Joshua 24:32

32 Joseph's bones, which the People of Israel had brought from Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the plot of ground that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor (who was the father of Shechem). He paid a hundred silver coins for it. It belongs to the inheritance of the family of Joseph.

Joshua 24:32 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 24:32

And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought
up out of Egypt
At the request, and by the order of Joseph, ( Genesis 50:25 ) ; which were punctually observed by the children of Israel under the direction and command of Moses, and therefore is ascribed to him, as here to them, ( Exodus 13:19 ) ;

buried they in Shechem;
not in the city, but in a field near it, as the next clause shows. The Jews in their Cippi Hebraici say F7, that Joseph was buried at a village called Belata, a sabbath day's journey from Shechem; but Jerom says F8 he was buried in Shechem, and his monument was to be seen there in his time. Not that they buried him at the same time Joshua was buried, but very probably as soon as the tribe of Ephraim was in the quiet possession of this place; though the historian inserts the account of it here, taking an occasion for it from the interment of Joshua:

in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the
father of Shechem, for an hundred pieces of silver;
of which purchase (See Gill on Genesis 33:19);

and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph;
and particularly of the tribe of Ephraim by lot, agreeably to the gift and disposal of it by Jacob to Joseph, (See Gill on Genesis 48:22).


FOOTNOTES:

F7 Ut supra. (Cippi Heb. p. 32.)
F8 Quaest. Heb. in Genesim, fol. 73. C.

Joshua 24:32 In-Context

30 They buried him in the land of his inheritance at Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31 Israel served God through the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had themselves experienced all that God had done for Israel.
32 Joseph's bones, which the People of Israel had brought from Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the plot of ground that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor (who was the father of Shechem). He paid a hundred silver coins for it. It belongs to the inheritance of the family of Joseph.
33 Eleazar son of Aaron died. They buried him at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the mountains of Ephraim.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.