Exodus 13:19
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Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this chapter we have, I. The commands God gave to Israel, 1. To sanctify all their firstborn to him (Exo 13:1, Exo 13:2). 2. To be sure to remember their deliverance out of Egypt (Exo 13:3, Exo 13:4), and, in remembrance of it, to keep the feast of unleavened bread (Exo 13:5-7). 3. To transmit the knowledge of it with all possible care to their children (Exo 13:8-10). 4. To set apart unto God the firstlings of their cattle (Exo 13:11-13), and to explain that also to their children (Exo 13:14-16). II. The care God took of Israel, when he had brought them out of Egypt. I. Choosing their way for them (Exo 13:17, Exo 13:18). 2. Guiding them in the way (Exo 13:20-22). And III. Their care of Joseph's bones (Exo 13:19).
Open source ↗13:19 Joseph had recognized that God would not leave his people in Egypt indefinitely because he had promised Canaan to them (see Gen 50:24-25).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
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And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.
Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.
Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”
and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.