Christianity
Genesis 46Jacob Goes Down to Egypt
Summary
In Genesis 46 Israel sets out with everything he has and offers sacrifices at Beersheba. In a night vision God tells him not to fear going down to Egypt, promising to make him a great nation there and to bring him up again. The chapter lists the family who went, sixty-six travelers and seventy in all with Joseph's household. Joseph rides to Goshen, falls on his father's neck and weeps. He coaches his brothers to tell Pharaoh they are shepherds.
Key verse
“And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:”
Genesis 46:3
Themes
- Migration
- Divine Reassurance
- Family Reunion
- Seventy Souls
Text
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.
And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.
And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.
These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.
And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.
And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.
These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.
The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.
And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.
These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.
All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were threescore and six;
And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.
And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.
Across traditions
Judaism
Deuteronomy 26: My Father Went Down into EgyptDeuteronomy 26:5 has the Israelite bringing first fruits declare that his father, a wandering Aramean, went down into Egypt with few people and became a great nation. The words are expounded in the Passover Haggadah.
Islam
Surah Yusuf (12): Parents Enter EgyptIn 12:99 to 100 Joseph receives his parents, raises them on the throne, and they bow, and he says this is the fulfillment of his dream of long ago.
Christianity
Acts 7: Seventy-Five SoulsStephen's speech says Jacob's kindred numbered seventy-five souls, following the Greek Septuagint rather than the Hebrew count of seventy.
Questions about Genesis 46
How many people went to Egypt with Jacob?
Genesis 46:26 counts sixty-six descendants who traveled with him, and 46:27 gives seventy for the whole house of Jacob including Joseph's family. Acts 7:14 gives seventy-five, following the Septuagint.
Why were shepherds an abomination to the Egyptians?
Genesis 46:34 says every shepherd was an abomination to the Egyptians but gives no reason. The effect was that Jacob's family could live apart in Goshen.