Genesis47

Joseph informs Pharaoh of his family's arrival, and Pharaoh grants them the land of Goshen. Jacob meets Pharaoh, blessing him and reflecting on his life's pilgrimage. As the famine worsens, Joseph implements a policy where Egyptians sell their land and themselves to Pharaoh for food, establishing a perpetual tax of one-fifth of their produce. Israel prospers in Goshen, and Jacob, at 147, requests Joseph to promise to bury him in Canaan with his ancestors.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Joseph Presents His Family to Pharaoh

1
Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
2
And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. ​
3
And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. ​
4
They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. ​
5
And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
6
The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. ​
7
And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8
And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
9
And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. ​
10
And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11
And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. ​
12
And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.

Joseph Manages the Famine Economy

13
And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. ​
14
And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15
And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
16
And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
17
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year. ​
18
When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19
Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. ​
20
And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's. ​
21
And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. ​
22
Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. ​
23
Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
24
And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. ​
25
And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
26
And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's. ​

Israel Settles; Jacob Requests Burial

27
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. ​
28
And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
29
And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: ​
30
But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said. ​
31
And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head. ​

Study Notes for Genesis 47

Verse 2

Joseph strategically selected five men to present. This small group represented the family and likely aimed to avoid overwhelming Pharaoh while demonstrating their humble, pastoral status.

Verse 3

Pharaoh’s question about occupation was crucial. By identifying as shepherds, they solidified their placement in Goshen, as shepherding was often seen as undesirable by the Egyptians (Gen 46:34).

Verse 4

The term 'sojourn' (Hebrew: *gur*) emphasizes that their stay in Egypt is temporary, maintaining the theological understanding that Canaan remains their permanent, promised inheritance.

Verse 6

Pharaoh’s offer to put Jacob’s family in charge of his royal cattle shows the immense authority and trust placed in Joseph and his family's reputation for competence.

Verse 9

Jacob describes his life as a 'pilgrimage,' reflecting the nomadic reality of the patriarchs and their faith in a future inheritance. His lament ('few and evil') acknowledges the hardship he endured throughout his life.

Verse 11

The land of Rameses is an alternate name for Goshen, referring specifically to the productive eastern Delta region. This settlement fulfills God's provision to sustain the covenant family.

Verse 13

This verse marks a thematic shift, detailing the severity of the famine and Joseph’s centralized administration. The crisis affected Canaan equally, justifying Jacob's relocation.

Verse 17

When money failed, Joseph implemented the second phase of his economic policy, exchanging grain for livestock, thereby transferring the agricultural and transport assets of the people to the crown.

Verse 19

The people offer themselves and their land into servitude, prioritizing survival over ownership. This desperation highlights Joseph’s immense power and the effectiveness of his preparation.

Verse 20

Joseph’s land acquisition resulted in Pharaoh owning virtually all the productive land in Egypt, establishing the crown as the ultimate economic and political authority.

Verse 21

The relocation of the people to cities was likely an administrative measure to consolidate the population, making rationing and tax collection easier.

Verse 22

The priests were exempt from the land sale because Pharaoh already provided them with a fixed allowance, illustrating the high status of the priestly class in Egyptian society.

Verse 24

Joseph established a law requiring a 20% tax (the fifth part) on the harvest. This centralized system provided stability for the people while securing Pharaoh’s permanent revenue stream.

Verse 26

This law, granting Pharaoh one-fifth of the yield, became the long-standing legal standard for land tenure in Egypt, demonstrating the profound and lasting impact of Joseph's policies.

Verse 27

In stark contrast to the suffering Egyptians, the family of Israel 'grew, and multiplied exceedingly,' fulfilling God’s promise of fertility even while in a foreign land.

Verse 29

Jacob demands this solemn oath ('put thy hand under my thigh') from Joseph. This action stresses the importance of the request, tying it to the covenant promises made to Abraham.

Verse 30

Jacob’s insistence on burial in Canaan (the Cave of Machpelah) confirms his faith that the land, not Egypt, remains the promised inheritance for his descendants.

Verse 31

Jacob bowing upon the bed's head is an act of worship or reverence, thanking God for the assurance that he would be buried in the Promised Land (cf. Heb 11:21).

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options