Genesis 46:31-47:26
Gen. 46:31-47:26
- Locate the passage
As Joseph’s family arrived in Egypt, he initiated a meeting with Pharaoh. He instructed them on the official protocol when addressing the king. This pericope is rich in detail. Whereas only one verse (47:11) would have sufficed to record what happened, instead the narrator records instructions, conversations, and details that add flavor to the narrative.
This passage records the settling of Joseph’s family in Goshen and the harsh reality of a protracted famine confronting the people of the land of Egypt. The details accentuate the significance of Joseph’s rescue of his family and juxtapose the comfort of the Israelites with the plight of the Egyptians. While most in Egypt were starving and selling off their lands and ultimately themselves into slavery, Joseph’s family lived in the nicest land and enjoyed the best that Egypt had to offer.
- Genre
The passage is narrative and records instructions from Joseph to his brothers, the conversation between Jacob and Pharaoh, and the people of the land and Joseph.
- Determine the structure of the passage
46:31-47:6 – Joseph introduces his brothers to Pharaoh
47:7-10 – Joseph introduces his father to Pharaoh
47:11-12 – Joseph provided for his family
47:12-19 – Joseph’s plan to provide food for Egypt worked
47:20-26 – The long-term implications of Joseph’s plan
- Exegete the passage
For most of us, it’s difficult to imagine what it would be like to meet the most powerful man on earth. How should you act? What should you say … or not say? That’s the scene as this pericope unfolds. Joseph knew that his uncouth brothers would have no idea how to address a king, so he prepared them.
But, the narrator saved the most poignant encounter for last and addressed it separately. As Jacob met Pharaoh, the Patriarch twice blessed the king. Jacob’s response to the king’s inquiry is blunt and shockingly honest.
46:31-34 – Joseph had to prepare both Pharaoh and his brothers for their initial encounter. The brothers would have no idea how to address the most powerful man on earth. So, Joseph told Pharaoh his brothers were shepherds and instructed his brothers to echo the same message. Vs. 34 gives the reason for this explanation. Since the Egyptian people detested shepherds (lit. “an abomination”), locating Joseph’s family in Goshen made even more sense. Joseph had initially proposed the land of Goshen as their future home (45:10), but Pharaoh, to this point, had not yet decreed it (though he had stated that the best of the land could be theirs; cf. 45:20).
- This pericope highlights the wisdom of Joseph:
- Joseph knew his brothers would need help in how to speak to Pharaoh
- Joseph knew what was important to Pharaoh and what he would want to know from the brothers
- Joseph knew how to communicate the message to Pharaoh that was both truthful and discerning
- Joseph knew how to convince Pharaoh of his wish for his family to dwell in Goshen.
- Joseph was still in the process of convincing Pharaoh to allow his family to dwell in Goshen. His plan had several layers. He convinced his family of it (45:10). The Pharaoh had already given them permission to dwell in the best of the land (45:20). His family had settled in the land of Goshen by the time they met with Pharaoh (47:1). Now, the last step in Joseph’s plan would be to reveal to Pharaoh the occupation of his family which would justify the selection of Goshen, since it was separated from most of the population of Egypt.
- So, Goshen made sense to Pharaoh because Joseph desired it, it was some of the best of the land, they were already there, and it kept them separate from the Egyptians.
- “That you may live in the land of Goshen”
- Joseph knew that the revelation of themselves as shepherds would persuade Pharaoh of his desire for his family to dwell in Goshen.
- Joseph knew that one of the first questions that Pharaoh would ask his brothers was their occupation.
- Joseph instructed his brothers to describe themselves as “servants” of Pharaoh.
- He also wanted them to emphasize that they were shepherds and had always been shepherds.
47:1 – Joseph informed Pharaoh that his family had come and that they had settled in the land of Goshen.
- Note that Joseph has not officially requested for his family to dwell in Goshen. He merely has followed Pharaoh’s instructions and allowed Pharaoh to come to the conclusion that it is best for them to stay there.
47:2 – He chose 5 of his brothers
- The text does not records which 5 of his brothers Joseph chose. Neither does the text reveal why only five were selected.
47:4 – We have come to sojourn
- “gur” means “to sojourn.” The word carries the idea of dwelling for an unspecified, temporary time without permanent residence.
- Gen. 12:10 – Abraham also “sojourned” in Egypt because of a famine.
- The other word that the brothers used was “yashab” which means, “to dwell.”
47:5-6 – Let them live in the land of Goshen
- Joseph’s plan worked to perfection.
- Pharaoh granted them permission to dwell (“yashab”) in the land and to live in Goshen
- Even his choice of word suggests that Pharaoh has invited them to stay indefinitely in the land. There are no restrictions—at this point.
- Even though shepherds were “loathsome” to the Egyptians, Pharaoh knew that he needed them.
- So, Pharaoh instructed Joseph to choose the best among his brothers to shepherd the flock of Pharaoh
- The instructions are curious since Joseph would have no idea which of his brothers were “capable” shepherds, since Joseph had not lived with them in many years. But, Pharaoh implicitly trusts Joseph’s judgment.
47:7-10 – Joseph presented Jacob to Pharaoh
- With the brothers, Pharaoh’s interest was their occupation. With Jacob, the king was interested in his age.
- This reflects the value Egyptian society placed on age; respect for the elderly.
- That’s similar to how we communicate today. It is common to ask people in the middle of their career about their job. But, with more senior adults, our interests lean towards how old they are.
