Genesis 46:28-34; 47:4-10, 27-28
Genesis 46:28-34
46:28 Jacob 1 sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. 2 So they came to the land of Goshen. 46:29 Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him, 3 he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time.
46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” 4 46:31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, 5 ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 46:32 The men are shepherds; 6 they take care of livestock. 7 They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 46:33 Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 46:34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle 8 from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, 9 for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting 10 to the Egyptians.”
Genesis 47:4-10
47:4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as temporary residents 11 in the land. There 12 is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”47:5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 47:6 The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men 13 among them, put them in charge 14 of my livestock.”
47:7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him 15 before Pharaoh. Jacob blessed 16 Pharaoh. 47:8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” 17 47:9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All 18 the years of my travels 19 are 130. All 20 the years of my life have been few and painful; 21 the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.” 22 47:10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. 23
Genesis 47:27-28
47:27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number.
47:28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the years 24 of Jacob’s life were 147 in all.
1 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “to direct before him to Goshen.”
3 tn Heb “and he appeared to him.”
4 tn Heb “after my seeing your face that you are still alive.”
5 tn Heb “tell Pharaoh and say to him.”
6 tn Heb “feeders of sheep.”
7 tn Heb “for men of livestock they are.”
8 tn Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”
9 sn So that you may live in the land of Goshen. Joseph is apparently trying to stress to Pharaoh that his family is self-sufficient, that they will not be a drain on the economy of Egypt. But they will need land for their animals and so Goshen, located on the edge of Egypt, would be a suitable place for them to live. The settled Egyptians were uneasy with nomadic people, but if Jacob and his family settled in Goshen they would represent no threat.
10 tn Heb “is an abomination.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 43:32 and Exod 8:22.
11 tn Heb “to sojourn.”
12 tn Heb “for there.” The Hebrew uses a causal particle to connect what follows with what precedes. The translation divides the statement into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
13 tn Heb “men of skill.”
14 tn Heb “make them rulers.”
sn Put them in charge of my livestock. Pharaoh is, in effect, offering Joseph’s brothers jobs as royal keepers of livestock, a position mentioned often in Egyptian inscriptions, because the Pharaohs owned huge herds of cattle.
15 tn Heb “caused him to stand.”
16 sn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “blessed” is difficult in this passage, because the content of Jacob’s blessing is not given. The expression could simply mean that he greeted Pharaoh, but that seems insufficient in this setting. Jacob probably praised Pharaoh, for the verb is used this way for praising God. It is also possible that he pronounced a formal prayer of blessing, asking God to reward Pharaoh for his kindness.
17 tn Heb “How many are the days of the years of your life?”
18 tn Heb “the days of.”
19 tn Heb “sojournings.” Jacob uses a term that depicts him as one who has lived an unsettled life, temporarily residing in many different places.
20 tn Heb “the days of.”
21 tn The Hebrew word רַע (ra’) can sometimes mean “evil,” but that would give the wrong connotation here, where it refers to pain, difficulty, and sorrow. Jacob is thinking back through all the troubles he had to endure to get to this point.
22 tn Heb “and they have not reached the days of the years of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.”
23 tn Heb “from before Pharaoh.”
24 tn Heb “the days of the years.”
