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
This verse describes part of Jacob's funeral procession as his body was being transported from Egypt back to Canaan for burial. The Egyptians had joined Joseph and his brothers in this elaborate mourning ritual, which was so extensive that it caught the attention of the local Canaanite inhabitants. The name 'Abel-mizraim' means 'mourning of Egypt,' commemorating this significant event.
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