs to the Christ.
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;” — Hebrews 7:1-2
The Covenant Between the Pieces (Genesis 15)
Childless Abram is shown the stars: so shall thy seed be. He believes Jehovah, and it is reckoned to him for righteousness. Then a smoking furnace and a flaming torch pass between the pieces.
The account - Abram fears that Eliezer of Damascus, a servant, will be his heir; Jehovah promises a son from his own body (15:2-4). - Abram lays out a heifer, a she-goat, a ram, a turtle-dove and a young pigeon, dividing the animals in the midst (15:9-10). - In a deep sleep he is told his seed will be strangers in a land not theirs, and afflicted four hundred years, then come out with great substance (15:12-16). - Jehovah covenants to give the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates (15:18).
Scripture > “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.” > — Genesis 15:5-6
“And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” — Genesis 15:13-14
“And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” — Genesis 15:17-18
Looking ahead Paul builds his teaching on justification by faith on 15:6: “For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3)
Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16)
After ten years in Canaan, Sarai gives her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to Abram. Hagar conceives, flees from Sarai's harshness, and meets the angel of Jehovah by a fountain in the wilderness.
The account - Sarai gives Hagar to Abram after he had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan (16:3). - When Hagar conceives, she despises her mistress; Sarai deals hardly with her and she flees (16:4-6). - The angel of Jehovah finds her by the fountain on the way to Shur, sends her back, and names the child Ishmael, God heareth (16:7-11). - The well is called Beer-lahai-roi (16:14).
Scripture > “And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath heard thy affliction. And he shall be as a wild ass among men; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his brethren.” > — Genesis 16:11-12
“And she called the name of Jehovah that spake unto her, Thou art a God that seeth: for she said, Have I even here looked after him that seeth me?” — Genesis 16:13
“And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.” — Genesis 16:16
Looking ahead Paul reads Hagar and Sarah as an allegory of two covenants, the one bearing children unto bondage, the other free (Galatians 4:22-31).
Abraham: The Covenant of Circumcision (Genesis 17)
Thirteen years later Jehovah appears again. Abram becomes Abraham, father of a multitude; Sarai becomes Sarah; circumcision is the sign of the covenant; and Sarah will bear a son, Isaac.
The account - Jehovah appears to Abram at ninety-nine and calls himself God Almighty (17:1). - Every male in Abraham's house, born there or bought with money, is to be circumcised on the eighth day as the token of the covenant (17:10-13). - Abraham falls on his face and laughs at the thought of a son at a hundred, and asks that Ishmael might live before God (17:17-18). - Ishmael will be blessed and become a great nation, but the covenant is established with Isaac (17:20-21). - That same day Abraham, Ishmael (thirteen) and every male of his house are circumcised (17:23-27).
Scripture > “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.” > — Genesis 17:5
“And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee, throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.” — Genesis 17:7
“And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.” — Genesis 17:19
Looking ahead Paul notes that righteousness was reckoned to Abraham before he was circumcised, so that he is father of all who believe (Romans 4:9-12).
Three Visitors at Mamre (Genesis 18)
Abraham welcomes three men at his tent door. Jehovah promises that Sarah will have a son by the set time next year, and Sarah laughs. Then Abraham intercedes for Sodom.
The account - Abraham runs to meet the men, bows, and prepares a calf, cakes, butter and milk (18:1-8). - Sarah, listening at the tent door, laughs within herself, for she is past age (18:10-12). - Jehovah tells Abraham the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and Abraham draws near to plead: for fifty righteous, and down to ten (18:20-32).
Scripture > “Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.” > — Genesis 18:14
“That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” — Genesis 18:25
“And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” — Genesis 18:32
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed (Genesis 19)
Two angels lodge with Lot in Sodom. The men of the city surround the house; the angels lead Lot, his wife and two daughters out, and Jehovah rains brimstone and fire on the cities of the plain.
The account - The men of Sodom, both young and old, surround Lot's house and are struck with blindness (19:4-11). - Lot's sons-in-law think he is jesting (19:14). - The angels lay hold of Lot's hand and bring him out, for Jehovah was merciful to him; Lot asks to flee to Zoar (19:16-22). - Lot's wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt (19:26). - Abraham sees the smoke of the land go up as the smoke of a furnace (19:27-28). - In a cave, Lot's daughters bear Moab and Ben-ammi, fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites (19:30-38).
