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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the days of Israel drew near that he must die, so he called for his son for Joseph and said to him - If, I pray thee I have found favour in thine eyes, place, I pray thee thy hand under my thigh, - so shalt thou deal with me in lovingkindness and faithfulness - Do not I pray thee, bury me in Egypt.
My father, made me swear saying, - Lo! I, am about to die, - in my grave which I digged for myself in the land of Canaan, there, shalt thou bury me. Now, therefore, let me go up, I pray thee and bury my father, and return.
And, whosoever toucheth on the face of the field, one slain with a sword, or one who hath died, or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
And Samuel died, and all Israel were gathered together, and made lamentation for him, and buried him within his own house, in Ramah, - and David arose and went down into the wilderness of Maon.
So then David slept with his fathers, - and was buried in the city of David.
What doest thou here? And whom hast thou here? That thou hast hewn for thyself here a sepulchre, - As one hewing on high his sepulchre, Cutting out in the cliff a habitation for himself?
and they brought forth Urijah out of Egypt, and took him in unto King Jehoiakim, who smote him with the sword, - and cast out his dead body among the graves of the sons of the people.
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye make yourselves like sepulchres whitewashed, which, outside, indeed, appear, beautiful, but, within, are full, of dead men's bones and all uncleanness, -
and laid it in his new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock, and, rolling near a large stone unto the door of the tomb, departed.
Now, as he drew near unto the gate of the city, then lo! there was being brought forth, one dead, the only-begotten son of his mother, - and, she, was a widow; and, a considerable multitude 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abraham rose up from over the face of his dead, - and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying; A sojourner and settler, am I with you, - Give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, That I may bury my dead, from before me. read more. And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him: Hear us, my lord! A prince of God, art thou in our midst, In the choice of our buryingplaces, bury thy dead, - Not, a man from among us his, burying-place, will withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.
Hear us, my lord! A prince of God, art thou in our midst, In the choice of our buryingplaces, bury thy dead, - Not, a man from among us his, burying-place, will withhold from thee, from burying thy dead. And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth; read more. and spake with them, saying, - If it is with the consent of your minds that I should bury my dead from before me, hear me, and intercede for me, with Ephron son of Zohar: That he would give me, the cave of Machpelah, which pertaineth unto him, which is within the bounds of his field, - For full silver, let him give it me in your midst, For a possession of a buryingplace. Now, Ephron, was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, - so Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham, in the ears of the sons of Heth, even all that were entering the gate of his city, saying: Nay, my lord, hear me, The field, have I given to thee And, the cave that is therein, to thee, have I given it, - In the eyes of the sons of my people, have I given it thee Bury thy dead. So Abraham boweth himself down, before the people of the land: and spake unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land saying, Only if, thou, wouldst, hear me, - I have given the silver of the field Take it of me, That I may bury my dead here. And Ephron responded to Abraham, saying to him, My lord, hear me, - Land worth four hundred shekels of silver - betwixt me and thee, what is that? And thy dead., bur. thou. And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver of which he had spoken in the ears of the sons of Heth, - four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant, So was con-firmed the field of Ephron, which is in Machpelah, which is before Mamre, - the field and the cave which is therein, and all the timber which was in the field, which was in all the boundary thereof round about, to Abraham as a purchase in the eyes of the sons of Heth, - with all who were entering the gate of his city. And after this, did Abraham bury Sarah his wife, within the cave of the field of Machpelah, over against Mamre, the same, is Hebron, - in the land of Canaan. So was confirmed the field with the cave which was therein to Abraham, for a possession of a buryingplace, - from the sons of Heth.
And Jacob set up a pillar, over her grave, - the same, is - The Pillar of the Grave of Rachel until this day.
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to console him but he refused to be consoled, and said - Surely I will go down unto my son mourning to hades! And his father wept for him.
My father, made me swear saying, - Lo! I, am about to die, - in my grave which I digged for myself in the land of Canaan, there, shalt thou bury me. Now, therefore, let me go up, I pray thee and bury my father, and return.
and he buried him, in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor, - but no man hath known his burying-place, until this day.
For, in death, is no remembrance of thee, - In hades, who shall give thanks unto thee?
Out of the hand of hades, will I ransom them, out of death, will I redeem them, - Where is thy pestilence, O death? Where thy plague, O hades? Repentance, shall be hid from mine eyes.
And, when he, came, unto the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes, there met him, two men demonized, out of the tombs, coming forth, - fierce exceedingly, so that no one could pass that way;
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye make yourselves like sepulchres whitewashed, which, outside, indeed, appear, beautiful, but, within, are full, of dead men's bones and all uncleanness, -
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
and, the tombs, were opened and, many bodies of the holy ones who had fallen asleep, arose, - and, coming forth out of the tombs after his arising, entered into, the holy city, and plainly appeared unto many.
And, when he went forth upon the land, there met him a certain man, out of the city, having demons; and, for a considerable time, he had put on no garment, and, in a house, would not abide, but among the tombs.
Alas for you! because ye are as the secret tombs: even the men that are walking above them, know it not.
Do not be marvelling at this: because there come an hour, in which, all they in the tombs, shall hearken unto his voice, and shall come forth, - they who, the good things, have done, unto a resurrection, of life; but, they who the corrupt things, have practised, unto a resurrection, of judgment.
But, on the first day of the week, Mary the Magdalene, cometh early, while it is yet, dark, unto the tomb, - and beholdeth the stone, already taken away out of the tomb. She runneth, therefore, and cometh unto Simon Peter, and unto the other disciple whom Jesus dearly loved, and saith unto them - They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him. read more. Peter, therefore, went out, and the other disciple, - and they were going unto the tomb; and the two were running together, and, the other disciple, outran Peter, and came first unto the tomb; and, stooping aside, beholdeth, lying, the linen-bandages, nevertheless, he entered not. So Simon Peter also cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb, and vieweth the linen-bandages lying, - and the napkin, which was upon his head, not, with the linen-bandages, lying, but apart, folded up into one place. Then, entered, therefore, the other disciple also, who had come first unto the tomb, and he saw and believed. For, not yet, knew they the Scripture, that he must needs, from among the dead, arise. The disciples, therefore, departed again, by themselves. Howbeit, Mary, remained standing against the tomb, outside, weeping. So then, as she wept, she stooped aside into the tomb,
Smith
Grave.
[BURIAL]
See Burial, Sepulchres