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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Genesis 46:1–4. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The divine precept is, In all thy ways acknowledge God; and the promise annexed to it is, He shall direct thy paths. Jacob has here a very great concern before him, not only a journey, but a removal, to settle in another country, a change which was very surprising to him (for he never had any other thoughts than to live and die in Canaan), and which would be of great consequence to his family for a long time to come. Now here we are told,
I.How he acknowledged God in this way.
He came to Beersheba, from Hebron, where he now dwelt; and there he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac, Gen 46:1. He chose that place, in remembrance of the communion which his father and grandfather had with God in that place. Abraham called on God there (Gen 21:33), so did Isaac (Gen 26:25), and therefore Jacob made it the place of his devotion, the rather because it lay in his way. In his devotion, 1. He had an eye to God as the God of his father Isaac, that is, a God in covenant with him; for by Isaac the covenant was entailed upon him. God had forbidden Isaac to go down to Egypt when there was a famine in Canaan (Gen 26:2), which perhaps Jacob calls to mind when he consults God as the God of his father Isaac, with this thought, "Lord, though I am very desirous to see Joseph, yet if thou forbid me to go down to Egypt, as thou didst my father Isaac, I will submit, and very contentedly stay where I am." 2. He offered sacrifices, extraordinary sacrifices, besides those at his stated times; these sacrifices were offered, (1.) By way of thanksgiving for the late blessed change of the face of his family, for the good news he had received concerning Joseph, and for the hopes he had of seeing him. Note, We should give God thanks for the beginnings of mercy, though they are not yet perfected; and this is a decent way of begging further mercy. (2.) By way of petition for the presence of God with him in his intended journey; he desired by these sacrifices to make his peace with God, to obtain the forgiveness of sin, that he might take no guilt along with him in this journey, for that is a bad companion. By Christ, the great sacrifice, we must reconcile ourselves to God, and offer up our requests to him. (3.) By way of consultation. The heathen consulted their oracles by sacrifice. Jacob would not go till he had asked God's leave: "Shall I go down to Egypt, or back to Hebron?" Such must be our enquiries in doubtful cases; and, though we cannot expect immediate answers from heaven, yet, if we diligently attend to the directions of the word, conscience, and providence, we shall find it is not in vain to ask counsel of God.
II.How God directed his paths:
In the visions of the night (probably the very next night after he had offered his sacrifices, as Ch2 1:7) God spoke unto him, Gen 46:2. Note, Those who desire to keep up communion with God shall find that it never fails on his side. If we speak to him as we ought, he will not fail to speak to us. God called him by name, by his old name, Jacob, Jacob, to remind him of his low estate; his present fears did scarcely become an Israel. Jacob, like one well acquainted with the visions of the Almighty, and ready to obey them, answers, "Here I am, ready to receive orders:" and what has God to say to him?
1.He renews the covenant with him: I am God, the God of thy father (Gen 46:3); that is, "I am what thou ownest me to be: thou shalt find me a God, a divine wisdom and power engaged for thee; and thou shalt find me the God of thy father, true to the covenant made with him."
2.He encourages him to make this removal of his family: Fear not to go down into Egypt. It seems, though Jacob, upon the first intelligence of Joseph's life and glory in Egypt, resolved, without any hesitation, I will go and see him; yet, upon second thoughts, he saw some difficulties in it, which he knew not well how to get over. Note, Even those changes that seem to have in them the greatest joys and hopes, yet have an alloy of cares and fears, Nulla est sincera voluptas - There is no unmingled pleasure. We must always rejoice with trembling. Jacob had many careful thoughts about this journey, which God took notice of.
(1.)He was old, 130 years old; and it is mentioned as one of the infirmities of old people that they are afraid of that which is high, and fears are in the way, Ecc 12:5. It was a long journey, and Jacob was unfit for travel, and perhaps remembered that his beloved Rachel died in a journey.
(2.)He feared lest his sons should be tainted with the idolatry of Egypt, and forget the God of their fathers, or enamoured with the pleasures of Egypt, and forget the land of promise.
(3.)Probably he thought of what God had said to Abraham concerning the bondage and affliction of his seed (Gen 15:13), and was apprehensive that his removal to Egypt would issue in that. Present satisfactions should not take us off from the consideration and prospect of future inconveniences, which possibly may arise from what now appears most promising.
(4.)He could not think of laying his bones in Egypt. But, whatever his discouragements were, this was enough to answer them all, Fear not to go down into Egypt.
