Literary Devices – Bereshit 50/0

Literary Devices – Bereshit 50

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Key Words The various keywords of this chapter (father, ascent and land, on one hand, and embalming and mourning on the other) relate to both the national and personal spheres. This is a common, if subtle, motif in Tanakh, that national concerns and aspirations -- such as the return to the land of Israel -- are rooted in the personal experiences of individuals and their relationships to each other.

Father,  Ascent and Land

Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the words that appear with greatest frequency in this chapter are אב, עלה, ארץ. The terms appear in two contexts -- the returning of Yaakov to be buried in the land of Israel and the promise that the nation of Israel will eventually return as well.¹ Thus Sefer Bereshit concludes by emphasizing the eternal link of the Patriarchs and their descendants to the Land.

On Mourning The words that appear with greatest frequency in Bereshit 50 relative to the rest of Bereshit and the rest of Tanakh are “חנט”  (embalming) and “אֵבֶל” (mourning) reflecting the specific connection of this chapter to the period and practices of mourning.

Character Titles

¹ Interestingly, Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the Biblical chapter that has most in common linguistically with Bereshit 50 is Shemot 13, which describes the fulfillment of this promise and the preparations for the nation's ascent from Egypt back to Israel.