The Meaning of Genesis 50:11 Explained

Genesis 50:11

KJV: And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan.

YLT: and the inhabitant of the land, the Canaanite, see the mourning in the threshing-floor of Atad, and say, 'A grievous mourning is this to the Egyptians;' therefore hath one called its name 'The mourning of the Egyptians,' which is beyond the Jordan.

Darby: And the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing-floor of Atad, and they said, This is a grievous mourning of the Egyptians. Therefore the name of it was called Abel-Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

ASV: And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when the inhabitants  of the land,  the Canaanites,  saw  the mourning  in the floor  of Atad,  they said,  This [is] a grievous  mourning  to the Egyptians:  wherefore the name of it  was called  Abelmizraim,  which [is] beyond  Jordan. 

What does Genesis 50:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 50:4-14 - Jacob Mourned And Buried
The days of mourning for Jacob were only two less in number than for a king. Three hundred miles were traversed by that splendid funeral cavalcade, which included not only the family of Israel, but the magnates of Egypt. The words, beyond Jordan (Genesis 50:10), indicate that this book was finished on the further side of Jordan, where Moses afterward died.
The evident grief with which the precious remains were laid beside the great dead, reminds us that when God wills to do honor to any servant of His, He can secure it in remarkable ways-and ways which are entirely independent of human methods and reasoning. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." At birth He cared for your helpless body; when you die He will see to its sepulcher. The bones of the saints hold the earth for the ultimate reign of Christ! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 50

1  The mourning for Jacob
4  Joseph gets leave of Pharaoh to go to bury him
7  The funeral
15  Joseph comforts his brothers, who crave his pardon
22  His age
23  He sees the third generation of his sons
24  He prophesies unto his brothers of their return
25  He takes an oath of them concerning his bones
26  He dies, and is put into a coffin

What do the individual words in Genesis 50:11 mean?

And when saw the inhabitants of the land the Canaanite - the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad then they said a mourning deep this [is] of Egypt - Therefore was called its name - Abel Mizraim which [is] beyond the Jordan
וַיַּ֡רְא יוֹשֵׁב֩ הָאָ֨רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֜י אֶת־ הָאֵ֗בֶל בְּגֹ֙רֶן֙ הָֽאָטָ֔ד וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֵֽבֶל־ כָּבֵ֥ד זֶ֖ה לְמִצְרָ֑יִם עַל־ כֵּ֞ן קָרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ אָבֵ֣ל מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּֽן

וַיַּ֡רְא  And  when  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
יוֹשֵׁב֩  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָ֨רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֜י  the  Canaanite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאֵ֗בֶל  the  mourning 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵבֶל  
Sense: mourning.
בְּגֹ֙רֶן֙  at  the  threshing  floor 
Parse: Noun, proper
Root: גֹּרֶן  
Sense: threshing-floor.
הָֽאָטָ֔ד  of  Atad 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָטָד 
Sense: bramble, thorn, buckthorn.
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ  then  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵֽבֶל־  a  mourning 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵבֶל  
Sense: mourning.
כָּבֵ֥ד  deep 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: heavy, great.
זֶ֖ה  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
לְמִצְרָ֑יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרִי  
Sense: Egyptian—an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt.
עַל־  - 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
קָרָ֤א  was  called 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
שְׁמָהּ֙  its  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
אָבֵ֣ל  - 
Parse:
מִצְרַ֔יִם  Abel  Mizraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a place east of the Jordan (perhaps “as fertile as Egypt”).
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּעֵ֥בֶר  beyond 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵבֶר  
Sense: region beyond or across, side.
הַיַּרְדֵּֽן  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).