3.He promises him comfort in the removal. (1.) That he should multiply in Egypt: "I will there, where thou fearest that thy family will sink and be lost, make it a great nation. That is the place Infinite Wisdom has chosen for the accomplishment of that promise." (2.) That he should have God's presence with him: I will go down with thee into Egypt. Note, Those that go whither God sends them shall certainly have God with them, and that is enough to secure them wherever they are and to silence their fears; we may safely venture even into Egypt if God go down with us. (3.) That neither he nor his should be lost in Egypt: I will surely bring thee up again. Though Jacob died in Egypt, yet this promise was fulfilled, [1.] In the bringing up of his body, to be buried in Canaan, about which, it appears, he was very solicitous, Gen 49:29, Gen 49:32. [2.] In the bringing up of his seed to be settled in Canaan. Whatever low or darksome valley we are called into at any time, we may be confident, if God go down with us into it, that he will surely bring us up again. If he go with us down to death, he will surely bring us up again to glory. (4.) That living and dying, his beloved Joseph should be a comfort to him: Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. This is a promise that Joseph should live as long as he lived, that he should be with him at his death, and close his eyes with all possible tenderness and respect, as the dearest relations used to do. Probably Jacob, in the multitude of this thought within him, had been wishing that Joseph might do this last office of love for him: Ille meos oculos comprimat - Let him close my eyes; and God thus answered him in the letter of his desire. Thus God sometimes gratifies the innocent wishes of his people, and makes not only their death happy, but the very circumstances of it agreeable.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
5 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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But each of us also, in the same manner and in the same way, enters Egypt and struggles and, if he is worthy that God should always remain with him, he will make him “into a great nation.” For the number of virtues and the multitude of righteousness in which all the saints are said to be multiplied and to increase is a great nation.That which is said is also fulfilled in the saint: “I will recall you from there in the end.” For the end is considered to be the perfection of things and the consummation of virtues. Indeed, for this reason also another saint said, “Recall me not in the midst of my days.” And again the Scripture bestows testimony on the great patriarch Abraham since “Abraham died full of days.” This statement, therefore, “I will recall you from there in the end,” is as if he had said, Since “you have fought a good fight, you have kept the faith, you have finished the course,” I will now recall you from this world to the future blessing, to the perfection of eternal life, to “the crown of justice which the Lord will give in the end of the ages to all who love him.”
But I think a still greater mystery lies hidden in this passage. For this statement disturbs me: “I will make a great nation of you, and I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will recall you from there in the end.” Who is it who is made “into a great nation” in Egypt and is recalled “in the end”? To the extent that it pertains to that Jacob of whom one supposes it to be said, it will not appear true. For he was not recalled from Egypt “in the end,” since he died in Egypt. But it will be absurd if someone says Jacob was recalled by God in that his body was carried back. But if it is accepted, it will not be true that “God is not the God of the dead but of the living.” It is not proper, therefore, that these words be understood of a dead body but that they apply to the living and vigorous.Let us consider therefore whether there may be depicted in this statement a figure of the Lord who descends into this world and is made “into a great nation,” that is, the church of the Gentiles, and after all things were completed, returned to the Father. Or, whether it is a figure of “the first-formed man” who descends to the struggles of this world after he was cast out of the delights of paradise. The struggle with the serpent was set before him when it is said, “You shall watch for his head, and he shall watch for your heel,” and again, when it is said to the woman, “I will put enmity between you and him, and between your seed and his seed.”
Nevertheless God does not desert those placed in this struggle but is always with them. He is pleased with Abel; he reproaches Cain; he is present with Enoch, when he is invoked. He commands Noah to construct an ark of salvation in the flood; he leads Abraham “from the house of his father” and “from his kinsmen"; he blesses Isaac and Jacob; he leads the sons of Israel out of Egypt. He writes the law of the letter through Moses. He completes what was lacking through the prophets. This is what it means to be with them in Egypt.
But regarding the statement “I will recall you from there in the end,” I think this means, as we said above, that at the end of the ages his only-begotten Son descended even into the nether regions for the salvation of the world and recalled “the first-formed man” from there. For what he said to the thief, “This day you shall be with me in paradise,” understand not to have been said to him alone but also to all the saints for whom he had descended into the nether regions. In this man, therefore, more truly than in Jacob the words “I will recall you from there in the end” will be fulfilled.
