And along with [the family and the entourage], chariots and archers went up, as well; the camp was very great (Genesis 50:9) Chariots and archers—what would they be doing here? There was no military necessity for them. This was a funeral, after all, not a campaign of war! But a moment’s reflection settles that question: they were an honor guard. Pharaoh had sent them, too, to escort Joseph’s father on his final journey.
