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 to die drew near. And he called his son Joseph, and said to him, If now I have found grace in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt.
My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die. You shall bury me in my grave which I have dug for me in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please, let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.
And whoever touches one that is killed with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
And Samuel died. And all the Israelites were gathered, 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 is to you here? And who is here to you, that you have carved out a tomb for yourself here, as one who cuts himself out a tomb on high, who cuts out a home for himself in a rock?
And they brought Urijah out of Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and threw his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
and laid it in his new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and departed.
And drawing near the gate of the city, even behold, one having died was being carried out, an only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable crowd of the city was with her.
Now Jesus had 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 to the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a visitor with you. Give me a possession of a burying place with you, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight. read more. And the sons of Heth answered Abraham saying to him, Hear us, my lord. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choice of our burying places. None of us shall withhold from you his burying-place from burying your dead.
Hear us, my lord. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choice of our burying places. None of us shall withhold from you his burying-place from burying your dead. And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. read more. And he spoke with them, saying, If it is your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and ask for me of 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 silver as it is worth he shall give it to me for a possession of a burying-place among you. And Ephron lived among the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and the cave that is in it I give to you. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead. And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. And he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, Only if you would hear me. I will give you silver for the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? And bury your dead. And Abraham listened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, which passes with the merchant. And the field of Ephron was certified, which was Machpelah, which was before Mamre; the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees in the field, in all the borders round about, to 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 at the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is in it, were certified to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth.
And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave. That is the pillar of Rachel's grave to 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 to my son mourning. And his father wept for him.
My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die. You shall bury me in my grave which I have dug for me in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please, let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.
And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor. But no man knows of his grave to this day.
For in death there is no memory of You; in the grave who shall give You thanks?
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, where are your plagues; O Grave, where is your ruin! Repentance shall be hidden from My eyes.
And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed ones met Him, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one might pass by that way.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose, and coming out of the tomb after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
And He going out onto land, He met a certain man out of the city, who had had demons a long time, and put on no clothes, nor stayed in a house, but among the tombs.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like unseen tombs and the men walking above are not aware of them.
Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have practiced evil to the resurrection of condemnation.
The first of the sabbaths Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, darkness still being on it, and she 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 to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him. read more. Therefore Peter and that other disciple went forth and came to the tomb. So they both ran together. And the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the tomb. And stooping down he saw the linens lying, yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb. And he saw the linens lying there. And the grave-cloth that was on His head was not lying with the linens, but was wrapped up in one place by itself. Therefore, then, that other disciple also went in, the one who came first to the tomb. 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 to themselves. But Mary stood outside of the tomb, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down into the tomb.
Smith
Grave.
[BURIAL]
See Burial, Sepulchres