Reference: Grave
Easton
Among the ancient Hebrews graves were outside of cities in the open field (Lu 7:12; Joh 11:30). Kings (1Ki 2:10) and prophets (1Sa 25:1) were generally buried within cities. Graves were generally grottoes or caves, natural or hewn out in rocks (Isa 22:16; Mt 27:60). There were family cemeteries (Ge 47:29; 50:5; 2Sa 19:37). Public burial-places were assigned to the poor (Jer 26:23; 2Ki 23:6). Graves were usually closed with stones, which were whitewashed, to warn strangers against contact with them (Mt 23:27), which caused ceremonial pollution (Nu 19:16).
There were no graves in Jerusalem except those of the kings, and according to tradition that of the prophetess Huldah.
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When the time drew nigh that Israel must die, he sent for his son Joseph and said unto him, "If I have found grace in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh and deal mercifully and truly with me, that thou bury me not in Egypt:
my father made me swear and said, 'Lo, I die, see that thou bury me in my grave which I have made me in the land of Canaan.' Now therefore let me go and bury my father, and then will I come again."
And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the fields, or a dead person, or a bone of a dead man, or a grave: shall be unclean seven days.
And then Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and lamented him, and buried him in his own house at Ramah. And David arose and gat him to the wilderness of Paran.
And so David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
'What hast thou here to do? And whom hast thou here? That thou shouldest here hew thee out a sepulchre, as it were one that causeth a costly tomb of stone to be made for himself, or that graveth a habitation out of a rock?
Which fetched Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him unto king Jehoiakim that slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the common people's grave.
Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like unto painted tombs which appear beautiful outwards: but are within full of dead men's bones and of all filthiness.
and put it in his new tomb, which he had hewn out even in the rock, and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre and departed.
When he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, which was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and much people of the city was with her.
Hastings
Morish
The principal words are
1. qeber, qeburah, ?????, from 'to bury,' and hence any description of burying place, as Ge 35:20; 50:5; Mt 23:29, etc. They are often translated SEPULCHRE. Ge 23:6; De 34:6; Mt 23:27.
2. sheol, ????, the place of departed spirits. Ge 37:35; Ps 6:5; Ho 13:14; 1Co 15:55, etc. See HELL.
3. ?????, ????????, from 'to remember,' hence a memorial tomb or monument. Mt 27:52-53, etc. It is often translated SEPULCHRE, as in Joh 20:1-11; and TOMB, as in Mt 8:28, etc.
The graves were of various descriptions: some were simply holes dug in the ground and at times covered over with one or more large stones, over which men might walk unawares. Lu 11:44. Some were hewn in the rock, and a single stone placed or rolled against the mouth, the tomb of Lazarus and that of Joseph in which 'the body of Jesus was laid' being of this description. Other sepulchres or tombs were said to be built; an ornamental structure being erected over the place where the body was laid, similar to those found in nearly all modern cemeteries. Mt 23:29.
In places, and especially near Jerusalem, there are long passages, with holes cut in the sides in which the bodies were placed; and by continuing these passages such tombs could be enlarged to any extent. We read in the O.T. of the TOMBS OF THE KINGS. Those now bearing this name may be seen marked on maps to the north of Jerusalem; and others called the TOMBS OF THE PROPHETS are placed on the mount of Olives. These of course may not be those referred to in scripture.
Natural caves were also used as graves, as the cave of Machpelah. Ge 23:3-20. In Lu 8:27 we read of a demoniac who lived in the 'tombs:' these were doubtless natural caves.
The Lord compared the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees to whited sepulchres, the outward beauty of which stood in strong contrast to the dead men's bones and uncleanness within. There is a tradition that the sepulchres were white-washed once every year, that they might be readily seen and avoided. The hour comes when all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and come forth, some to the resurrection of life, and others to the resurrection of judgement. Joh 5:28-29.
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And Abraham stood up from the corpse, and talked with the sons of Heth saying, "I am a stranger and a foreigner among you; give me a possession to bury in with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." read more. And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, "Hear us, lord, thou art a prince of God among us. In the chiefest of our sepulchers bury thy dead: None of us shall forbid thee his sepulchre, that thou shouldest not bury thy dead therein."
"Hear us, lord, thou art a prince of God among us. In the chiefest of our sepulchers bury thy dead: None of us shall forbid thee his sepulchre, that thou shouldest not bury thy dead therein." Abraham stood up and bowed himself before the people of the land the children of Heth. read more. And he communed with them, saying, "If it be your minds that I shall bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and speak for me to Ephron the son of Zohar: and let him give me the double cave which he hath in the end of his field, for as much money as it is worth; let him give it me in the presence of you, for a possession to bury in." For Ephron dwelled among the children of Heth. Then Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of his city, saying, "Not so, my lord, but hear me: The field give I thee, and the cave that therein is, give I thee also. And even in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee to bury thy dead in." Then Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land, and spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the country saying, "I pray thee hear me: I will give silver for the field, take it of me, and so will I bury my dead there." Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, "My lord, hearken unto me. The land is worth four hundredth sicles of silver: But what is that betwixt thee and me? Bury thy dead." And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron and weighed him the silver which he had said in the audience of the sons of Heth. Even four hundred silver sicles of current money among merchants. Thus was the field of Ephron wherein the double cave is before Mamre - even the field and the cave that is therein, and all the trees of the field which grow in all the borders round about - made sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of Heth and of all that went in at the gates of the city. And then Abraham buried Sara his wife in the double cave of the field that lieth before Mamre, otherwise called Hebron in the land of Canaan. And so both the field and the cave that is therein, was made unto Abraham a sure possession to bury in, of the sons of Heth.
And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave, which is called Rachel's grave pillar unto this day.
Then came all his sons and all his daughters to comfort him. And he would not be comforted, but said, "I will go down into the grave unto my son, mourning." And thus his father wept for him.
my father made me swear and said, 'Lo, I die, see that thou bury me in my grave which I have made me in the land of Canaan.' Now therefore let me go and bury my father, and then will I come again."
And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab beside Bethpeor: but no man wist of his sepulchre unto this day.
For in death no man remembereth thee: and who will give thee thanks in the hell?
had not I defended him from the grave, and delivered him from death. O death, I will be thy death: O hell, I will be thy sting.
And when he was come to the other side, into the country of the Gergesites, there met him two possessed of devils, which came out of the graves, and were out of measure fierce, so that no man might go by that way.
Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like unto painted tombs which appear beautiful outwards: but are within full of dead men's bones and of all filthiness.
Woe be unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous
Woe be unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous
and the stones did rent, and graves did open, and the bodies of many saints which slept, arose: and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and came into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
And as he went out of the ship to land, there met him a certain man out of the city, which had a devil long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house: but among graves.
Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are as graves which appear not; And the men that walk over them, are not aware of them."
Marvel not at this: that the hour shall come, in which all that are in the graves, shall hear his voice, and shall come forth: They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; And they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
The morrow after the Sabbath day, first of Sabbaths, came Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb. Then she ran, and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said unto them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we cannot tell where they have laid him." read more. Peter went forth, and that other disciple, and came unto the sepulchre. They ran both together, and that other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooped down and saw the linen clothes lying, yet went he not in. Then came Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and saw the linen clothes lie, and the napkin that was about his head not lying with the linen cloth, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed. For as yet they knew not the scriptures, that he should rise again from death. And the disciples went away again unto their own home. Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: And as she wept, she bowed herself into the sepulchre
Smith
Grave.
[BURIAL]
See Burial, Sepulchres