In biblical times, the act of burial was a significant cultural and religious practice among the Israelites and surrounding nations. The role of buriers, those who performed the burial rites, was essential in ensuring that the dead were treated with respect and that the community adhered to religious customs.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament provides numerous references to burial practices, highlighting their importance in Israelite society. The act of burying the dead was seen as a duty of the living, often carried out by family members or close associates. Genesis 23 details the burial of Sarah, where Abraham purchases a field and a cave to lay her to rest, emphasizing the importance of a proper burial site. Genesis 23:19 states, "After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan."

The role of buriers is further illustrated in the account of the death of Jacob. In Genesis 50:2-3 , Joseph commands his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father, and the Egyptians mourn for him seventy days. This passage indicates that those responsible for burial were often skilled in specific rites, such as embalming, which was a practice adopted from Egyptian customs.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, burial practices continue to hold significance. The burial of Jesus is a pivotal event, with Joseph of Arimathea playing the role of the burier. In Matthew 27:59-60 , it is recorded, "So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away." Joseph's actions demonstrate the care and respect afforded to the deceased, as well as the fulfillment of Jewish burial customs.

Cultural and Religious Significance

Burial was not merely a practical necessity but held deep religious significance. It was believed that proper burial honored God and the deceased, ensuring that the dead were laid to rest in peace. The act of burial was also seen as a reflection of one's faith and hope in the resurrection, a theme that is prevalent throughout Scripture.

The role of buriers, therefore, was not only to perform a physical task but to participate in a sacred tradition that underscored the community's beliefs about life, death, and the afterlife. The care taken in burial practices, as seen in both the Old and New Testaments, highlights the reverence with which the dead were treated and the hope of eternal life that was central to the faith of the Israelites and early Christians.6912. qabar -- to bury
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to bury NASB Word Usage burial (1), buried
(93), buriers have buried (1), bury (30), burying (5), surely bury (1). ...
/hebrew/6912.htm - 5k

The Sick Person Ought Now to Send for Some Godly and Religious ...
... as Job; for Elihu tells him, That when God strikes a man with malady on his bed,
so that his soul draweth near the grave, and his life to the buriers, if there ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/the sick person ought now.htm

Augustine 354-430 -- the Recovery of Sight by the Blind
... certain man who delayed to follow the Lord, because he wished to bury his father;
"Let the dead," said He, "bury their dead." Surely these dead buriers are not ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume i/augustine 354-430 the recovery.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xx. 30, About the Two Blind Men ...
... man who delayed to follow the Lord, because he wished to bury his father; "Let the
dead," said He, "bury their dead." [2874] Surely these dead buriers are not ...
/.../sermon xxxviii on the words.htm

Psalm LXXIX.
... no one to bury:" it either ought not to seem to be an incredible thing that there
should have been so great a panic in some places, that not any buriers at all ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxix.htm

Three Homilies. On Our Lord.
... For taking occasion by that body of Thine, Thy slayers slew Thee, and were slain
by Thee; and taking occasion by Thy body, Thy buriers buried Thee, and were ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/three homilies on our lord.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... of Gog, will do this work in my stead; such as shall leave him neither skin nor
bone above ground, but shall set a sign by it till the buriers have buried it ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm

Buriers (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Buriers (1 Occurrence). Ezekiel 39:15 And the
passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's ...
/b/buriers.htm - 6k

Burier
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BURIER. ber'-i-er (kabhar): "Set up a sign
by it, till the buriers have buried it" (Ezekiel 39:15). ...
/b/burier.htm - 6k

Passers-by (9 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 39:15 And the passers-by shall pass through the land, and when any seeth
a man's bone, he shall set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in ...
/p/passers-by.htm - 9k

Passengers (6 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 39:15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's
bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in ...
/p/passengers.htm - 8k

Buries (6 Occurrences)

/b/buries.htm - 8k

Hamon-gog (2 Occurrences)
... 39:15 And they that pass through the land shall pass through; and when any seeth
a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried ...
/h/hamon-gog.htm - 8k

Hamongog (2 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 39:15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's
bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in ...
/h/hamongog.htm - 8k

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