Bereshis 47:8

8 And Pharaoh said unto Ya’akov, How old art thou?

Bereshis 47:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 47:8

And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, how old [art] thou?
] Or, "how many are the days of the years of thy life?" which way of speaking Jacob takes up, and very pertinently makes use of in his answer that follows: Dr. Lightfoot ^F13 thinks Pharaoh had never seen so old a man before, so grave a head, and so grey a beard, and in admiration asked this question.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F13 Works, vol. 1. p. 667.

Bereshis 47:8 In-Context

6 Eretz Mitzrayim is before thee; in the best of the land make avicha and acheicha to dwell; in Eretz Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any anshei chayil among them, then make them sarei mikneh (royal overseers of livestock) of mine.

7 And Yosef brought in Ya’akov aviv, and set him before Pharaoh; and Ya’akov made on Pharaoh a brocha.

8 And Pharaoh said unto Ya’akov, How old art thou?

9 And Ya’akov said unto Pharaoh, The days of the shanim of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty shanah; few and bad have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my avot in the days of their pilgrimage.

10 And Ya’akov made a brocha on Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.