Genesis 50:11

11 And when the dwellers of the land of Canaan had seen this, they said, This is a (time of) great wailing to the Egyptians; therefore they called the name of that place The wailing of Egypt. (And when the people of the land of Canaan had seen this, they said, This is a time of great wailing, or of great mourning, for the Egyptians; and so they named that place Abelmizraim.)

Genesis 50:11 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 50:11

And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites
Who were at this time in the possession of the country where the threshingfloor of Atad was: when they saw the mourning in the floor of Atad;
for so large a company of people, and such a grand funeral procession, brought multitudes from all the neighbouring parts to see the sight; and when they observed the lamentation that was made, saw their mournful gestures and actions, and heard their doleful moan: they said, this is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians;
they concluded they must have lost some great man, to make such a lamentation for him: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond
Jordan;
they changed the name of the place, and gave it another upon this occasion, which signifies the mourning of Egypt or of the Egyptians, they being the principal persons that used the outward and more affecting tokens of mourning; though the whole company might be taken for Egyptians by the Canaanites, because they came out of Egypt.

Genesis 50:11 In-Context

9 And he had chariots, and horsemen, and (his) fellowship (with him), and the company was made not little.
10 And they came to the cornfloor of Atad, which is set over Jordan, where they made the service of the dead body, with great wailing and strong, and filled seven days. (And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is on the east side of the Jordan River, where they held a service for the dead man, with much loud wailing, and filled seven days there.)
11 And when the dwellers of the land of Canaan had seen this, they said, This is a (time of) great wailing to the Egyptians; therefore they called the name of that place The wailing of Egypt. (And when the people of the land of Canaan had seen this, they said, This is a time of great wailing, or of great mourning, for the Egyptians; and so they named that place Abelmizraim.)
12 Therefore the sons of Jacob did, as he had commanded to them; (And so Jacob's sons did, as he had commanded them;)
13 and they bare him into the land of Canaan, and they buried him in the double den, which den with the field Abraham had bought of Ephron (the) Hittite, against the face of Mamre, into possession of a sepulchre. (and they carried his body to the land of Canaan, and they buried him in the cave in the field at Machpelah, east of Mamre, which Abraham had bought for a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.