Genesis - 46:1-34



Jacob and family move to Egypt

      1 Israel traveled with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac. 2 God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" He said, "Here I am." 3 He said, "I am God, the God of your father. Don't be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation. 4 I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph will close your eyes." 5 Jacob rose up from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They took their livestock, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt - Jacob, and all his seed with him, 7 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and he brought all his seed with him into Egypt. 8 These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three. 16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob, even sixteen souls. 19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen. 23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls were seven. 26 All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct descendants, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were sixty-six. 27 The sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, who came into Egypt, were seventy. 28 He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. 30 Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive." 31 Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father's house, "I will go up, and speak with Pharaoh, and will tell him, 'My brothers, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.' 33 It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, 'What is your occupation?' 34 that you shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers:' that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."


Chapter In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Genesis 46.

Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Jacob begins his journey to Egypt, comes to Beer-sheba, and offers sacrifices to God, Genesis 46:1. God appears to him in a vision, gives him gracious promises, and assures him of his protection, Genesis 46:2-4. He proceeds, with his family and their cattle, on his journey towards Egypt, Genesis 46:5-7. A genealogical enumeration of the seventy persons who went down to Egypt, Genesis 46:8, etc. The posterity of Jacob by Leah. Reuben and his sons, Genesis 46:9. Simeon and his sons, Genesis 46:10. Levi and his sons, Genesis 46:11. Judah and his sons, Genesis 46:12. Issachar and his sons, Genesis 46:13. And Zebulun and his sons, Genesis 46:14. All the posterity of Jacob by Leah, thirty and three, Genesis 46:15. The posterity of Jacob by Zilpah. Gad and his sons, Genesis 46:16. Asher and his sons, Genesis 46:17. All the posterity of Jacob by Zilpah, sixteen, Genesis 46:18. The posterity of Jacob by Rachel. Joseph and his sons, Genesis 46:19, Genesis 46:20. Benjamin and his sons, Genesis 46:21. All the posterity of Jacob by Rachel, fourteen, Genesis 46:22. The posterity of Jacob by Bilhah. Daniel and his sons, Genesis 46:23. Naphtali and his sons, Genesis 46:24. All the posterity of Jacob by Bilhah, seven, Genesis 46:25. All the immediate descendants of Jacob by his four wives, threescore and six, Genesis 46:26; and all the descendants of the house of Jacob, seventy souls, Genesis 46:27. Judah is sent before to inform Joseph of his father's coming, Genesis 46:28. Joseph goes to Goshen to meet Jacob, Genesis 46:29. Their affecting interview, Genesis 46:30. Joseph proposes to return to Pharaoh, and inform him of the arrival of his family, Genesis 46:31, and of their occupation, as keepers of cattle, Genesis 46:32. Instructs them what to say when called before Pharaoh, and questioned by him, that they might be permitted to dwell unmolested in the land of Goshen, Genesis 46:33, Genesis 46:34.

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 46
In this chapter we are told, that Jacob with all his family and substance took a journey to Egypt to see his son Joseph, as he determined, in which he was encouraged to proceed by a vision from God, Genesis 46:1; and an account is given of all his sons, his sons' sons and daughters that went thither with him, Genesis 46:8; when he came near to Egypt he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to acquaint him of his coming, who met him at Goshen, where there was a most affectionate interview between them, Genesis 46:28; and when he gave directions and instructions what answers to give to Pharaoh's questions, when they should appear before him, to whom he proposed to go and inform him of their being come into Egypt, Genesis 46:31.

(Genesis 46:1-4) God's promises to Jacob.
(v. 5-27) Jacob and his family go to Egypt.
(Genesis 46:28-34) Joseph meets his father and his brethren.

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