Texts in Conversation

Genesis describes Jacob’s quiet burial in the cave of Machpelah. Rabbinic tradition in tractate Sotah expands the moment as Esau interrupts to claim the plot of land, and Hushim son of Dan clubs him so that his eyes fall on Jacob’s legs.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE

Genesis 50:13

Hebrew Bible
12 So the sons of Jacob did for him just as he had instructed them. 13 His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the field Abraham purchased as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After he buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to bury his father.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)

Sotah 13a

Babylonian Talmud
Rabbinic
Esau said to them: Bring the bill of sale to me, i.e., you can’t prove your claims. They said to him: The bill of sale is in the land of Egypt. They said: And who will go to bring it? Naphtali will go, for he is as fast as a doe, as it is written: “Naphtali is a doe let loose, he gives goodly words” (Genesis 49:21). Rabbi Abbahu says: Do not read it as “goodly words [imrei shafer]”; rather, read it as imrei sefer, i.e., the words of the book, as he returned to Egypt to retrieve the bill of sale. The Gemara relates: Hushim, the son of Dan, was there and his ears were heavy, i.e., he was hard of hearing. He said to them: What is this that is delaying the burial? And they said to him: This one, Esau, is preventing us from burying Jacob until Naphtali comes back from the land of Egypt with the bill of sale. He said to them: And until Naphtali comes back from the land of Egypt will our father’s father lie in degradation? He took a club [kulepa] and hit Esau on the head, and Esau’s eyes fell out and they fell on the legs of Jacob. Jacob opened his eyes and smiled. And this is that which is written: “The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked” (Psalms 58:11). At that moment the prophecy of Rebecca was fulfilled, as it is written that Rebecca said of Jacob and Esau: “Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?” (Genesis 27:45), as Rebecca foresaw that the future bereavement for both her sons would be on the same day. The Gemara comments: And although their deaths were not on the same day, in any event their burials were on the same day, as Esau was killed and buried on the same day that Jacob was buried.
Date: 450-550 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Search:

Notes and References

#5471
“... b. Soṭah 13A: “They came as far as the barn for brambles” (Genesis 50:10). Is there a barn for brambles? Rabbi Abbahu (ca. 300) said, “This teaches that Jacob’s coffin was surrounded with crowns (wreaths) like a threshing floor is surrounded with thorns. For the sons of Esau, the sons of Ishmael, and the sons of Keturah came there.” It has been taught that all came to make war, but when they saw Joseph’s crown hanging on Jacob’s coffin, they took all their crowns and hung them on Jacob’s coffin... When they reached the double cave (near Hebron), Esau came and prevented (the burial)... Hushim, the son of Dan, who was hard of hearing, was there. He said to them, “What is here?” They said to him, “This man prevents (the burial) until Naphtali comes out of the land of Egypt.” He answered them, “Until Naphtali comes out of the land of Egypt, my grandfather is to lie there in contempt?” Then he took a club and hit him on his head such that his eyes fell out, and he fell down at Jacob’s feet. And Jacob opened his eyes, and he laughed; for this is what is written, “The righteous rejoice when they see vengeance...” (Psalm 58:11). In that hour, Rebekah’s prophecy was fulfilled: “Why should I lose you both in one day?” (Genesis 27:45). Although their death did not take place on the same day, their burials took place on the same day. ...”
Strack, Hermann L., and Paul Billerbeck A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Midrash, Volume 2: Mark through Acts (p. 1292) Lexham Press, 2022

* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.

Your Feedback:

Leave a Comment

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.

Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.

Find Similar Texts

Search by the same Books

Search by the same Reference

Compare the same Books

Compare the same Text Groups

Go to Intertext