Joshua 24:32

32 And the children of Israel brought up the bones of Joseph out of Egypt, and buried in Sicima, in the portion of the land which Jacob bought of the Amorites who dwelt in Sicima for a hundred ewe-lambs; and he gave it to Joseph for a portion.

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).

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Joshua 24:32 In-Context

30 And they buried him by the borders of his inheritance in Thamnasarach in the mount of Ephraim, northward of the mount of Galaad: there they put with him into the tomb in which they buried him, the knives of stone with which he circumcised the children of Israel in Galgala, when he brought them out of Egypt, as the Lord appointed them; and there they are to this day.

31 And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived as long as Joshua, and all that knew all the works of the Lord which he wrought for Israel.

32 And the children of Israel brought up the bones of Joseph out of Egypt, and buried in Sicima, in the portion of the land which Jacob bought of the Amorites who dwelt in Sicima for a hundred ewe-lambs; and he gave it to Joseph for a portion.

33 And it came to pass afterwards that Eleazar the high-priest the son of Aaron died, and was buried in Gabaar of Phinees his son, which he gave him in mount Ephraim. In that day the children of Israel took the ark of God, and carried it about among them; and Phinees exercised the priest's office in the room of Eleazar his father till he died, and he was buried in his own place Gabaar: but the children of Israel departed every one to their place, and to their own city: and the children of Israel worshipped Astarte, and Astaroth, and the gods of the nations round about them; and the Lord delivered them into the hands of Eglom king of Moab and he ruled over them eighteen years.