At the beginning of the Parsha (47:29-31) Yosef alone is instructed briefly by Yaakov to not allow Yaakov to be buried in Egypt and to carry him out of Egypt for burial with his forefathers. Yaakov makes no mention to Yosef of Eretz C’na’an, Efron or Meoras Hamachpelah. Much later, after all the brachos, Yaakov instructs all of the brothers, including Yosef, in great detail that he is to be buried in Meoras Hamachpelah acquired from Efron in Eretz C’na’an. (49:29-32)
It is clear that Yaakov is giving two sets of instructions concerning his burial. The first set is for Yosef only. Yosef, who has the power to do so, is tasked with making sure Yaakov is able to be brought out of Egypt. Once Yosef achieves this goal he has the same instructions as all of the brothers, namely, to bring Yaakov from the Egyptian border to Eretz C’na’an to Meoras Hamachpelah. This is why Yaakov emphasized to Yosef getting him out of Egypt while emphasizing, separately, to the brothers about Meoras Hamachpelah.
This also neatly explains why the psukim separately account for Yosef and the brothers as having followed Yaakov’s directions. First Yosef alone deals with getting him out of Egypt (50:4-8; see especially 50:7 “And Yosef went up to bury his father…”). Later, after the events of Goren Ha’atad, all the brothers carry him to Eretz C’na’an and Meoras Hamachpelah (50:12-13; see especially 50:12 ” And his sons did for him as he had commanded them to do.”).
[This is based on a shiur of HoRav Yochanan Zweig, Shlita.]
Gal Einai, Copyright © 2006 by Gedalia Litke and Torah.org