Scripture > “Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” > — Genesis 19:24-26
“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.” — Genesis 19:29
Looking ahead > “Remember Lot’s wife.” > — Luke 17:32
Sarah and Abimelech at Gerar · Gen 20
The Birth of Isaac (Genesis 21:1-7)
At the set time Jehovah had spoken of, Sarah bears Abraham a son in his old age. Abraham names him Isaac, laughter, and circumcises him on the eighth day.
The account - Twenty-five years after Abram left Haran at seventy-five, the promised son is born (12:4; 21:5). - Abraham circumcises Isaac at eight days old, as God had commanded (21:4).
Scripture > “And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” > — Genesis 21:1-2
“And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh; every one that heareth will laugh with me.” — Genesis 21:5-6
Looking ahead > “By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised: wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable.” > — Hebrews 11:11-12
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away (Genesis 21:8-34)
At Isaac's weaning feast Sarah sees Ishmael mocking and asks that the bondwoman and her son be cast out. God tells Abraham to listen, and meets Hagar again in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
The account - The thing is very grievous to Abraham on account of his son (21:11). - Abraham sends Hagar off with bread and a bottle of water. When the water is spent she casts the child under a shrub (21:14-16). - God opens her eyes and she sees a well. Ishmael grows up in the wilderness of Paran, an archer, and his mother takes him a wife out of Egypt (21:19-21). - Abraham and Abimelech make a covenant at Beer-sheba over a well, and Abraham plants a tamarisk tree there (21:22-34).
Scripture > “And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” > — Genesis 21:12
“And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make him a great nation.” — Genesis 21:17-18
The Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22)
God tests Abraham: offer Isaac, thine only son, on a mountain in the land of Moriah. Abraham goes, binds the boy on the altar, and the angel of Jehovah stops his hand. A ram caught in a thicket is offered instead.
The account - Abraham rises early and travels three days with Isaac, two young men and the wood (22:3-4). - Isaac carries the wood; Abraham carries the fire and the knife (22:6). - Abraham names the place Jehovah-jireh (22:14). - Jehovah swears by himself to bless Abraham and to bless all the nations in his seed (22:16-18).
Scripture > “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” > — Genesis 22:2
“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? And Abraham said, God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son: so they went both of them together.” — Genesis 22:7-8
“And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.” — Genesis 22:12
Looking ahead > “By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; even he to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back.” > — Hebrews 11:17-19
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A note on dates Isaac's age is not given. He is old enough to carry the wood up the mountain (22:6), and Sarah's death, when he was thirty-seven (17:17; 23:1), is told next.
Sarah Dies: The Cave of Machpelah (Genesis 23)
Sarah dies at Hebron aged 127. Abraham, a stranger and sojourner in the land, buys the field and cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite for four hundred shekels of silver and buries her there.
The account - Abraham comes to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her (23:2). - The children of Heth offer him the choice of their sepulchres; Abraham insists on paying the full price (23:6-16). - The cave becomes the family tomb: Abraham, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah are all buried there (25:9; 49:29-31; 50:13). - The field of Machpelah is the only part of Canaan Abraham ever owns.
Scripture > “And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.” > — Genesis 23:1-2
“I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” — Genesis 23:4
“And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan.” — Genesis 23:19
A Wife for Isaac: Rebekah (Genesis 24; 25:20)
Abraham sends his eldest servant to his kindred in Mesopotamia. At the well of the city of Nahor, Rebekah gives water to him and his camels, and she agrees to go. Isaac takes her as his wife and is comforted after his mother's death.
The account - Abraham makes the servant swear not to take a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites, and not to take Isaac back to that land (24:2-8). - The servant prays for a sign: the maiden who offers to water his camels too (24:12-14). - Rebekah, granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, answers before he has done speaking (24:15-20). - Laban, her brother, welcomes the servant. Asked whether she will go, Rebekah answers, “I will go.” (24:58) - Isaac is forty when he takes Rebekah to wife (25:20).
