Jeff A. Benner | Heaven and Hell: The Afterlife (Part 4 of ?) @ancienthebreworg | Uploaded May 2011 | Updated October 2024, 13 minutes ago.
When King David and Bathsheba's son died, David said, And now he is dead... I will go to him, but he will not return to me. (2 Samuel 12:23) What does David mean by "I will go to him?" Is he simply saying that when he dies he will join his son in the family tomb? We are told that when David's heir Solomon died he was "laid down with his fathers." The same is said for Solomon's heir Rehoboam who was "laid down with his fathers" when he died. According to the Bible, David and his descendents were buried together in the family tomb and being "laid down with the fathers" is a very literal description of their burials. But could "being laid down" with the fathers be an idiom for joining ones ancestors in the afterlife? Is this what David meant by "I will go to him?"
When Yahweh speaks to Moses about his coming death he says to him, "you will lie down with your fathers" (Deuteronomy 31:16 ). When Moses died, he was buried alone in the land of Moab. He was not "laid down with his fathers" in the literal sense of the grave. Therefore being "laid down with one's fathers" is an idiom for joining them in the afterlife. When David said that he was going to "go to his son," he was clearly making the claim that he would join his son in the afterlife.
When Jacob died, the Bible tells us, and he expired and he was gathered to his people. (Genesis 49:33) Jacob died in Egypt, but his sons carried him to Canaan and placed his body in the cave of Machpelah with his wife Leah, his parents Isaac and Rebecca and his grandparents Abraham and Sarah. When the text states that Jacob was "gathered to his people," is this just a literal reference to him being buried with his ancestors or is it also an idiom for joining his ancestors in the afterlife?
Abraham was placed in the cave of Machpelah. And Abraham expired and he died...and he was gathered to his people... (Genesis 25:8). The only other occupant of this tomb was his wife Sarah. Abraham was not buried with his people," therefore we must conclude that being "gathered to one's people" is meant to refer to going to one's people in the afterlife. In addition, when Yahweh speaks to Abraham about his death, he says, "You will go to your fathers in peace..." (Genesis 15:15). As Abraham was not buried with his fathers, we must conclude that what Yahweh meant was that Abraham was going to join his fathers in the afterlife.
Jacob's son Joseph was kidnapped by his brothers and they sold him to Ishmaelite traders heading to Egypt. They then took Joseph's coat, given to him by his father Jacob, and dipped it in blood and took it to their father Jacob. They told him that he was devoured by wild animals.
Jacob mourns the loss of his son and then says, according to the KJV translation, "I will go down into the grave unto my son" (Genesis 37:35, KJV) It has been suggested by some, and this translation supports this view, that Jacob was simply referencing that he would one day join his son in the grave, but let's not forget that Jacob believed that his son was eaten by wild animals, there was no body to bury. Since Joseph's body was not going to be buried, we must conclude that Jacob believed he would join his son, not in the grave as the translation suggests, but "down" in "She'ol," the Hebrew word translated as "grave."
When King David and Bathsheba's son died, David said, And now he is dead... I will go to him, but he will not return to me. (2 Samuel 12:23) What does David mean by "I will go to him?" Is he simply saying that when he dies he will join his son in the family tomb? We are told that when David's heir Solomon died he was "laid down with his fathers." The same is said for Solomon's heir Rehoboam who was "laid down with his fathers" when he died. According to the Bible, David and his descendents were buried together in the family tomb and being "laid down with the fathers" is a very literal description of their burials. But could "being laid down" with the fathers be an idiom for joining ones ancestors in the afterlife? Is this what David meant by "I will go to him?"
When Yahweh speaks to Moses about his coming death he says to him, "you will lie down with your fathers" (Deuteronomy 31:16 ). When Moses died, he was buried alone in the land of Moab. He was not "laid down with his fathers" in the literal sense of the grave. Therefore being "laid down with one's fathers" is an idiom for joining them in the afterlife. When David said that he was going to "go to his son," he was clearly making the claim that he would join his son in the afterlife.
When Jacob died, the Bible tells us, and he expired and he was gathered to his people. (Genesis 49:33) Jacob died in Egypt, but his sons carried him to Canaan and placed his body in the cave of Machpelah with his wife Leah, his parents Isaac and Rebecca and his grandparents Abraham and Sarah. When the text states that Jacob was "gathered to his people," is this just a literal reference to him being buried with his ancestors or is it also an idiom for joining his ancestors in the afterlife?
Abraham was placed in the cave of Machpelah. And Abraham expired and he died...and he was gathered to his people... (Genesis 25:8). The only other occupant of this tomb was his wife Sarah. Abraham was not buried with his people," therefore we must conclude that being "gathered to one's people" is meant to refer to going to one's people in the afterlife. In addition, when Yahweh speaks to Abraham about his death, he says, "You will go to your fathers in peace..." (Genesis 15:15). As Abraham was not buried with his fathers, we must conclude that what Yahweh meant was that Abraham was going to join his fathers in the afterlife.
Jacob's son Joseph was kidnapped by his brothers and they sold him to Ishmaelite traders heading to Egypt. They then took Joseph's coat, given to him by his father Jacob, and dipped it in blood and took it to their father Jacob. They told him that he was devoured by wild animals.
Jacob mourns the loss of his son and then says, according to the KJV translation, "I will go down into the grave unto my son" (Genesis 37:35, KJV) It has been suggested by some, and this translation supports this view, that Jacob was simply referencing that he would one day join his son in the grave, but let's not forget that Jacob believed that his son was eaten by wild animals, there was no body to bury. Since Joseph's body was not going to be buried, we must conclude that Jacob believed he would join his son, not in the grave as the translation suggests, but "down" in "She'ol," the Hebrew word translated as "grave."