But let us see how also the statement after that should be understood: “And Joseph shall put his hands upon your eyes.” I think many mysteries indeed of secret understanding are hidden within the veil of this statement. It belongs to another time to approach and touch upon these mysteries. Now, meanwhile, it will not appear to be said without reason, since it has appeared also to some of our predecessors that a certain prophecy seemed to be designated in this statement. Since indeed that Jeroboam who made two golden calves that he might seduce the people to worship them was from the tribe of Joseph, by this he blinded and closed the eyes of Israel, as if his hands were placed on them, lest they see their impiety, of which it is said, “Because of the impiety of Jacob are all these things, and because of the sin of the house of Israel. But what is the impiety of Jacob? Is it not Samaria?”32But if someone perhaps asserts that those things that are said by God about a future form of piety ought not be turned to a censurable function, we will say that just as the true Joseph, our Lord and Savior, put his physical hand on the eyes of the blind man and restored his sight that he had lost, so also he put his spiritual hands on the eyes of the law, which had been blinded by the corporeal understanding of the scribes and Pharisees. He restored sight to them, that to these to whom the Lord has opened the Scriptures spiritual vision and understanding might appear in the law.
And would that the Lord Jesus might put “his hands on” our “eyes” too, that we too might begin to look not at those things “which are seen but at the things which are not seen.” And would that he might open for us those eyes which contemplate not present things but future, and might reveal to us the aspect of the heart by which God is seen in spirit, through the Lord Jesus Christ himself, to whom belongs “glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”
Our God himself also exhorts that people with his own prophecy and promises them advancement in the faith, the fruit of his gift, for he says to them, “Joseph shall put his hand on your eyes.” It was not that the holy patriarch was troubled as to who should close his eyes, although in the clear understanding of it a natural love is also being expressed. For we often desire to embrace those whom we love. How much more, when we are about to depart from this body, do we take delight in the last touch of our beloved children and find consolation in such a provision for our journey. Yet in a mystical sense we may take it to mean that afterward the Jewish people are going to know their God. For this is a mystery, that the true Joseph places his hands over the eyes of another, so that he who before did not see may now see. Come to the Gospel, read how the blind man was healed, when Jesus put his hand on him and took away his blindness. Indeed, Christ does not put his hand on those who are going to die but on those who are going to live or, if on those who are going to die, rightly so, because we first die in order that we may live again. For we cannot see God unless we die to sin previously.
See how whatever the good man longed for the Lord promises him, and in fact much more. That is to say, in his generosity he exceeds our requests out of fidelity to his characteristic love. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,” he says. Because Jacob dreaded the length of the journey, accordingly he says, “Have no regard for the weakness of your old age—I will make you into a great nation there. I will accompany you and make everything easy for you.” Notice the considerateness of the expression: “I will go down with you to Egypt.” What could be more blessed than to have God as traveling companion? Then he spoke the consoling thought that the old man had particular need of: “Joseph’s hands will close your eyes in death.” That dearly beloved son of yours will personally prepare your body for burial, and his hands will close your eyes in death.So, quite happy and free from all concern, Jacob took to the road. Consider at this point, I ask you, with what cheerfulness the good man makes the journey, being so reassured by God’s promise.
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Summary
Genesis 46:4 records God's profound reassurance to Jacob (Israel) at Beersheba, as he prepared to journey to Egypt to reunite with Joseph. This divine promise alleviated Jacob's apprehension about leaving the promised land, guaranteeing God's accompanying presence throughout the sojourn, the future return of his descendants to Canaan, and the deeply personal comfort of Joseph's presence at his death, thereby setting the stage for the next crucial phase of Israel's covenant history and the formation of a nation.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is a pivotal moment following Jacob's receipt of the astonishing news that his long-lost son, Joseph, was not only alive but was also the powerful ruler of Egypt (Genesis 45:28). Despite the overwhelming joy and the urgency of the famine, Jacob paused his journey at Beersheba, a site of significant patriarchal encounters. Before God's direct intervention in verse 4, Jacob had offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac, indicating his deep spiritual apprehension and desire for divine affirmation before undertaking such a momentous and potentially irreversible move away from the Promised Land (Genesis 46:1). God's appearance to Jacob in a night vision is a direct response to Jacob's seeking and provides the necessary divine mandate and comfort for the upcoming journey and the future of his lineage.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jacob's journey to Egypt was not merely a family reunion but a significant migration with profound implications for the nascent nation of Israel. Egypt at this time was a powerful, highly organized civilization, often seen as a place of both refuge and potential spiritual danger for Abraham's descendants. The custom of a beloved son closing the eyes of a dying parent was a deeply intimate and culturally significant act, symbolizing a peaceful passing and the continuity of the family line. For Jacob, who had endured years of grief over Joseph's presumed death and the recent famine, the promise of Joseph performing this final act offered immense personal solace, assuring him of a blessed end surrounded by his most cherished son, rather than dying alone in a foreign land. Beersheba itself held historical and cultural significance as a place where Abraham and Isaac had built altars and received divine promises, making it a fitting location for God to reaffirm His covenant with Jacob.
