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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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 with me in mercy and truth; do not bury me, I pray thee, in Egypt;
My father made me swear, saying, Behold, I die; in my grave which I have dug for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee and bury my father, and I will come again.
And whoever touches one that is slain with a sword in the open fields or a dead body or a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
And Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and lamented him and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
And David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.
What hast thou here? or whom hast thou here that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here as he that hews himself out a sepulchre on a high place or that graves a habitation for himself in a rock?
and they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whitewashed sepulchres, who indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness.
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock, and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre and departed.
Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and many people from the city were with her.
(Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.)
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 before his dead and spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. read more. And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my lord; thou art a prince of God among us; in the best of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre so that thou may bury thy dead.
Hear us, my lord; thou art a prince of God among us; in the best of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre so that thou may bury thy dead. And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the sons of Heth. read more. And he communed with them, saying, If it is your desire that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and intercede for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it to me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you. This Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron, the Hittite, answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, No, my lord, hear me; I give thee the field, and the cave that is therein, I give it to thee; in the presence of the sons of my people I give it to thee; bury thy dead. And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. And he spoke unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me; I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. Then Abraham hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field that were in all the borders round about were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field and the cave that is therein were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.
And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
My father made me swear, saying, Behold, I die; in my grave which I have dug for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee and bury my father, and I will come again.
And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor, but no one knows of his sepulchre unto this day.
For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in Sheol who shall give thee thanks?
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death; O death, I will be thy end; O Sheol, I will be thy destruction. Repentance shall be hid from my eyes.
And when he was come to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with demons, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whitewashed sepulchres, who indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the sepulchres of the righteous
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the sepulchres of the righteous
and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many.
And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, who had demons for a long time and wore no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which are not seen, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Marvel not at this, for an hour shall come when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and those that have done good shall come forth unto the resurrection of life; but those that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.
The first of the sabbaths, Mary Magdalene came early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre and saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 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 sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. read more. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the sepulchre. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet he did not go in. Then came Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and saw the linen clothes lying and the napkin, that had been placed over his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then that other disciple, who came first to the sepulchre, went in also and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own. But Mary stood outside near the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre
Smith
Grave.
[BURIAL]
See Burial, Sepulchres