Genesis 50:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe the fervor exhibited by the Egyptians in honoring Joseph. They accompany Joseph, united to create “a great regiment.”

During the mourning procession for Jacob, in addition to Joseph's family and his relatives, a multitude gathered to pay their respects, including all of Pharaoh's servants, which refers to the court officials, the elders of his household, meaning the principal court officials, and all the elders of Egypt, representing the high-ranking officials of the nation. The journey to Canaan was solely for the purpose of interring Jacob's remains, not to relocate his children and family to that land, so they deemed it unnecessary to bring livestock along. Furthermore, as noted in the Hebrew text, their young children stayed behind in Egypt.