Genesis 46:24-34

24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and Guni and Jezer and Shillem.

25 These are the ¹sons of Bilhah, whom ²Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore these to Jacob; there were seven persons in all.

26 ³All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob's sons, were sixty-six persons in all,

27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; ⁴all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.

28 Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out the way before him to ⁵Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and ⁶wept on his neck a long time.

30 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive."

31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "⁷I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me;

32 and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.'

33 "When Pharaoh calls you and says, '⁸What is your occupation?'

34 you shall say, 'Your servants have been ⁹keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' that you may live in the land of ¹⁰Goshen; for every shepherd is ¹¹loathsome to the Egyptians."

Genesis 46:24-34 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 46

In this chapter we are told, that Jacob with all his family and substance took a journey to Egypt to see his son Joseph, as he determined, in which he was encouraged to proceed by a vision from God, Ge 46:1-7; and an account is given of all his sons, his sons' sons and daughters that went thither with him, Ge 46:8-27; when he came near to Egypt he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to acquaint him of his coming, who met him at Goshen, where there was a most affectionate interview between them, Ge 46:28-30; and when he gave directions and instructions what answers to give to Pharaoh's questions, when they should appear before him, to whom he proposed to go and inform him of their being come into Egypt, Ge 46:31-34.

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 30:5, 7
• 2. Genesis 29:29
• 3. Exodus 1:5
• 4. Exodus 1:5; Deuteronomy 10:22; Acts 7:14
• 5. Genesis 45:10
• 6. Genesis 45:14, 15
• 7. Genesis 47:1
• 8. Genesis 47:2, 3
• 9. Genesis 13:7, 8; Genesis 26:20; Genesis 37:2
• 10. Genesis 45:10, 18; Genesis 47:6, 11
• 11. Genesis 43:32; Exodus 8:26

Footnotes

• [a]. In 1 Chr 7:13, "Jahziel"
• [b]. In 1 Chr 7:13, "Shallum"
• [c]. Lit "who came out of his loins"
• [d]. Lit "two souls"
• [e]. Lit "tied, harnessed"
• [f]. Lit "to"
• [g]. Lit "men"
• [h]. Lit "men"
• [i]. Lit "dwell"
• [j]. Lit "an abomination"