Genesi 47

1 Giuseppe andò quindi a informare Faraone, e gli disse: "Mio padre e i miei fratelli coi loro greggi, coi loro armenti e con tutto quello che hanno, son venuti dal paese di Canaan; ed ecco, sono nel paese di Goscen".

2 E prese cinque uomini di tra i suoi fratelli e li presentò a Faraone.

3 E Faraone disse ai fratelli di Giuseppe: "Qual è la vostra occupazione?" Ed essi risposero a Faraone: "I tuoi servitori sono pastori, come furono i nostri padri".

4 Poi dissero a Faraone: "Siam venuti per dimorare in questo paese, perché nel paese di Canaan non c’è pastura per i greggi dei tuoi servitori; poiché la carestia v’è grave; deh, permetti ora che i tuoi servi dimorino nel paese di Goscen".

5 E Faraone parlò a Giuseppe dicendo: "Tuo padre e i tuoi fratelli son venuti da te;

6 il paese d’Egitto ti sta dinanzi; fa’ abitare tuo padre e i tuoi fratelli nella parte migliore del paese; dimorino pure nel paese di Goscen; e se conosci fra loro degli uomini capaci, falli sovrintendenti del mio bestiame".

7 Poi Giuseppe menò Giacobbe suo padre da Faraone, e glielo presentò. E Giacobbe benedisse Faraone.

8 E Faraone disse a Giacobbe: "Quanti sono i giorni del tempo della tua vita?"

9 Giacobbe rispose a Faraone: "I giorni del tempo de’ miei pellegrinaggi sono centotrent’anni; i giorni del tempo della mia vita sono stati pochi e cattivi, e non hanno raggiunto il numero dei giorni della vita de’ miei padri, ai dì dei loro pellegrinaggi".

10 Giacobbe benedisse ancora Faraone, e si ritirò dalla presenza di lui.

11 E Giuseppe stabilì suo padre e i suoi fratelli, e dette loro un possesso nel paese d’Egitto, nella parte migliore del paese, nella contrada di Ramses, come Faraone aveva ordinato.

12 E Giuseppe sostentò suo padre, i suoi fratelli e tutta la famiglia di suo padre, provvedendoli di pane, secondo il numero de’ figliuoli.

13 Or in tutto il paese non c’era pane, perché la carestia era gravissima; il paese d’Egitto e il paese di Canaan languivano a motivo della carestia.

14 Giuseppe ammassò tutto il danaro che si trovava nel paese d’Egitto e nel paese di Canaan, come prezzo del grano che si comprava; e Giuseppe portò questo danaro nella casa di Faraone.

15 E quando il danaro fu esaurito nel paese d’Egitto e nel paese di Canaan, tutti gli Egiziani vennero a Giuseppe e dissero: "Dacci del pane! Perché dovremmo morire in tua presenza? giacché il danaro è finito".

16 E Giuseppe disse: "Date il vostro bestiame; e io vi darò del pane in cambio del vostro bestiame, se non avete più danaro".

17 E quelli menarono a Giuseppe il loro bestiame; e Giuseppe diede loro del pane in cambio dei loro cavalli, dei loro greggi di pecore, delle loro mandre di buoi e dei loro asini. Così fornì loro del pane per quell’anno, in cambio di tutto il loro bestiame.

18 Passato quell’anno, tornarono a lui l’anno seguente, e gli dissero: "Noi non celeremo al mio signore che, il danaro essendo esaurito e le mandre del nostro bestiame essendo passate al mio signore, nulla più resta che il mio signore possa prendere, tranne i nostri corpi e le nostre terre.

19 E perché dovremmo perire sotto gli occhi tuoi: noi e le nostre terre? Compra noi e le terre nostre in cambio di pane; e noi con le nostre terre saremo schiavi di Faraone; e dacci da seminare affinché possiam vivere e non moriamo, e il suolo non diventi un deserto".

