Genesis 46:28

28 And Judah he hath sent before him unto Joseph, to direct before him to Goshen, and they come into the land of Goshen;

Genesis 46:28 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 46:28

And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph
Who was the more honourable of his sons, and in greater esteem with Jacob than his elder brethren were, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, who by their conduct had greatly displeased him: moreover, he was a man of a polite address, and had endeared himself to Joseph by his speech to him, in which he discovered so much affection both to his father, and his brother Benjamin, and was upon all accounts the fittest person to be sent to Joseph:

to direct his face unto Goshen;
to inform Joseph of his father's coming, that a place might be prepared for him to dwell in, as both the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it; and particularly to direct what place in Goshen he would have him come to, and meet him at:

and they came into the land of Goshen;
which was the first part of the land of Egypt that lay nearest to Canaan: the Greek version of the whole verse is,

``he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to meet him at Heroopolis, or the city of the heroes, in the land of Rameses,''

which is confirmed by Josephus F24; (See Gill on Genesis 45:10).


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 7. sect. 5.

Genesis 46:28 In-Context

26 All the persons who are coming to Jacob to Egypt, coming out of his thigh, apart from the wives of Jacob's sons, all the persons [are] sixty and six.
27 And the sons of Joseph who have been born to him in Egypt [are] two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who are coming into Egypt [are] seventy.
28 And Judah he hath sent before him unto Joseph, to direct before him to Goshen, and they come into the land of Goshen;
29 and Joseph harnesseth his chariot, and goeth up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and appeareth unto him, and falleth on his neck, and weepeth on his neck again;
30 and Israel saith unto Joseph, `Let me die this time, after my seeing thy face, for thou [art] yet alive.'
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.