Scripture > “And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth toward my master: as for me, Jehovah hath led me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren.” > — Genesis 24:27
“And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” — Genesis 24:67
The Death of Abraham (Genesis 25:1-11)
Abraham takes another wife, Keturah, and gives gifts to her sons, but gives all that he has to Isaac. He dies at 175, an old man and full of years, and Isaac and Ishmael bury him with Sarah.
The account - Keturah bears six sons, among them Midian (25:1-2). - Abraham sends the sons of his concubines away eastward while he still lives (25:6). - After his death God blesses Isaac, who dwells by Beer-lahai-roi (25:11).
Scripture > “And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years. And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;” > — Genesis 25:7-9
Looking ahead > “By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” > — Hebrews 11:9-10
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A note on order Genesis closes Abraham's story before it tells of the twins, but by the ages given Abraham lived on fifteen years after Jacob and Esau were born: he was 100 at Isaac's birth (21:5), Isaac 60 at theirs (25:26), and Abraham died at 175.
Twins: Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:19-26)
Rebekah is barren for twenty years until Isaac prays. The children struggle within her, and Jehovah tells her that two nations are in her womb, and the elder shall serve the younger.
The account - Isaac entreats Jehovah for his barren wife, and she conceives (25:21). - Esau comes out first, red, like a hairy garment; Jacob follows with his hand on Esau's heel (25:25-26). - Isaac was forty at his marriage and sixty at the twins' birth (25:20, 25:26).
Scripture > “And Jehovah said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels: And the one people shall be stronger than the other people; And the elder shall serve the younger.” > — Genesis 25:23
“And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.” — Genesis 25:26
Looking ahead Paul cites the oracle to show that God's choosing does not rest on works: “it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.” (Romans 9:12)
Esau Sells His Birthright (Genesis 25:27-34)
Esau, a skillful hunter, comes in faint from the field. Jacob, a quiet man dwelling in tents, will give him red pottage only for his birthright, and Esau swears it away.
The account - Isaac loves Esau, because he eats of his venison; Rebekah loves Jacob (25:28). - Esau is therefore called Edom, red (25:30).
Scripture > “And Esau said, Behold, I am about to die: and what profit shall the birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me first; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: so Esau despised his birthright.” > — Genesis 25:32-34
Looking ahead > “lest there be any fornication, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with tears.” > — Hebrews 12:16-17
Isaac at Gerar: The Promise Renewed (Genesis 26)
In a famine Jehovah tells Isaac not to go down to Egypt, and renews to him the oath sworn to Abraham. Isaac prospers in Gerar, his wells are disputed, and at Beer-sheba Jehovah appears to him again.
The account - Like his father, Isaac says of his wife, She is my sister; Abimelech of Gerar rebukes him (26:7-11). - Isaac sows and reaps a hundredfold, and the Philistines envy him (26:12-14). - He reopens Abraham's wells and digs new ones: Esek, Sitnah, and Rehoboth: “For now Jehovah hath made room for us” (26:22). - Abimelech makes a covenant of peace with him at Beer-sheba (26:26-31).
Scripture > “sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these lands; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;” > — Genesis 26:3-4
“And Jehovah appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.” — Genesis 26:24
Esau, 40, marries Hittite wives · Gen 26:34-35
The Stolen Blessing (Genesis 27)
Isaac, old and dim-sighted, sends Esau to hunt venison before blessing him. Rebekah dresses Jacob in Esau's clothes and goat skins, and Isaac blesses Jacob. Esau vows to kill his brother.
The account - Rebekah overhears and plans the deception; she says, “Upon me be thy curse, my son” (27:13). - Isaac is uneasy: “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” (27:22). - Esau returns and cries “with an exceeding great and bitter cry” (27:34). - Rebekah sends Jacob to her brother Laban in Haran until Esau's anger turns away (27:42-45), and Isaac sends him with his blessing to take a wife there (28:1-5).
Scripture > “And God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and new wine: Let peoples serve thee, And nations bow down to thee: Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: Cursed be every one that curseth thee, And blessed be every one that blesseth thee.” > — Genesis 27:28-29
“And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?” — Genesis 27:36
“And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.” — Genesis 27:41
Looking ahead > “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.” > — Hebrews 11:20
The Ladder at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22)
On the road to Haran Jacob sleeps with a stone for a pillow and dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven. Jehovah stands above it and gives him the promise made to Abraham and Isaac.