20 Così Giuseppe comprò per Faraone tutte le terre d’Egitto; giacché gli Egiziani venderono ognuno il suo campo, perché la carestia li colpiva gravemente. Così il paese diventò proprietà di Faraone.

21 Quanto al popolo, lo fece passare nelle città, da un capo all’altro dell’Egitto;

22 solo le terre dei sacerdoti non acquistò; perché i sacerdoti ricevevano una provvisione assegnata loro da Faraone, e vivevano della provvisione che Faraone dava loro; per questo essi non venderono le loro terre.

23 E Giuseppe disse al popolo: "Ecco, oggi ho acquistato voi e le vostre terre per Faraone; eccovi del seme; seminate la terra;

24 e al tempo della raccolta, ne darete il quinto a Faraone, e quattro parti saran vostre, per la sementa dei campi e per il nutrimento vostro, di quelli che sono in casa vostra, e per il nutrimento de’ vostri bambini".

25 E quelli dissero: "Tu ci hai salvato la vita! ci sia dato di trovar grazia agli occhi del mio signore, e saremo schiavi di Faraone!"

26 Giuseppe ne fece una legge, che dura fino al dì d’oggi, secondo la quale un quinto del reddito delle terre d’Egitto era per Faraone; non ci furono che le terre dei sacerdoti che non furon di Faraone.

27 Così gl’Israeliti abitarono nel paese d’Egitto, nel paese di Goscen; vi ebbero de’ possessi, vi s’accrebbero, e moltiplicarono oltremodo.

28 E Giacobbe visse nel paese d’Egitto diciassette anni; e i giorni di Giacobbe, gli anni della sua vita, furono centoquarantasette.

29 E quando Israele s’avvicinò al giorno della sua morte, chiamò il suo figliuolo Giuseppe, e gli disse: "Deh, se ho trovato grazia agli occhi tuoi, mettimi la mano sotto la coscia, e usami benignità e fedeltà; deh, non mi seppellire in Egitto!

30 ma, quando giacerò coi miei padri, portami fuori d’Egitto, e seppelliscimi nel loro sepolcro!"

31 Ed egli rispose: "Farò come tu dici". E Giacobbe disse: "Giuramelo". E Giuseppe glielo giurò. E Israele, vòlto al capo del letto, adorò.

Genesi 47 Commentary

Chapter 47

Joseph presents his brethren to Pharaoh. (1-6) Jacob blesses Pharaoh. (7-12) Joseph's dealings with the Egyptians during the famine. (13-26) Jacob's age. His desire to be buried in Canaan. (27--31)

Verses 1-6 Though Joseph was a great man, especially in Egypt, yet he owned his brethren. Let the rich and great in the world not overlook or despise poor relations. Our Lord Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren. In answer to Pharaoh's inquiry, What is your calling? they told him that they were shepherds, adding that they were come to sojourn in the land for a time, while the famine prevailed in Canaan. Pharaoh offered to employ them as shepherds, provided they were active men. Whatever our business or employment is, we should aim to excel in it, and to prove ourselves clever and industrious.

Verses 7-12 With the gravity of old age, the piety of a true believer, and the authority of a patriarch and a prophet, Jacob besought the Lord to bestow a blessing upon Pharaoh. He acted as a man not ashamed of his religion; and who would express gratitude to the benefactor of himself and his family. We have here a very uncommon answer given to a very common question. Jacob calls his life a pilgrimage; the sojourning of a stranger in a foreign country, or his journey home to his own country. He was not at home upon earth; his habitation, his inheritance, his treasures were in heaven. He reckons his life by days; even by days life is soon reckoned, and we are not sure of the continuance of it for a day. Let us therefore number our days. His days were few. Though he had now lived one hundred and thirty years, they seemed but a few days, in comparison with the days of eternity, and the eternal state. They were evil; this is true concerning man. He is of few days and full of trouble; since his days are evil, it is well they are few. Jacob's life had been made up of evil days. Old age came sooner upon him than it had done upon some of his fathers. As the young man should not be proud of his strength or beauty, so the old man should not be proud of his age, and his hoary hairs, though others justly reverence them; for those who are accounted very old, attain not to the years of the patriarchs. The hoary head is only a crown of glory, when found in the way of righteousness. Such an answer could not fail to impress the heart of Pharaoh, by reminding him that worldly prosperity and happiness could not last long, and was not enough to satisfy. After a life of vanity and vexation, man goes down into the grave, equally from the throne as the cottage. Nothing can make us happy, but the prospect of an everlasting home in heaven, after our short and weary pilgrimage on earth.

