Burial and cremation

Burial and cremation are the two main ways of laying the dead to rest, and burial was the normal practice among God's people, from the patriarchs to Jesus Himself, while the burning of bodies appears mostly in judgment or emergency. Cremation is not named or forbidden in the Bible, Christian traditions differ on whether it is fitting, and the body that returns to dust will be raised.

Burial of the patriarchs

• Genesis 23:19
  And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
  Show context · Read Genesis 23 →
• Genesis 25:8-9
  ⁸Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people. ⁹And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.
  Show context · Read Genesis 25 →
• Genesis 35:19-20
  ¹⁹And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Beth–lehem.So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.
  Show context · Read Genesis 35 →
• Genesis 50:13
  For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.
  Show context · Read Genesis 50 →
• Genesis 50:24-26
  ²⁴And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” ²⁵And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” ²⁶So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.
  Show context · Read Genesis 50 →

Burial in Israel

• Deuteronomy 21:22-23
  ²²And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, ²³His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
  Show context · Read Deuteronomy 21 →
• Deuteronomy 34:5-6
  ⁵So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, as the LORD had said. ⁶And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth–peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows the location of his grave.
  Show context · Read Deuteronomy 34 →
• 1 Kings 2:10
  So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.
  Show context · Read 1 Kings 2 →

Bodies burned

• 1 Samuel 31:12-13
  ¹²All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth–shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there. ¹³And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
  Show context · Read 1 Samuel 31 →
• Amos 2:1
  Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Moab, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because he burned to lime the bones of Edom’s king.
  Show context · Read Amos 2 →
• Joshua 7:25
  And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.“Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
  Show context · Read Joshua 7 →
• Amos 6:10
  And a man’s uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.And when the relative who is to burn the bodies picks them up to remove them from the house, he will call to one inside, “Is anyone else with you?” “None,” that person will answer. “Silence,” the relative will retort, “for the name of the LORD must not be invoked.”
  Show context · Read Amos 6 →

The burial of Jesus

• Matthew 27:57-60
  ⁵⁷When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.
  Show context · Read Matthew 27 →
• John 19:39-42
  ³⁹And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. ⁴⁰Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. ⁴¹Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.Now there was a garden in the place where Jesus was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴²There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.And because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus there.
  Show context · Read John 19 →
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
  ³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
  Show context · Read 1 Corinthians 15 →

Mourning the dead

• Genesis 50:10
  And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.
  Show context · Read Genesis 50 →
• 2 Samuel 3:31-32
  ³¹And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier. ³²And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb, and all the people wept.
  Show context · Read 2 Samuel 3 →
• Acts 8:2
  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
  Show context · Read Acts 8 →

Dust to dust and resurrection

• Genesis 3:19
  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
  Show context · Read Genesis 3 →
• Ecclesiastes 12:7
  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
  Show context · Read Ecclesiastes 12 →
• 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
  ⁴²So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. ⁴³It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
  Show context · Read 1 Corinthians 15 →
• John 5:28-29
  ²⁸Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice ²⁹And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
  Show context · Read John 5 →

See also

• Death
• Grief
• Resurrection of the dead
• Care of the body

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.