Genesis 46

1 Yisra'el took his journey with all that he had, and came to Be'er-Sheva, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Yitzchak.

2 God spoke to Yisra'el in the visions of the night, and said, "Ya`akov, Ya`akov!" He said, "Here I am."

3 He said, "I am God, the God of your father. Don't be afraid to go down into Mitzrayim; for there I will make of you a great nation.

4 I will go down with you into Mitzrayim. I will also surely bring you up again. Yosef will close your eyes."

5 Ya`akov rose up from Be'er-Sheva, and the sons of Yisra'el carried Ya`akov, their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Par`oh had sent to carry him.

6 They took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Kana`an, and came into Mitzrayim - Ya`akov, and all his seed with him,

7 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Mitzrayim.

8 These are the names of the children of Yisra'el, who came into Mitzrayim, Ya`akov and his sons: Re'uven, Ya`akov's firstborn.

9 The sons of Re'uven: Hanokh, Pallu, Hetzron, and Karmi.

10 The sons of Shim`on: Yemu'el, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tzochar, and Sha'ul the son of a Kana`ani woman.

11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari.

12 The sons of Yehudah: `Er, Onan, Shelach, Peretz, and Zerach; but `Er and Onan died in the land of Kana`an. The sons of Peretz were Hetzron and Hamul.

13 The sons of Yissakhar: Tola, Puvah, Yov, and Shimron.

14 The sons of Zevulun: Sered, Elon, and Yachle'el.

15 These are the sons of Le'ah, whom she bore to Ya`akov in Paddan-Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three.

16 The sons of Gad: Tzifyon, Haggi, Shuni, Etzbon, `Eri, Arodi, and Ar'eli.

17 The sons of Asher: Yimna, Yishvah, Yishvi, Beri`ah, and Serach their sister. The sons of Beri`ah: Hever and Malki'el.

18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Lavan gave to Le'ah, his daughter, and these she bore to Ya`akov, even sixteen souls.

19 The sons of Rachel, Ya`akov's wife: Yosef and Binyamin.

20 To Yosef in the land of Mitzrayim were born Menashsheh and Efrayim, whom Asenat, the daughter of Potiphera, Kohen of On, bore to him.

21 The sons of Binyamin: Bela, Bekher, Ashbel, Gera, Na`aman, Echi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Ya`akov: all the souls were fourteen.

23 The sons of Dan: Hushim.

24 The sons of Naftali: Yachtze'el, Guni, Yetzer, and Shillem.

25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Lavan gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Ya`akov: all the souls were seven.

26 All the souls who came with Ya`akov into Mitzrayim, who were his direct descendants, besides Ya`akov's sons' wives, all the souls were sixty-six.

27 The sons of Yosef, who were born to him in Mitzrayim, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Ya`akov, who came into Mitzrayim, were seventy.

28 He sent Yehudah before him to Yosef, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen.

29 Yosef made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Yisra'el, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

30 Yisra'el said to Yosef, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive."

31 Yosef said to his brothers, and to his father's house, "I will go up, and speak with Par`oh, and will tell him, 'My brothers, and my father's house, who were in the land of Kana`an, have come to me.

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

33 It will happen, when Par`oh summons you, and will say, 'What is your occupation?'

34 that you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers:' that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Mitzrim."

Genesis 46 Commentary

Chapter 46

God's promises to Jacob. (1-4) Jacob and his family go to Egypt. (5-27) Joseph meets his father and his brethren. (28-34)

Verses 1-4 Even as to those events and undertakings which appear most joyful, we should seek counsel, assistance, and a blessing from the Lord. Attending on his ordinances, and receiving the pledges of his covenant love, we expect his presence, and that peace which it confers. In all removals we should be reminded of our removal out of this world. Nothing can encourage us to fear no evil when passing through the valley of the shadow of death, but the presence of Christ.

Verses 5-27 We have here a particular account of Jacob's family. Though the fulfilling of promises is always sure, yet it is often slow. It was now 215 years since God had promised Abraham to make of him a great nation, ch. 12:2 ; yet that branch of his seed, to which the promise was made sure, had only increased to seventy, of whom this particular account is kept, to show the power of God in making these seventy become a vast multitude.

Verses 28-34 It was justice to Pharaoh to let him know that such a family was come to settle in his dominions. If others put confidence in us, we must not be so base as to abuse it by imposing upon them. But how shall Joseph dispose of his brethren? Time was, when they were contriving to be rid of him; now he is contriving to settle them to their advantage; this is rendering good for evil. He would have them live by themselves, in the land of Goshen, which lay nearest to Canaan. Shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians. Yet Joseph would have them not ashamed to own this as their occupation before Pharaoh. He might have procured places for them at court or in the army. But such preferments would have exposed them to the envy of the Egyptians, and might have tempted them to forget Canaan and the promise made unto their fathers. An honest calling is no disgrace, nor ought we to account it so, but rather reckon it a shame to be idle, or to have nothing to do. It is generally best for people to abide in the callings they have been bred to and used to. Whatever employment and condition God in his providence has allotted for us, let us suit ourselves to it, satisfy ourselves with it, and not mind high things. It is better to be the credit of a mean post, than the shame of a high one. If we wish to destroy our souls, or the souls of our children, then let us seek for ourselves, and for them, great things; but if not, it becomes us, having food and raiment, therewith to be content.

Chapter Summary

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.