Key Themes
Genesis 46:4 powerfully reinforces several overarching themes found throughout the book of Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights Divine Guidance and Providence, demonstrating God's active involvement in directing the lives of His covenant people, even when their path seems to lead them away from the Promised Land. Secondly, it underscores God's Unwavering Covenant Faithfulness, as He reaffirms the promises made to Abraham and Isaac, ensuring the preservation and future growth of the chosen lineage despite the temporary relocation to Egypt, as prophesied earlier in Genesis 15:13-16. Thirdly, the verse emphasizes The Preservation of the Seed, showing how God uses challenging circumstances, like famine, and human agents, like Joseph, to ensure the survival and multiplication of the family through whom His redemptive plan would unfold. Finally, it speaks to Personal Comfort and Assurance, as God addresses Jacob's specific fears, providing a deeply personal promise that transcends the national implications and offers peace to an aged patriarch facing the unknown.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to descend" or "to go downwards." It can refer literally to physical movement to a lower region (as into Egypt, which was geographically lower than Canaan) or figuratively to a fall or subjugation. In this context, it describes the physical act of Jacob's family migrating into Egypt, but also carries a subtle undertone of a temporary "descent" or separation from the immediate blessings of the Promised Land, which God promises to accompany.
A primitive root meaning "to ascend" or "to mount." It is used in a wide variety of senses, including to "come up," "rise," or "bring up." Here, the Hebrew uses a causative form (Hiphil), "I will cause you to come up," emphasizing God's active, certain, and divinely initiated action in bringing Israel out of Egypt. This word directly foreshadows the future Exodus, promising not just Jacob's personal return (for burial) but primarily the eventual, national deliverance of his descendants.
A primitive word referring to "a hand" (the open one, indicating power, means, direction). It is used in a vast array of literal and figurative applications. In the phrase "put his hand upon thine eyes," it refers to the physical hand used in the ancient custom of closing the eyes of the deceased. This specific use highlights Joseph's filial duty and the tender, comforting presence he would provide at Jacob's death, signifying a peaceful and blessed end.
Verse Breakdown
"I will go down with thee into Egypt"
This clause is a profound declaration of divine presence and accompaniment. God assures Jacob that He will not abandon him or his family as they descend into a foreign land. This underscores God's unwavering commitment to His covenant people, even when their path leads them away from the land of promise for a season. It echoes the theme of God's omnipresence and care for His own, providing comfort in times of uncertainty and validating Jacob's difficult decision to leave Canaan.
"and I will also surely bring thee up [again]"
This phrase carries immense prophetic weight, foreshadowing the future Exodus. While Jacob himself was indeed brought back to Canaan for burial (Genesis 50:13), the primary promise here refers to the future nation of Israel. God assures Jacob that his descendants, who would multiply greatly in Egypt, would indeed be brought back to the Promised Land. The emphatic repetition in the Hebrew (a figure known as the infinitive absolute, ha'aleh a'alekka) means "I will certainly bring you up," emphasizing the certainty and divine initiative of the return, highlighting God's active role in orchestrating the future deliverance of His people from bondage (Exodus 3:8).
"and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes"
This was an ancient custom signifying a peaceful and blessed death, where the dying person's closest relative or beloved son would perform the final act of closing their eyes. For Jacob, this was a deeply personal comfort. It assured him that he would not die alone in a foreign land, but with his favored son, Joseph, by his side, providing the ultimate act of filial devotion. This promise brought immense solace to an aged patriarch, ensuring his final moments would be surrounded by love and family, alleviating a deep-seated fear of dying far from his ancestral burial place and without his beloved son.