The account - Jacob sets up his stone pillar, pours oil on it, and renames the place Beth-el, house of God; it was formerly Luz (28:18-19). - He vows that if God keeps him and brings him back in peace, Jehovah shall be his God, and he will give a tenth of all (28:20-22).
Scripture > “And he dreamed; and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, Jehovah stood above it, and said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;” > — Genesis 28:12-13
“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee, whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” — Genesis 28:15
“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” — Genesis 28:16-17
Looking ahead > “And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” > — John 1:51
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A note on dates Jacob's age here is not stated. It is reckoned from later figures: Joseph was born at the end of Jacob's fourteen years of service (30:25; 31:41) and was 39 when Jacob, aged 130, came to Egypt (41:46; 45:6; 47:9). That puts Jacob at about 91 at Joseph's birth and about 77 when he reached Haran.
Laban, Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:1-30)
At a well near Haran Jacob meets Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter. He serves seven years for her, is given Leah instead on the wedding night, and serves seven more for Rachel.
The account - Jacob rolls the stone from the well's mouth, waters Laban's flock, kisses Rachel and weeps (29:10-11). - Leah's eyes are tender; Rachel is beautiful and well favored (29:17). - The deceiver is now deceived: Laban says it is not done in their place to give the younger before the first-born (29:26).
Scripture > “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” > — Genesis 29:20
“And it came to pass in the morning that, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?” — Genesis 29:25
The Sons of Jacob (Genesis 29:31–30:24; 35:16-18)
In the rivalry between Leah and Rachel, and their handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah, eleven sons and a daughter are born in Haran. Rachel at last bears Joseph. Benjamin, the twelfth son, is born later in Canaan.
The twelve, by mother - Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah (29:32-35); later Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah (30:17-21). - Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Naphtali (30:4-8). - Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad and Asher (30:9-13). - Rachel: Joseph (30:22-24), and Benjamin, at whose birth she dies on the way to Ephrath (35:16-18).
Scripture > “And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.” > — Genesis 29:31
“And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, This time will I praise Jehovah: therefore she called his name Judah; and she left off bearing.” — Genesis 29:35
“And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son: and said, God hath taken away my reproach: and she called his name Joseph, saying, Jehovah add to me another son.” — Genesis 30:22-24
Looking ahead These twelve become the tribes of Israel, and their names are on the gates of the holy city (Revelation 21:12).
Jacob Leaves Laban (Genesis 30:25–31:55)
Jacob grows rich in flocks while Laban changes his wages ten times. Told by God to return, he steals away with his wives, children and cattle. Laban overtakes him in Gilead, and they part with a covenant at Mizpah.
The account - After Joseph's birth Jacob asks leave to go home, and agrees to take the speckled and spotted of the flock as his wages (30:25-36). - Rachel steals her father's teraphim and hides them in the camel's saddle (31:19, 31:34). - Laban pursues seven days, but God warns him in a dream to speak neither good nor bad to Jacob (31:23-24). - They raise a heap of stones, Galeed, and a pillar, Mizpah (31:45-49).
Scripture > “And Jehovah said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.” > — Genesis 31:3
“These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.” — Genesis 31:41-42
“and Mizpah, for he said, Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.” — Genesis 31:49
Wrestling at Peniel: Israel (Genesis 32)
Hearing that Esau comes with four hundred men, Jacob prays and sends gifts ahead. Left alone by the Jabbok, he wrestles a man until daybreak, is lamed at the hip, and is renamed Israel.
The account - Angels of God meet Jacob, and he names the place Mahanaim (32:1-2). - Greatly afraid, Jacob divides his company into two bands and prays (32:7-12). - He sends droves of goats, sheep, camels, cattle and donkeys ahead as a present to Esau (32:13-21). - The man touches the hollow of his thigh; therefore Israel does not eat the sinew of the hip (32:25, 32:32).