Verses 13-26 Care being taken of Jacob and his family, which mercy was especially designed by Providence in Joseph's advancement, an account is given of the saving the kingdom of Egypt from ruin. There was no bread, and the people were ready to die. See how we depend upon God's providence. All our wealth would not keep us from starving, if rain were withheld for two or three years. See how much we are at God's mercy, and let us keep ourselves always in his love. Also see how much we smart by our own want of care. If all the Egyptians had laid up corn for themselves in the seven years of plenty, they had not been in these straits; but they regarded not the warning. Silver and gold would not feed them: they must have corn. All that a man hath will he give for his life. We cannot judge this matter by modern rules. It is plain that the Egyptians regarded Joseph as a public benefactor. The whole is consistent with Joseph's character, acting between Pharaoh and his subjects, in the fear of God. The Egyptians confessed concerning Joseph, Thou hast saved our lives. What multitudes will gratefully say to Jesus, at the last day, Thou hast saved our souls from the most tremendous destruction, and in the season of uttermost distress! The Egyptians parted with all their property, and even their liberty, for the saving of their lives: can it then be too much for us to count all but loss, and part with all, at His command, and for His sake, who will both save our souls, and give us an hundredfold, even here, in this present world? Surely if saved by Christ, we shall be willing to become his servants.

Verses 27-31 At last the time drew nigh that Israel must die. Israel, a prince with God, had power over the Angel, and prevailed, yet must die. Joseph supplied him with bread, that he might not die by famine, but that did not secure him from dying by age or sickness. He died by degrees; his candle gradually burnt down to the socket, so that he saw the time drawing nigh. It is an advantage to see the approach of death, before we feel it, that we may be quickened to do, with all our might, what our hands find to do. However, death is not far from any of us. Jacob's care, as he saw the day approach, was about his burial; not the pomp of it, but he would be buried in Canaan, because it was the land of promise. It was a type of heaven, that better country, which he declared plainly he expected, ( Hebrews 11:14 ) . Nothing will better help to make a death-bed easy, than the certain prospect of rest in the heavenly Canaan after death. When this was done, Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head, worshipping God, as it is explained, see ( Hebrews 11:21 ) , giving God thanks for all his favours; in feebleness thus supporting himself, expressing his willingness to leave the world. Even those who lived on Joseph's provision, and Jacob who was so dear to him, must die. But Christ Jesus gives us the true bread, that we may eat and live for ever. To Him let us come and yield ourselves, and when we draw near to death, he who supported us through life, will meet us and assure us of everlasting salvation.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 47

This chapter gives an account of the presentation of five of Joseph's brethren, and then of his father, to Pharaoh, and of what passed between them, Ge 47:1-10; of Joseph's settlement of them, according to the direction of Pharaoh, in the land of Rameses in Goshen, and of his provision for them there, Ge 47:11,12; of his getting into his hands, for Pharaoh, the money, cattle, and lands, of the Egyptians, excepting the lands belonging to the priests, for corn he had supplied them with, Ge 47:13-22; of his giving them seed to sow with, on condition of Pharaoh's having a fifth part of the produce, Ge 47:23-26, of the increase of Jacob's substance in Egypt, and that of his children; of the time of his living there, and his approaching death, when he called Joseph to him, and obliged him by an oath to bury him in the burying place of his fathers, Ge 47:27-31.