Genesis 47

1 And Ioseph wet and tolde Pharao and sayde: my father and my brethern their shepe and their beastes and all that they haue are come out of the lade of Canaan and are in the lande of Gosan.
2 And Ioseph toke a parte of his brethern: euen fyue of them and presented them vnto Pharao.
3 And Pharao sayde vnto his brethern: what is youre occupation? And they sayde vnto Pharao: feaders of shepe are thi seruauntes both we ad also oure fathers.
4 They sayde moreouer vnto Pharao: for to sogcorne in the lande are we come for thy seruauntes haue no pasture for their shepe so sore is the fameshment in the lande of Canaan. Now therfore let thy seruauntes dwell in the lande of Gosan.
5 And Pharao sayde vnto Ioseph: thy father and thy brethren are come vnto the.
6 The londe of Egipte is open before the: In the best place of the lande make both thy father and thy brothren dwell: And even in the lond of Gosan let them dwell. Moreouer yf thou knowe any men of actiuyte amonge them make them ruelars ouer my catell.
7 And Ioseph brought in Iacob his father and sett him before Pharao And Iacob blessed Pharao.
8 And Pharao axed Iacob how old art thou?
9 And Iacob sayde vnto Pharao: the dayes of my pilgremage are an hundred and .xxx. yeres. Few and euell haue the dayes of my lyfe bene and haue not attayned vnto the yeres of the lyfe of my fathers in the dayes of their pilgremages.
10 And Iacob blessed Pharao and went out from him.
11 And Ioseph prepared dwellinges for his father and his brethern and gaue them possessions in the londe of Egipte in the best of the londe: eue in the lande of Raemses as Pharao commaunded.
12 And Ioseph made prouysion for his father his brethern and all his fathers housholde as yonge childern are fedd with bread.
13 There was no bread in all the londe for the derth was exceadige sore: so yt ye lode of Egipte and ye lode of Canaan were fameshyd by ye reason of ye derth.
14 And Ioseph brought together all ye money yt was founde in yt lade of Egipte and of Canaan for ye corne which they boughte: and he layde vp the money in Pharaos housse.
15 When money fayled in the lade of Egipte and of Canaan all the Egiptians came vnto Ioseph and sayde: geue us sustenaunce: wherfore suffrest thou vs to dye before the for oure money is spent.
16 Then sayde Ioseph: brynge youre catell and I well geue yow for youre catell yf ye be without money.
17 And they brought their catell vnto Ioseph. And he gaue them bread for horses and shepe and oxen and asses: so he fed them with bread for all their catell that yere.
18 When that yere was ended they came vnto him the nexte yere and sayde vnto him: we will not hydest from my lorde how that we haue nether money nor catell for my lorde: there is no moare left for my lorde but euen oure bodies and oure londes.
19 Wherfore latest thou us dye before thyne eyes and the londe to goo to noughte? bye us and oure landes for bread: and let both vs and oure londes be bonde to Pharao. Geue vs seed that we may lyue and not dye and that the londe goo not to wast.
20 And Ioseph boughte all the lande of Egipte for Pharao. For the Egiptians solde euery man his londe because the derth was sore apo them: and so the londe be came Pharaos.
21 And he appoynted the people vnto the cities from one syde of Egipte vnto the other:
22 only the londe of the Prestes bought he not. For there was an ordinauce made by Pharao for ye preastes that they shulde eate that which was appoynted vnto them: which Pharao had geuen them wherfore they solde not their londes.
23 Then Ioseph sayde vnto the folke: beholde I haue boughte you this daye ad youre landes for Pharao. Take there seed and goo sowe the londe.
24 And of the encrease ye shall geue the fyfte parte vnto Pharao and .iiij. partes shalbe youre awne for seed to sowe the feld: and for you and them of youre housholdes and for youre childern to eate.
25 And they answered: Thou haste saued oure lyves Let vs fynde grace in the syghte of my lorde and let us be Pharaos servautes.
26 And Ioseph made it a lawe ouer the lade of Egipte vnto this daye: that men must geue Pharao the fyfte parte excepte the londe of the preastes only which was not bond vnto Pharao.
27 And Israel dwelt in Egipte: euen in the countre of Gosan. And they had their possessions therein and they grewe and multiplyed exceadingly.
28 Moreouer Iacob lyued in the lande of Egipte .xvij. yeres so that the hole age of Iacob was an hundred and .xlvij. yere.
29 When the tyme drewe nye that Israel must dye: he sent for his sonne Ioseph and sayde vnto him: Yf I haue founde grace in thy syghte put thy hande vnder my thye and deale mercifully ad truely with me that thou burie me not in Egipte:
30 but let me lye by my fathers and carie me out of Egipte and burie me in their buryall. And he answered: I will do as thou hast sayde.
31 And he sayde: swere vnto me: ad he sware vnto him. And than Israel bowed him vnto the beddes head.

Genesis 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.

Genesis 47 Commentaries

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