Scripture > “I am not worthy of the least of all the lovingkindnesses, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two companies.” > — Genesis 32:10
“And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” — Genesis 32:26-28
“And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, said he, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” — Genesis 32:30
Looking ahead > “In the womb he took his brother by the heel; and in his manhood he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him at Beth-el, and there he spake with us,” > — Hosea 12:3-4
Jacob Meets Esau (Genesis 33)
Jacob bows seven times as he comes near, but Esau runs to meet him, embraces him and weeps. The brothers part in peace; Jacob settles at Succoth and then at Shechem, where he builds an altar.
The account - Jacob sets the handmaids and their children first, then Leah and hers, then Rachel and Joseph last (33:1-2). - Esau at first refuses the present: “I have enough, my brother” (33:9). - Jacob buys a parcel of ground at Shechem and names his altar El-elohe-israel (33:19-20).
Scripture > “And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.” > — Genesis 33:4
“And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favor in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.” — Genesis 33:10
Dinah, Simeon & Levi at Shechem · Gen 34
Return to Bethel; Rachel Dies (Genesis 35:1-22)
Jacob's household puts away its foreign gods and goes up to Bethel, where God confirms the name Israel and the promise. On the road toward Ephrath Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin.
The account - Jacob hides the strange gods and earrings under the oak by Shechem (35:2-4). - Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, dies and is buried below Bethel (35:8). - Rachel names her son Ben-oni, son of my sorrow; his father calls him Benjamin (35:18). - Reuben lies with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel hears of it (35:22).
Scripture > “And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.” > — Genesis 35:10-12
“And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem). And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave: the same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.” — Genesis 35:19-20
The Death of Isaac (Genesis 35:27-29)
Jacob comes to his father Isaac at Mamre, in Hebron. Isaac dies at 180, old and full of days, and Esau and Jacob bury him.
Scripture > “And Jacob came unto Isaac his father to Mamre, to Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. And the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, old and full of days: and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.” > — Genesis 35:27-29
A note on order Genesis closes Isaac's life here, before the story of Joseph begins in chapter 37, but by the ages given Isaac outlived the sale of Joseph. Isaac was 60 at Jacob's birth (25:26), so he died when Jacob was 120; Joseph, born when Jacob was about 91, would then be about 29, a year or so before he stood before Pharaoh at thirty (41:46).
The generations of Esau, Edom · Gen 36
Joseph's Coat and His Dreams (Genesis 37:1-11)
Israel loves Joseph more than all his children and makes him a coat of many colors. Joseph dreams that his brothers' sheaves, and then the sun, moon and eleven stars, bow down to him.
The account - Joseph, seventeen, feeds the flock with his brothers and brings their evil report to his father (37:2). - His brothers hate him and cannot speak peaceably to him (37:4). - Even his father rebukes him for the second dream, but keeps the saying in mind (37:10-11).
Scripture > “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.” > — Genesis 37:3-4
“And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.” — Genesis 37:8
“And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.” — Genesis 37:11
Sold into Egypt (Genesis 37:12-36)
Sent to check on his brothers at Shechem, Joseph finds them at Dothan. They strip off his coat and cast him into a pit, then sell him to a caravan bound for Egypt. Jacob is shown the bloodied coat.
The account - The brothers see him afar off: “Behold, this dreamer cometh.” (37:19). - Reuben persuades them not to kill him, meaning to rescue him later (37:21-22). - Judah proposes selling him rather than killing him (37:26-27). - They dip the coat in the blood of a he-goat and send it to their father (37:31-32). - The Midianites sell Joseph to Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh's guard (37:36).
Scripture > “And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.” > — Genesis 37:28
“And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning. And his father wept for him.” — Genesis 37:34-35
Judah and Tamar · Gen 38
In Potiphar's House (Genesis 39:1-20)
Jehovah is with Joseph, and Potiphar puts all he has in his hand. Potiphar's wife tempts him day by day; when he flees, leaving his garment, she accuses him, and he is cast into prison.
The account - Jehovah blesses the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake (39:5). - Joseph is comely and well favored (39:6). - She catches him by his garment; he leaves it in her hand and flees (39:12). - Potiphar puts him in the prison where the king's prisoners are bound (39:20).
