Bereshis 46

1 6 And Yisroel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Be’erah Sheva, and offered zevakhim unto Elohei Aviv Yitzchak.

2 And Elohim spoke unto Yisroel in the marot halailah, and said, Ya’akov, Ya’akov. And he said, Hineni.

3 And He said, I am El Elohei Avicha; fear not to go down to Mitzrayim; for there I will make thee a Goy Gadol;

4 I will go down with thee to Mitzrayim; and I will also surely bring thee up again; and Yosef shall put his yad upon thine eyes.

5 And Ya’akov rose up from Be’er-Sheva; and the Bnei Yisroel carried Ya’akov Avichem, and their little ones, and their nashim, in the agalot which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

6 And they took their mikneh, and their possessions, which they had acquired in Eretz Kena’an, and came to Mitzrayim, Ya’akov, and all his zera with him;

7 His banim, and his bnei banim with him, his banot, and his banot banim, and all his zera brought he with him to Mitzrayim.

8 And these are the shemot Bnei Yisroel, which came to Mitzrayim: Ya’akov and his banim: Reuven, bechor Ya’akov;

9 And the Bnei Reuven: Chanoch, and Phallu, and Chetzron, and Carmi.

10 And the Bnei Shimon: Yemuel, and Yamin, and Ohad, and Yachin, and Tzochar, and Shaul Ben HaKena’anit.

11 And the Bnei Levi: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari.

12 And the Bnei Yehudah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Peretz, and Zarach; but Er and Onan died in Eretz Kena’an. And the Bnei Peretz were Chetzron and Chamul.

13 And the Bnei Yissakhar: Tola, and Phuvah, and Yov, and Shimron.

14 And the Bnei Zevulun: Sered, Elon, and Yachle’el.

15 These are the Bnei Leah, which she bore unto Ya’akov in Padan Aram, with his bat Dinah; kol nefesh of his banim and his banot were thirty and three.

16 And the Bnei Gad: Tziphyon, Chaggi, Shuni, Etzbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 And the Bnei Asher: Yimnah, and Yishvah, and Yishvi, and Beriah, and Serach their achot; and the Bnei Beriah: Chever, and Malki’el.

18 These are the Bnei Zilpah, whom Lavan gave to Leah his bat, and these she bore unto Ya’akov, even sixteen nefesh.

19 The Bnei Rachel eshet Ya’akov: Yosef, and Binyamin.

20 And unto Yosef in Eretz Mitzrayim were born Menasheh and Ephrayim, which Asenat Bat Poti Phera kohen of On bore unto him.

21 And the Bnei Binyamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Echi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Chuppim, and Ard.

22 These are the Bnei Rachel, which were born to Ya’akov; kol nefesh were fourteen.

23 And the Bnei Dan: Chushim.

24 And the Bnei Naphtali: Yachtze’el, and Guni, and Yetzer, and Shillem.

25 These are the Bnei Bilhah, which Lavan gave unto Rachel his bat, and she bore these unto Ya’akov; kol nefesh were shivah.

26 Kol hanefesh that came with Ya’akov to Mitzrayim, which came out of his loins, apart from the nashim of the Bnei Ya’akov, kol nefesh were threescore and six;

27 And the Bnei Yosef, which were born to him in Mitzrayim, were two nefesh; kol hanefesh of Bais Ya’akov, which came into Mitzrayim, were shivim (seventy).

28 And he sent Yehudah before him unto Yosef, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into Eretz Goshen.

29 And Yosef made ready his merkavah, and went up to meet Yisroel Aviv, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a long time.

30 And Yisroel said unto Yosef, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

31 And Yosef said unto his achim, and unto Bais Aviv, I will go up, and speak to Pharaoh, and say unto him, My achim and Bais Avi, which were in Eretz Kena’an, are come unto me;

32 And the anashim are roei tzon (shepherds), keepers of livestock; and they have brought their tzon, and their bakar, and all that they have.

33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is ma’aseichem (your occupation)?

34 That ye shall say, Thy avadim hath been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and also Avoteinu; that ye may dwell in Eretz Goshen; for every ro’eh tzon is a toevat Mitzrayim.

Bereshis 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.