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 will draw near to die: and he will call to his son Joseph, and will say to him, If now I found grace in thine eyes, put now thy hand under my thigh, and thou shalt do to me kindness and truth: now thou shalt not bury me in Egypt
My father caused me to swear, saying, Behold I am dying: in my grave which I dug for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. And at this time will I now go up and bury my father, and I will turn back.
And every one who shall touch upon the face of the field, upon the wounded of the sword, or upon the dead, or upon the bone of man, or upon a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
And Samuel will die; and all Israel will assemble together and lament for him, and bury him in his house in Ramah. And David will rise and go down to the desert of Paran.
And David will lie down with his fathers, and be buried in the city of David.
What to thee here, and who to thee here, that thou hewedst to thee here a tomb, he hewing from on high his tomb and cutting in a dwelling in a rock to himself?
And they will bring forth Urijah from Egypt and bring him to king Jehoiakim; and he will strike him with the sword, and cast his carcass into the graves of the sons of the people.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitewashed tombs, which without indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness.
And put it in his new tomb, which he quarried in the rock: and having rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, he departed.
And as he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, he dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she a widow; and a sufficient crowd 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 will rise up from the face of his dead, and speak to the sons of Heth, saying, I am a sojourner and stranger with you: give me the possession of a grave with you, and I will bury my dead from my face. read more. And the sons of Heth will answer Abraham, saying to him, Hear us, lord; thou a prince of God in the midst of us: in the choice of our graves, bury thy dead; a man of us shall not withhold from thee his grave from burying thy dead.
Hear us, lord; thou a prince of God in the midst of us: in the choice of our graves, bury thy dead; a man of us shall not withhold from thee his grave from burying thy dead. And Abraham will rise up and will bow himself to the earth before the sons of Heth. read more. And he will speak to them, saying, If it is your soul to bury my dead from my face, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron, son of Zohar. And he shall give to me the cave of Machpelah, which is to him, which is in the end of his field; for the full silver he shall give it to me in the midst of you for the possession of a grave. And Ephron dwelt in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite will answer Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, of all going to the gate of his city, saying, Nay, lord, hear me; the field I gave thee, and the cave which is in it, to thee I gave it before the eyes of the sons of my people; I gave to thee: bury thy dead. And Abraham will bow himself down before the face of the people of the land. And he will speak to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, Surely, if thou art for it, hear me: I' gave silver for the field, take of me: and I will bury my dead there. And Ephron will answer Abraham, saying to him, Lord, hear me: the land, four hundred shekels of silver; between me and between thee, what is that? and bury thy dead. And Abraham will listen to Ephron, and Abraham will weigh to Ephron the silver, which he spake in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, passing for traffic. And Ephron's field will stand, which is in Machpelah, which is before the face of Mamra, the field and cave which are in it, and every tree which is in the field, which lsin all the bounds round about To Abraham for a possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth, with all going to the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before the face of Mamra: this is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field will stand, and the cave which is in it, to Abraham for the possession of a burying place, from the sons of Heth.
And Jacob will set up a pillar upon her grave: this the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.
And all his sons and all his daughters, will rise up to comfort him; and he will refuse to be comforted; and will say, For I will go down to my son mourning to hadas; and his father will weep for him.
My father caused me to swear, saying, Behold I am dying: in my grave which I dug for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. And at this time will I now go up and bury my father, and I will turn back.
And he will bury him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against the House of the Cleft: and no man knew his grave till this day.
For in death none remembering thee: in hades who shall give thanks to thee?
From the hand of hades will I redeem them; from death will I ransom them: I will be thy words, O death, I will be thy cutting off, O hades: consolation will be hid from mine eyes.
And he having come beyond the country of the Gergesenes, two possessed with evil spirits, coming out of the tombs, met him, very rough, so that not any could pass by that way.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitewashed tombs, which without indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and deck the monuments of the just,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and deck the monuments of the just,
And the tombs were opened: and many bodies of the holy ones, having been set to sleep, were raised, And having come forth from the tombs, after his arising, went into the holy city, and were exhibited to many.
And he coming upon land, a certain man met him from the city, who had demons of long times, and put on no garment, and abode not in a house, but in the tombs.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as concealed tombs, and men walking above know not.
Wonder not at this: for the hour comes, in which all they in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall go forth; They having done good, to rising up of life; and they having done bad, to rising up of judgment.
And in one of the sabbaths comes Mary Magdalene in the morning, there yet being darkness, to the tomb, and sees the stone taken away from the tomb. Then she runs, and comes to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and says to them, They took away the Lord from the tomb; and we know not where they laid him. read more. Peter then came forth, and the other disciple, and they came to the tomb. And they two ran together: and the other disciple ran before, swifter than Peter, and came first to the tomb. And having stood stooping, he sees the linen bandages lying; yet he did not go in. Then comes Simon Peter following him, and he came into the tomb, and sees the linen bandages lying, And the napkin, which was upon his head, not lying with the linen bandages, but separately inwrapped in one place. Then, therefore, went in also the other disciple, having first come to the tomb, and he saw, and believed. For not yet knew they the writing, that he must rise from the dead. Then went away the disciples again by themselves. And Mary stood near the tomb weeping without: therefore as she wept, she stood stooping into the tomb,
Smith
Grave.
[BURIAL]
See Burial, Sepulchres