Scripture > “And Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” > — Genesis 39:2
“he is not greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” — Genesis 39:9
The Butler and the Baker (Genesis 39:21–40:23)
The keeper of the prison commits all the prisoners to Joseph. He interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker: in three days one is restored and the other hanged. The butler forgets him.
The account - Jehovah shows Joseph kindness and gives him favor with the keeper of the prison (39:21-23). - The butler dreams of a vine with three branches; the baker of three baskets on his head (40:9-17). - On Pharaoh's birthday, three days later, it falls out as Joseph said (40:20-22).
Scripture > “And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell it me, I pray you.” > — Genesis 40:8
“But have me in thy remembrance when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.” — Genesis 40:14-15
“Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.” — Genesis 40:23
Before Pharaoh: Joseph Exalted (Genesis 41:1-45)
Two full years later Pharaoh dreams of seven fat kine and seven lean, seven good ears and seven thin. Joseph, brought from the dungeon, foretells seven years of plenty and seven of famine, and is set over all Egypt.
The account - None of the magicians or wise men of Egypt can interpret, and the butler remembers Joseph (41:8-13). - Joseph counsels Pharaoh to store a fifth of the land's produce in the good years (41:33-36). - Pharaoh gives him his signet ring, fine linen and a gold chain, and he rides in the second chariot (41:42-43). - Pharaoh names him Zaphenath-paneah and gives him Asenath to wife (41:45). - Joseph is thirty when he stands before Pharaoh (41:46), thirteen years after he was sold at seventeen (37:2).
Scripture > “And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” > — Genesis 41:16
“And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou: thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.” — Genesis 41:38-40
Looking ahead > “He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a servant: His feet they hurt with fetters: He was laid in chains of iron, Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of Jehovah tried him.” > — Psalms 105:17-19
Seven Years of Plenty, Then Famine (Genesis 41:46-57)
Joseph gathers grain like the sand of the sea until he stops counting. Before the famine his sons Manasseh and Ephraim are born. When the famine comes, all countries come to Egypt to buy grain.
Scripture > “And Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left off numbering; for it was without number.” > — Genesis 41:49
“And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh: For, said he, God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” — Genesis 41:51-52
“And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the store-houses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth.” — Genesis 41:56-57
The Brothers Bow Before Joseph (Genesis 42)
Jacob sends ten sons to Egypt for grain but keeps Benjamin home. They bow before the governor without knowing him. Joseph calls them spies, holds Simeon, and demands they bring their youngest brother.
The account - Joseph knows his brothers, but they do not know him, and he remembers his dreams (42:7-9). - The brothers say among themselves that this distress has come because of what they did to Joseph; he understands them through the interpreter and weeps (42:21-24). - Each man's money is found in the mouth of his sack (42:27-28, 42:35). - Jacob refuses to send Benjamin: if harm befalls him, “then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” (42:38).
Scripture > “And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the earth.” > — Genesis 42:6
“And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.” — Genesis 42:21
Benjamin and the Silver Cup (Genesis 43–44)
The grain runs out and Judah pledges himself for Benjamin. Joseph feasts his brothers, then has his silver cup hidden in Benjamin's sack. Brought back, Judah offers himself as a slave in Benjamin's place.
The account - Judah: “I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him” (43:9). - Seeing Benjamin, Joseph's heart yearns and he goes out to weep (43:29-30). - Benjamin's portion at the feast is five times as much as any of theirs (43:34). - The steward overtakes them; the cup is found in Benjamin's sack, and they rend their clothes (44:12-13).
Scripture > “And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.” > — Genesis 44:16
“Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I see the evil that shall come on my father.” — Genesis 44:33-34
I Am Joseph (Genesis 45)
Joseph can no longer restrain himself. He sends out the Egyptians, weeps aloud, and makes himself known: God sent me before you to preserve life. Pharaoh invites the whole family to Egypt.
The account - His brothers cannot answer him, for they are troubled at his presence (45:3). - Joseph tells them to bring his father down quickly, to dwell in the land of Goshen (45:9-10). - Jacob's heart faints, for he does not believe them, until he sees the wagons Joseph has sent (45:26-28).
