Egypt Mourns for Jacob
A Pharaoh would be mourned for 72 days, and here we read that Egypt mourned for Jacob for 70 days. This was such an honor.
Embalming has come a long way, but here it took 40 days. This was important because the family will soon take Jacob's body back to the Promised Land (Genesis 50:6-7).
Wiersbe writes: The scene was a solemn one. Jacob had nothing more to say. So he drew himself into the bed, lay down, and went to sleep with his sons standing around him and his God waiting for him. He left behind the nucleus of a great nation and the testimony of what a great God can do with an imperfect man who sought to live by faith. He exchanged his pilgrim tent for a home in the heavenly city (Hebrews 11:13–16).
Genesis 50:1–3New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update
Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him.
Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.
Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.