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.
When the people who lived in that land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, 'This is a very deep mourning by the Egyptians.' That's why they called that place Abel-mizraim, which is on the other side of the Jordan River.
The writer is showing how Jacob's funeral was so impressive that the local Canaanite people were moved by the Egyptians' grief and named the place after their mourning.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Genesis, Jacob has just died in Egypt, and his son Joseph is leading a procession to bury him in the family tomb in Canaan, as per his father's wishes. The Canaanites, who were the indigenous people of the land, observed the intense mourning rituals performed by Joseph and the Egyptians at the threshing floor of Atad, which led them to name the site Abel-mizraim, meaning "mourning of the Egyptians," highlighting the cultural misunderstandings and interactions of that era. This event occurs during the patriarchal period, underscoring the tensions and exchanges between different ancient peoples in the region.
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