Genesis chapter 47
Jacob’s clan settles in Goshen, continued. There is a terrible famine. Jacob prepares to die.
JACOB’S CLAN SETTLES IN GOSHEN, CONTINUED
VERSE 1. Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.”
they are in the land of Goshen. Joseph never lived with his family again.
In his transactions with them, he kept it business-like. He didn’t acquiesce to any hope that they would suddenly become good people.
He seems to have forgiven their abusing him. But he lived wisely. He never opened himself up to further abuse from them.
VERSE 2. From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
VERSE 3. Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.”
VERSE 4. They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
VERSE 5. Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
VERSE 6. The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
the best of the land. Pharaoh is favorably disposed toward Jacob and his extended family. Perhaps this was a political move, so as to keep Joseph happy. Or perhaps God had directed the king’s heart.
In our day, some Christians view their employer as a sort of “king.” However, this notion is not in the New Testament. Read more »
VERSE 7. Joseph brought in Jacob, his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
VERSE 8. Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
VERSE 9. Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. The days of the years of my life have been few and evil. They have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
VERSE 10. Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
VERSE 11. Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
VERSE 12. Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household with bread, according to the sizes of their families.
THERE IS A TERRIBLE FAMINE
VERSE 13. There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
VERSE 14. Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
Joseph gathered up all the money that was found. People are starving to death in two nations.
Yet Joseph does not give them food. Rather, he makes them buy it until they have spent their last penny. He has become the epitome of greed.
VERSE 15. When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For our money fails.”
VERSE 16. Joseph said, “Give me your livestock; and I will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone.”
Give me your livestock; and I will give you food. Joseph’s greed increases. He requires starving people to trade all their worldly possessions in order to get food.
VERSE 17. They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock for that year.
VERSE 18. When that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord how our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands.
VERSE 19. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.”
Buy us and our land for bread. Joseph’s greed increases yet again. Now, when faced with people who are starving to death, he makes them give him their land. And become his slaves.
VERSE 20. So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Pharaoh’s.
VERSE 21. As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end of it.
VERSE 22. Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn’t sell their land.
VERSE 23. Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
VERSE 24. It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field, for your food, for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.”
VERSE 25. They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
VERSE 26. Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s.
JACOB PREPARES TO DIE
VERSE 27. Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly. They were fulfilling God’s command in the Garden of Eden:
Genesis 1:28. God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
VERSE 28. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.
VERSE 29. The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don’t bury me in Egypt,
don’t bury me in Egypt. Jacob is very fervent about his burial place. He imposes great burdens on those who must bury his dead body.
Even as he prepares for his own death, Jacob is a profoundly self-centered person.
VERSE 30. but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you have said.”
VERSE 31. Israel said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head.
GENESIS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50
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