Genesis 46
46
Jacob Goes to Egypt
1So Israel set out, along with everything that belonged to him. When he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2In visions of the night God said to Israel, “Jacob, Jacob.” “Hineni,” he said.
3“I am God, the God of your father,” He said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will turn you into a great nation there.
4I Myself will go down with you to Egypt and I Myself will also most certainly bring you up. Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.”
5Then Jacob arose from Beersheba and Israel’s sons carried Jacob their father, their little children, and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6They also took their livestock and their possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan and they came to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.
7His sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his offspring, he brought with him to Egypt.
8Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Jacob’s firstborn, Reuben,
9and Reuben’s sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.
10Simeon’s sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zochar and Shaul the son of the Canaanite woman.
11Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
12Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah. Er died along with Onan in the land of Canaan. Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.
13Issachar’s sons: Tola, Puvah, Iob and Shimron.
14Zebulun’s sons: Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
15These are Leah’s sons whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, along with his daughter Dinah. The tally of all of his sons and daughters was 33 people.
16Gad’s sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
17Asher’s sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. Beriah’s sons: Heber and Malchiel.
18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob: 16 people.
19The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
20Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt—Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On bore them to him.
21Benjamin’s sons: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
22These are Rachel’s sons who were born to Jacob. The tally of all the people was 14.
23The sons of Dan: Hushim
24Naphtali’s sons: Yachzeel, Guni, Yezer and Shillem.
25These are the sons of Bilhah whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter and she bore these to Jacob. The tally of all the people was seven.
26All the people belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt—those coming from his loins (not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons)—the tally of all the people was 66.
27The sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt was a tally of two people. The tally of all the people belonging to Jacob’s house who came to Egypt was 70.
28Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph to show him the way to Goshen. When they came to the land of Goshen,
29Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as he appeared before him, he fell upon his neck, and wept on his neck for some time.
30Then Israel said to Joseph, “At this time I am ready to die, after seeing your face in person—for you’re still alive!”
31Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I’ll go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me.
32The men are shepherds, for they’ve been men who handle livestock, who have brought their flocks and cattle and everything that they possess.’
33So when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’
34you must say, ‘Your servants have been men who handle livestock since the time of our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you can live in the land of Goshen, because every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.”
Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Genesis 46
46
Migration to Egypt. 1#46:1–47:26] Jacob and his family settle in Egypt. Joseph’s economic policies. Israel set out with all that was his. When he arrived at Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called: Jacob! Jacob! He answered, “Here I am.” 3Then he said: I am God,#I am God: more precisely according to the Hebrew text, “I am El.” “El” is here a divine name, not the common noun “god.” the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation. 4I will go down to Egypt with you and I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes.
5So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba, and the sons of Israel put their father and their wives and children on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6They took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. So Jacob and all his descendants came to Egypt.#Ex 1:1; Jos 24:4; Jdt 5:10; Acts 7:15. 7His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.
8These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his children, who came to Egypt.
Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn,#Ex 1:2. 9#This genealogical list is based on the clan lists (Nm 26:5–50) from the Mosaic period. and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.#Ex 6:14; Nm 26:5; 1 Chr 5:3. 10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, son of a Canaanite woman.#Ex 6:15; Nm 26:12; 1 Chr 4:24. 11The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.#Ex 6:16; Nm 3:17; 26:57; 1 Chr 6:1. 12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah—but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan; and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.#Gn 38:3–10, 29–30; Nm 26:19; Ru 4:12; 1 Chr 2:5. 13The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.#Nm 26:23–24; 1 Chr 7:1. 14The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.#Nm 26:26. 15These were the sons whom Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, along with his daughter Dinah—thirty-three persons in all, sons and daughters.
16The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arod, and Areli.#Nm 26:15–16. 17The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, with their sister Serah; and the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.#Nm 26:44; 1 Chr 7:30–31. 18These are the children of Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah; these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons in all.
19The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20In the land of Egypt Joseph became the father of Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore to him.#Gn 41:50; Nm 26:28, 35. 21The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ahiram, Shupham, Hupham, and Ard.#Nm 26:38; 1 Chr 7:6; 8:1–4. 22These are the sons whom Rachel bore to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.
23The sons of Dan: Hushim.#Nm 26:42. 24The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.#Nm 26:48–49; 1 Chr 7:13. 25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel; these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.
26Jacob’s people who came to Egypt—his direct descendants, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons—numbered sixty-six persons in all.#Ex 1:5. 27Together with Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt—two persons—all the people comprising the household of Jacob who had come to Egypt amounted to seventy persons#Seventy persons: it is difficult to get this exact number by adding up the persons mentioned in the preceding genealogies. One might assume it refers to Jacob and sixty-nine descendants, excluding Er and Onan but including Dinah. Ex 1:5 repeats the number but excludes Jacob. Dt 10:22 refers to seventy persons descending to Egypt. The best solution is to take the number as expressing totality. Since there are seventy nations in chap. 10, it is likely that the text is drawing a parallel between the two entities and suggesting that Israel “represents” the nations before God. in all.#Ex 1:5; Dt 10:22; Acts 7:14.
28Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that he might meet him in Goshen. On his arrival in the region of Goshen, 29Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as Israel made his appearance, Joseph threw his arms around him and wept a long time on his shoulder. 30And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”
31Joseph then said to his brothers and his father’s household: “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: ‘My brothers and my father’s household, whose home is in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32The men are shepherds, having been owners of livestock;#Owners of livestock: the phrase occurs only here and in v. 34. The difference between this term and “shepherds” is not clear, for the brothers do not mention it to Pharaoh in 47:3. and they have brought with them their flocks and herds, as well as everything else they own.’ 33So when Pharaoh summons you and asks what your occupation is, 34you must answer, ‘We your servants, like our ancestors, have been owners of livestock from our youth until now,’ in order that you may stay in the region of Goshen, since all shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians.”
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