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.

God Assures Jacob at Beersheba

1
Isra'el took everything he owned with him on his journey. He arrived at Be'er-Sheva and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Yitz'chak. ​
2
In a vision at night God called to Isra'el, "Ya'akov! Ya'akov!" He answered, "Here I am." ​
3
He said, "I am God, the God of your father. Don't be afraid to go down to Egypt. It is there that I will make you into a great nation. ​
4
Not only will I go down with you to Egypt; but I will also bring you back here again, after Yosef has closed your eyes." ​
5
So Ya'akov left Be'er-Sheva; the sons of Isra'el brought Ya'akov their father, their little ones and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry them. ​
6
They took their cattle and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Kena'an and arrived in Egypt, Ya'akov and all his descendants with him -
7
his sons, grandsons, daughters, granddaughters and all his descendants he brought with him into Egypt.

The List of Jacob's Descendants

8
These are the names of Isra'el's children who came into Egypt, Ya'akov and his sons: Re'uven Ya'akov's firstborn; ​
9
and the sons of Re'uven - Hanokh, Pallu, Hetzron and Karmi.
10
The sons of Shim'on: Y'mu'el, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tzochar and Sha'ul the son of a Kena'ani woman. ​
11
The sons of Levi: Gershon, K'hat and M'rari.
12
The sons of Y'hudah: 'Er, Onan, Shelah, Peretz and Zerach; but 'Er and Onan died in the land of Kena'an. The sons of Peretz were Hetzron and Hamul. ​
13
The sons of Yissakhar: Tola, Puvah, Yov and Shimron.
14
The sons of Z'vulun: Sered, Elon and Yachle'el.
15
These were the children of Le'ah whom she bore to Ya'akov in Paddan-Aram, with his daughter Dinah. In sum, his sons and daughters numbered thirty-three.
16
The sons of Gad: Tzifyon, Haggi, Shuni, Etzbon, 'Eri, Arodi and Ar'eli.
17
The children of Asher: Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi, B'ri'ah, and their sister Serach. The sons of B'ri'ah were Hever and Malki'el.
18
These were the children of Zilpah, whom Lavan gave to Le'ah his daughter; she bore them to Ya'akov - sixteen people.
19
The sons of Rachel Ya'akov's wife: Yosef and Binyamin.
20
To Yosef in the land of Egypt were born M'nasheh and Efrayim, whom Osnat the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On bore to him. ​
21
The sons of Binyamin: Bela, Bekher, Ashbel, Gera, Na'aman, Echi, Rosh, Mupim, Hupim and Ard.
22
These were the children of Rachel who were born to Ya'akov - in sum, fourteen people.
23
The sons of Dan: Hushim.
24
The sons of Naftali: Yachtze'el, Guni, Yetzer and Shillem.
25
These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Lavan gave to Rachel his daughter; she bore them to Ya'akov - in sum, seven people.
26
All the people belonging to Ya'akov coming into Egypt, his direct descendants (not counting Ya'akov's sons' wives), totaled sixty-six. ​
27
The sons of Yosef, born to him in Egypt, were two in number. Thus all the people in Ya'akov's family who entered Egypt numbered seventy. ​

Jacob and Joseph Are Reunited

28
Ya'akov sent Y'hudah ahead of him to Yosef, so that the latter might guide him on the road to Goshen; thus they arrived in the land of Goshen. ​
29
Yosef prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet Isra'el his father. He presented himself to him, embraced him and wept on his neck for a long time. ​
30
Then Isra'el said to Yosef, "Now I can die, because I have seen your face and seen that you are still alive." ​

Joseph Strategizes for Goshen

31
Yosef said to his brothers and his father's family, "I'm going up to tell Pharaoh. I'll say to him, 'My brothers and my father's family, who were in the land of Kena'an, have come to me. ​
32
The men are shepherds and keepers of livestock; they have brought their flocks, their herds and all their possessions.'
33
Now when Pharaoh summons you and asks, 'What is your occupation?'
34
tell him, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our ancestors.'This will ensure that you will live in the land of Goshen - for any shepherd is abhorrent 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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