Genesis46

Jacob, also called Israel, journeyed to Beersheba, where God appeared to him, promising to make a great nation of his descendants in Egypt and to bring him back. Trusting God's word, Jacob and his entire household, numbering seventy souls, travelled into Egypt with all their possessions. Upon arrival in Goshen, Jacob was joyfully reunited with his son Joseph, whom he had long believed dead.
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God Assures Jacob at Beersheba

1
So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ​
2
And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said. “Here I am,” replied Jacob. ​
3
“I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. ​
4
I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.” ​
5
Then Jacob departed from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their children and wives. ​
6
They also took the livestock and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt.
7
Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.

The List of Jacob's Descendants

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Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. ​
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The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10
The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. ​
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The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
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The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. ​
13
The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron.
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The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
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These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three.
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The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
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The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.
18
These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.
19
The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
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Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. ​
21
The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
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These are the sons of Rachel born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
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The son of Dan: Hushim.
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The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
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These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.
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All those belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt—his direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob’s sons—numbered sixty-six persons. ​
27
And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt were seventy in all. ​

Jacob and Joseph Are Reunited

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Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen, ​
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Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely. ​
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Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!” ​

Joseph Strategizes for Goshen

31
Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh: ‘My brothers and my father’s household from the land of Canaan have come to me. ​
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The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’
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When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’
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you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.” ​

Study Notes for Genesis 46

Verse 1

Jacob, now called Israel, stops at Beersheba, a place associated with the covenants of Abraham and Isaac. By offering sacrifices, he seeks divine confirmation before leaving the Promised Land for Egypt.

Verse 2

God speaks to Jacob in a night vision, confirming the divine guidance for this crucial move. This direct communication mirrors how God guided Abraham and Isaac during their travels.

Verse 3

God reassures Jacob, connecting this journey to the patriarchal covenant. The purpose of the descent into Egypt is explicitly stated: to fulfill the promise of making Jacob's family into a 'great nation.'

Verse 4

This verse contains two key prophetic promises: God’s continuous presence in Egypt and the guarantee of the eventual Exodus ('surely bring thee up again'). The phrase concerning Joseph is a euphemism, assuring Jacob he will receive the comfort of having his favored son present at his death.

Verse 5

The family uses the Egyptian wagons provided by Pharaoh (45:21), symbolizing that this migration is not a hasty flight but a state-sponsored relocation.

Verse 8

This detailed census establishes the foundational group that entered Egypt. The list documents the family structure that would eventually form the twelve tribes of Israel.

Verse 10

The note that Shaul’s mother was a Canaanitish woman is a rare acknowledgment of an early instance of intermarriage within the patriarchal family line.

Verse 12

The mention that Er and Onan died in Canaan explains why Judah’s immediate descendants in the list (Hezron and Hamul) are through Pharez, the son born from the incident with Tamar (Gen 38).

Verse 20

Manasseh and Ephraim are included in the count of those who 'came into Egypt' because they, along with Jacob and Joseph, contribute to the total 70 souls. Potipherah's title identifies him as a high-ranking official in the Egyptian religious capital, On (Heliopolis).

Verse 26

This verse establishes the count of 66 souls who physically came out of Jacob’s loins. The following verse clarifies the total population of the house of Jacob.

Verse 27

The final count of 70 souls is reached by adding Jacob (1), Joseph (1), and Joseph’s two sons (2) to the 66. Seventy is a significant number in biblical tradition, often representing completeness or totality (e.g., 70 nations, 70 elders).

Verse 28

Jacob sends Judah ahead to arrange the meeting and secure the dwelling place in Goshen. This act signifies Judah’s increasingly prominent and reliable leadership role within the family.

Verse 29

The emotional reunion is the climax of the Joseph narrative. Joseph, now a powerful Egyptian official, sheds his official reserve in this intimate moment with his father.

Verse 30

Jacob’s declaration expresses profound contentment, viewing his life's purpose as fulfilled now that he has seen his long-lost son alive and reigning. This mirrors the satisfaction of a covenant promise fulfilled.

Verse 31

Joseph begins strategically planning how to present his family to Pharaoh to ensure they are settled in the best location, away from the Egyptian populace.

Verse 34

Joseph instructs his family to emphasize their trade as shepherds. Shepherds were often viewed as an 'abomination' or unclean by the settled, urbanized Egyptians, ensuring the family would be segregated to the fertile grazing lands of Goshen, protecting them from cultural assimilation.

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