Genesis 47:31
New International Version
“Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

New Living Translation
“Swear that you will do it,” Jacob insisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his bed.

English Standard Version
And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

Berean Standard Bible
“Swear to me,” Jacob said. So Joseph swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed.

King James Bible
And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

New King James Version
Then he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

New American Standard Bible
And he said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

NASB 1995
He said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

NASB 1977
And he said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Amplified Bible
Then he said, “Swear to me [that you will do it].” So he swore to him. Then Israel (Jacob) bowed in worship at the head of the bed.

Christian Standard Bible
And Jacob said, “Swear to me.” So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed in thanks at the head of his bed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And Jacob said, “Swear to me.” So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed in thanks at the head of his bed.

American Standard Version
And he said, Swear unto me: and he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said, “Swear to me”, and he swore to him, and Israel bowed on the top of his staff.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Swear to me; and he swore to him. And Israel did reverence, leaning on the top of his staff.

Contemporary English Version
"Will you give me your word?" Jacob asked. "Yes, I will," Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the bed's head.

English Revised Version
And he said, Swear unto me: and he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Swear to me," he said. So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed down in prayer with his face at the head of his bed.

Good News Translation
Jacob said, "Make a vow that you will." Joseph made the vow, and Jacob gave thanks there on his bed.

International Standard Version
"Promise me," Israel insisted. So Joseph promised. Then Israel collapsed on his bed.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'Swear unto me.' And he swore unto him. And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head.

Literal Standard Version
and he says, “Swear to me”; and he swears to him, and Israel bows himself on the head of the bed.

Majority Standard Bible
“Swear to me,” Jacob said. So Joseph swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed.

New American Bible
But his father demanded, “Swear it to me!” So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed at the head of the bed.

NET Bible
Jacob said, "Swear to me that you will do so." So Joseph gave him his word. Then Israel bowed down at the head of his bed.

New Revised Standard Version
And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the head of his bed.

New Heart English Bible
Then he said, "Take an oath to me," and he took an oath to him. Then Israel bowed over the top of his staff.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Swear to me: and he swore to him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

World English Bible
Israel said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head.

Young's Literal Translation
and he saith, 'Swear to me;' and he sweareth to him, and Israel boweth himself on the head of the bed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Israelites Prosper in Goshen
30but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.” 31“Swear to me,” Jacob said. So Joseph swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed.

Cross References
Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Genesis 21:23
Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you."

Genesis 21:24
And Abraham replied, "I swear it."

Genesis 24:3
and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,

Genesis 31:53
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

Genesis 50:25
And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, "God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."

1 Kings 1:47
The king's servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than your own name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king has bowed in worship on his bed,


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, Swear to me. And he swore to him. And Israel bowed himself on the bed's head.

Swear.

Genesis 24:3
And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

And Israel bowed.

Genesis 47:29
And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:

Genesis 24:26
And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

Genesis 48:1,2
And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim…

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Bed Bowed Boweth Head Israel Joseph Leaned Oath Staff Sware Swear Sweareth Swore Top Worship Worshiped Worshipped
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Bed Bowed Boweth Head Israel Joseph Leaned Oath Staff Sware Swear Sweareth Swore Top Worship Worshiped Worshipped
Genesis 47
1. Joseph presents his father, and five of his brothers before Pharaoh.
11. He gives them habitation and maintenance.
13. He gets the Egyptian's money;
16. their cattle;
18. and their lands, except the priests', to Pharaoh.
23. He restores the land for a fifth.
28. Jacob's age.
29. He swears Joseph to bury him with his fathers.














(31) Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.--The LXX., followed by the Epistle to the Hebrews (Genesis 11:21) and the Syriac, read, "on the top of his staff." The word in the Hebrew, without vowels, may mean either bed or staff, and as we have mentioned above (Genesis 22:14), the points indicating the vowels were added in later times, and while valuable as representing a very ancient tradition, are nevertheless not of final authority. The rendering, however, of the Authorised Version is the most satisfactory. It was scarcely worth mentioning that Jacob bowed before Joseph, leaning on his staff; but the picture of the aged patriarch leaning back upon his bed, content and happy in his son's promise, and giving thanks to God for the peace of his approaching end, is one full of pathos and dignity.

Verse 31. - And he (i.e. Jacob) said, Swear unto me (in the manner indicated in ver. 29). And he (i.e. Joseph) sware unto him. And (having concluded this touching and impressive ceremonial) Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head. Though supported by many eminent authorities (Chaldee Pard. phrase, Symmachus, Vulgate, Calvin, Willet, Rosenmüller, Delitzsch, Keil, Kalisch, etc., etc.), the present rendering is not entirely free from difficulty, since not until the next chapter is there any mention of Jacob's sickness; while in favor of the reading, "And Israel bowed himself on the top of his staff" (LXX.), it may be urged

(1) that it is adopted by the writer to the Hebrews (Hebrews 11:21),

(2) that the Hebrew words for staff and bed differ only in the punctuation, and

(3) that the action of leaning on his staff was quite as suitable to Jacob's circumstances as turning over and bowing on his bed's head. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Swear
הִשָּֽׁבְעָה֙ (hiš·šā·ḇə·‘āh)
Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7650: To seven oneself, swear

to me,”
לִ֔י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

Jacob said.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

So Joseph swore
וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע (way·yiš·šā·ḇa‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7650: To seven oneself, swear

to him,
ל֑וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

bowed
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ (way·yiš·ta·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

in worship at
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the head
רֹ֥אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

of his bed.
הַמִּטָּֽה׃ (ham·miṭ·ṭāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4296: A bed, for, sleeping, eating, a sofa, litter, bier


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OT Law: Genesis 47:31 He said Swear to me and he (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 47:30
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