Literary Devices
Genesis 46:4 employs several powerful literary devices. Anthropomorphism is evident in God's declaration, "I will go down with thee," portraying the transcendent God as personally accompanying Jacob on his physical journey, making His presence tangible and relatable. The phrase "I will also surely bring thee up [again]" utilizes Foreshadowing, pointing directly to the future Exodus of the Israelite nation from Egypt, long before it occurred. This is reinforced by the use of the Hebrew Infinitive Absolute (ha'aleh a'alekka), which provides an emphatic certainty to the divine promise of return, acting as a strong rhetorical device to underscore God's unwavering commitment. Finally, the specific detail, "Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes," serves as Symbolism for a peaceful, blessed, and familial death, providing a deeply personal and comforting image amidst the grander national prophecies. This detail also acts as a form of Irony of Fulfillment, as Jacob had grieved Joseph for years, believing him dead, only for Joseph to be the one to provide this ultimate comfort.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Genesis 46:4 is a profound testament to God's multifaceted faithfulness, demonstrating His personal care for individuals within the grand sweep of His redemptive plan. It assures Jacob of God's immediate presence in his journey into the unknown, while simultaneously providing a long-range prophetic vision for the future of his descendants. This divine assurance encapsulates the themes of God's sovereignty over history, His unwavering commitment to His covenant promises despite challenging circumstances, and His intimate knowledge of and provision for the deepest fears and desires of His people. The promise that Joseph would close Jacob's eyes provides a deeply personal layer of comfort, illustrating that God's faithfulness extends not only to national destiny but also to individual peace in life's final moments.
Reflection and Application
Genesis 46:4 offers profound lessons for believers today, reminding us that even when facing uncertain or challenging transitions, God promises His unfailing presence and guidance. Just as He assured Jacob of His accompaniment into Egypt and His future plan for his descendants, He assures us that He is with us through every "descent" or difficult period in our lives, whether it be a career change, a geographical move, a health crisis, or a season of doubt. His faithfulness to His promises, even across generations and through seemingly adverse circumstances, provides a steadfast foundation for our hope. We can trust that God has a larger, sovereign plan, and even when circumstances seem to lead us away from what we expect or desire, He remains committed to bringing His purposes to fruition. Furthermore, the deeply personal comfort promised to Jacob regarding Joseph's presence at his death reminds us that God often provides specific, intimate assurances and provisions that address our unique fears and longings, demonstrating His tender care alongside His grand designs.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Jacob hesitant to go to Egypt, despite Joseph being there?
Jacob's hesitation stemmed from several profound factors. Primarily, it was the thought of leaving the Promised Land of Canaan, which God had sworn to give to his descendants as an eternal inheritance (Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15). Moving to Egypt, a foreign land, could be perceived as a departure from God's covenant plan and a potential loss of the divine blessing associated with the land. Additionally, the sheer scale of moving his entire family, livestock, and possessions, coupled with the uncertainty of life in a new, powerful, and potentially idolatrous country, likely caused significant apprehension for the aged patriarch. His pause at Beersheba to offer sacrifices and seek God's will highlights his deep reliance on divine guidance before undertaking such a momentous and potentially irreversible step for his family and the future of the covenant people.
What is the significance of God appearing to Jacob at Beersheba?
Beersheba was a highly significant patriarchal site, a place where Abraham and Isaac had both sojourned, dug wells, and called upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 21:33; Genesis 26:23-25). By appearing to Jacob at Beersheba, God was reaffirming His covenant with Jacob in the same lineage and at a location rich with ancestral promises. This act underscored the continuity of the covenant across generations and provided Jacob with a familiar, sacred context for receiving this crucial divine reassurance. It served to validate his journey and remind him that the God who had been with his forefathers was still with him, ensuring the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham and Isaac despite the temporary departure from the Promised Land.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Genesis 46:4, while rooted in Jacob's personal journey and the formation of Israel, powerfully foreshadows the greater divine accompaniment and deliverance found in Christ. Just as God promised to "go down with" Jacob into Egypt, so Christ, Immanuel ("God with us"), truly descended into humanity, sharing our earthly sojourn, our trials, and even death, to be present with us in our deepest "descents" into suffering, sin, and despair (John 1:14; Philippians 2:6-8). The promise to "surely bring thee up again" points not only to the historical Exodus but ultimately to Christ's resurrection, which guarantees the future resurrection and glorification of all who are in Him, bringing them out of the "Egypt" of sin and death into the true Promised Land of eternal life (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22). Moreover, Christ is the ultimate "Joseph," the beloved Son who provides comfort and assurance in the face of death. He has conquered death, and through faith in Him, believers are assured of His presence to usher them into eternal life, fulfilling the deepest longings for security and belonging that Jacob experienced, and providing the ultimate peace that surpasses all understanding (John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:4).