- Jacob informed Pharaoh that he was 130.
- Abraham lived 175 years (Gen. 25:7); Isaac lived 180 years (Gen. 35:28).
- Jacob was aware that his lifespan, to that point, was shorter than those of his fathers. This also suggests that Jacob was thinking that the amount of time that he had left was short.
- Jacob lived 17 years in Egypt and died at the age of 147 (Gen. 47:28)
- Jacob twice “blessed” Pharaoh
- It’s unclear if Pharaoh understood the magnitude of this Patriarch’s blessing or even the religious undertones of it. But, this was more than a greeting from Jacob.
- See Heb. 7:7 – “The lesser is blessed by the greater.” The fact that Jacob blessed Pharaoh and Pharaoh accepted his blessing suggests that Pharaoh understood the significance of Jacob’s role in his family
- It’s unclear if Pharaoh understood the magnitude of this Patriarch’s blessing or even the religious undertones of it. But, this was more than a greeting from Jacob.
47:11-12 – The “Israelites” settle in Egypt
- These two verses summarize the settling of Jacob’s family in Egypt
- Joseph is the initiator and the provider for his family.
- They are given the “best” of the land as Pharaoh had promised.
- In the land of “Rameses.”
- This both identifies the location of Goshen and foreshadows the later building projects in Rameses (Ex. 1:11; 12:37) which led to Israel’s ultimate departure from Egypt.
47:13 – No food in all the land
- 13 juxtaposes the circumstances for Jacob and his family and the general conditions in the land of Egypt.
- Literally, there was “no bread” in all the land of Egypt.
- The extent of the famine covered both Egypt and Canaan.
47:14-19 – Joseph gathered all the money, livestock, and land in Egypt for Pharaoh
- As the people of Egypt came to Joseph to buy food, he presented all the money to Pharaoh’s house
- The trust that Pharaoh placed in Joseph was significant. There is no hint of oversight by Pharaoh or any of his financial advisors of Joseph. He seems to have been solely responsible for collecting the money.
- The text seems to present the needs of the people annually.
- They bought food with their money one year
- The next year, when their money was gone, Joseph purchased their livestock and cattle in exchange for food for the next year
- This strategy was proposed by Joseph
- The next year, when their livestock and cattle were gone, Joseph purchased their land in exchange for food for the next year
- It is significant, that this solution was proffered by the people who offered themselves and their land in exchange for food.
47:20-22 – The famine was severe
- For the third time in this chapter, the narrator tells us that the famine was severe (47:3, 13, 20).
- The unusual and unrelenting nature of the famine brought Israel to Egypt, but also impoverished the Egyptian people and made them slaves to Pharaoh.
- Joseph systematically relocated some of the people to the key cities in Egypt
- Joseph’s role has expanded from administrating food to redistributing the population
- “From one end of Egypt to the other” suggests the extent of Joseph’s responsibility and the magnitude of the famine
- Joseph did not purchase the land of the priests
47:23-26 – Joseph imposed a tax on the people
- The people offered themselves to Pharaoh in exchange for food. However, it was Joseph who designed and implemented the plan
- Joseph provided seed for the people to farm their land
- Joseph imposed a 20% tax on all the produce of the land
- “You have saved our lives”
- The people recognized the magnitude of their situation and that without Joseph’s assistance, they would not have survived
- This foreshadows another Hebrew who came out of Egypt who provided salvation for the people
- 26 stipulates for a second time the exemption granted to the priests. Their land was not sold to Pharaoh and presumably, they were not taxed.
- Joseph provided seed for the people to farm their land
- Let the structure of the text drive the sermon
Exp. The passage reveals the people who were blessed by Joseph (family, people of Egypt, Pharaoh, and the kingdom of Egypt).
Exp. Joseph showed wisdom:
- In dealing with people (with his brothers, his father, and with Pharaoh)
- He influencing them to make good decisions
- In planning ahead
- In making decisions
- In dealing with crises
- In handling resources (money; people)
- In demonstrating integrity
- Believers should seek the Lord to raise up Wise Leaders
Exp. Ultimately, his wisdom saved two nations
Ill. Prov. 24:3 says, “By wisdom a house is built.” The same is true for a family or a nation.
App. Wise leaders can impact a nation- Wise Leaders demonstrate discernment in dealing with people
- Wise Leaders demonstrate dependability in dealing with crises
- Wise Leaders demonstrate wisdom in all the decisions
- Wise Leaders demonstrate integrity in all their actions
- Believers should pray for wisdom in their own lives
Exp. Pray that we might learn to be wise in our own crises, decisions, etc.
Exp. Pray that the Lord will give us discernment in dealing with people and circumstances
Exp. Joseph’s wisdom in one area gave Pharaoh confidence that he would be capable in many areas. - Believers should recognize the wisdom of God’s plan for their lives
Exp. God brought Israel to Egypt
Exp. Ultimately, God provided for His people
Exp. Egypt was blessed as a result of God’s blessing on His people
App. It might not have made sense to Jacob and his family to reside in Egypt, but God was planning long in advance- God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt is foreshadowed in this passage
- Hos. 11:1
- God’s ultimate deliverance of all who trust in Him is foreshadowed in this passage
- Acts 7:325; 2 Cor. 1:9-10; Heb. 7:25
- God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt is foreshadowed in this passage
Application: One day all who have been saved by God in Christ will rejoice and proclaim, “You have saved our lives (cf. 47:25)!”