Scripture > “And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” > — Genesis 45:4-5
“And God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.” — Genesis 45:7-8
Jacob Goes Down to Egypt (Genesis 46–47:12)
At Beer-sheba God tells Jacob not to fear going down to Egypt. Seventy souls of his house come into Egypt; Joseph falls on his father's neck in Goshen, and Jacob blesses Pharaoh.
The account - The house of Jacob that came into Egypt numbers threescore and ten (46:27). - Judah goes ahead to show the way to Goshen (46:28). - Every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians, so the family is settled apart in Goshen, the land of Rameses (46:34; 47:11).
Scripture > “And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.” > — Genesis 46:3-4
“And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou art yet alive.” — Genesis 46:29-30
“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” — Genesis 47:9
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A note on dates This is the date from which the others in this chart are reckoned: Israel dwelt in Egypt 430 years (Exodus 12:40), and the exodus took place 480 years before Solomon's fourth year (1 Kings 6:1), c. 1446 BC, giving c. 1876 BC.
Some read the 430 years as running from Abraham's call instead, so that Israel was in Egypt about 215 years (compare Galatians 3:17), which would bring every date in this chart some two centuries later. Others date the exodus to the 1200s BC. The ages are fixed by the text either way.
Egypt's land bought for Pharaoh · Gen 47:13-26
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 47:27–48:22)
Jacob makes Joseph swear to bury him with his fathers, then adopts Joseph's two sons as his own. Crossing his hands, he sets the younger, Ephraim, before the elder, Manasseh.
The account - Israel bows himself upon the bed's head (47:31). - Joseph places Manasseh at Jacob's right hand, but Jacob guides his hands wittingly (48:13-14). - Joseph is displeased and tries to move his father's hand; Jacob refuses (48:17-19).
Scripture > “And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.” > — Genesis 48:5
“And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day, the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” — Genesis 48:15-16
“And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: howbeit his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.” — Genesis 48:19
Looking ahead > “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.” > — Hebrews 11:21
Jacob Blesses the Twelve (Genesis 49:1-28)
Jacob gathers his sons to tell them what shall befall them in the latter days. Reuben loses the pre-eminence, Simeon and Levi are scattered, and the scepter is promised to Judah.
The account - Reuben, the first-born, shall not have the pre-eminence, because he went up to his father's bed (49:3-4). - Simeon and Levi are divided and scattered for their anger and cruelty (49:5-7). - Judah is a lion's whelp (49:9). - Joseph is a fruitful bough by a fountain; his bow abode in strength (49:22-26).
Scripture > “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh come: And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.” > — Genesis 49:10
“All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.” — Genesis 49:28
Looking ahead > “For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests.” > — Hebrews 7:14
The Death and Burial of Jacob (Genesis 49:29–50:14)
After seventeen years in Egypt, Jacob charges his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpelah and breathes his last. Egypt mourns seventy days, and a great company goes up to bury him in Canaan.
The account - Joseph commands the physicians to embalm his father; it takes forty days (50:2-3). - Pharaoh gives leave, and his servants and the elders of Egypt go up with Joseph (50:6-7). - At the threshing-floor of Atad beyond the Jordan they lament seven days; the Canaanites call the place Abel-mizraim (50:10-11).
Scripture > “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, 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 from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah—” > — Genesis 49:29-31
“And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.” — Genesis 49:33
“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 burying-place, of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.” — Genesis 50:13
God Meant It for Good (Genesis 50:15-21)
With Jacob dead, Joseph's brothers fear he will now repay them. They send word and fall down before him. Joseph weeps, reassures them, and promises to nourish them and their little ones.
Scripture > “And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him.” > — Genesis 50:15
“And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” — Genesis 50:19-21
The Death of Joseph (Genesis 50:22-26)
Joseph sees Ephraim's children to the third generation. Dying at 110, he tells his brothers that God will surely visit them and bring them to the promised land, and makes them swear to carry up his bones.
Scripture > “And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” > — Genesis 50:24-26
Looking ahead - Moses takes the bones of Joseph with him at the exodus (Exodus 13:19). - They are buried at Shechem, in the parcel of ground Jacob bought (Joshua 24:32; Genesis 33:19).
“By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.” — Hebrews 11:22