Chapter Forty-Six
Joseph Brings His Family to Egypt
Israel had difficulty at first in believing that Joseph was alive and a ruler in Egypt. But as the Egyptian wagons started to show up, along with all his other sons insisting that it was true, Israel got excited to see Joseph. But to move there? That would be a different issue. Since he knew that the land of Canaan was the land that God had promised to his father Isaac and to his grandfather Abraham, he would undoubtedly be reluctant to live anywhere else without hearing from God.
46:1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”
Israel took his family, servants, flocks, and all his possessions and began his journey south. However, before leaving Canaan he stopped at a familiar location, a place where he once lived with his father (see Genesis 28:10), a city that was named Beersheba years earlier by his grandfather Abraham after forming a covenant with Abimelech (see Genesis 21:31). It was also the location where God appeared to Isaac comforting him with His promise and extension of God’s covenant to Isaac. “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.” (Genesis 26:24-25) Israel may have stopped at the same altar and offered sacrifices to God. That night God appeared to Israel (although God called to him using the name of Jacob). God told him to not fear going to Egypt as that is where God planned to make his family into a great nation. God promised to go down with him and further promised that He would also bring them out. He then told Israel that his son Joseph would close his eyes, inferring that Joseph will be with him when he dies.
46:5 Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, 7 his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.
Now hearing from God, Jacob was ready to move to Egypt. He, along with the wives and children, rode in the wagons that Pharaoh provided. The rest apparently rode on donkeys. The text refers to the daughters of Jacob (plural) and granddaughters, although we only know of Dinah (see Genesis 30:21; 34:1-31), which will again be the only daughter listed here in this chapter (see verse 15). The only other daughter listed would be Jacob’s granddaughter, Serah, the daughter of Asher (see verse 17).
46:8 Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, 9 and 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); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, 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, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.
The narrative now lists the names of the descendants of Israel. Verse 27 informs us that the total number of people of the house of Jacob that came into Egypt was seventy. Since these lists may include people that haven’t been born yet and those already in Egypt, this section of Genesis is often discussed and debated.
The list begins with Leah’s descendants which total thirty-one, however, Er and Onan died in Canaan, leaving only twenty-nine of Leah’s sons and grandsons who went into Egypt. We can only speculate that Leah also had four daughters or granddaughters, making a total of thirty-three, one of these was Dinah, as mentioned above.
Perez was born after his brother Shelah was a grown man (see Genesis 38:14, 29) and since Judah was probably in his mid-to-late forties at this time, Perez was more than likely still a young boy and would not have had any children yet. The names of his sons may have been included here to point out that they had taken the place of Er and Onan.
It is interesting to see that Simeon’s son Shaul was described as the “son of the Canaanite woman,” suggesting that the wives of Jacob’s other sons (with the exception of Tamar) were not Canaanite women. The other sons of Israel could have married women who were descendants of Ishmael, Esau, or perhaps Keturah. It is important to remember that one of the sons of Levi, named Kohath, was to become Moses’ ancestor and one of the grandsons of Judah, named Hezron, was destined to be in the lineage of Christ (see Matthew 1:3; Luke 3:33).
46:16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And 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—sixteen persons.
The list continues with the sons and grandsons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid. In addition, a daughter of Asher, Serah by name, and two sons of Beriah (great-grandsons of Jacob), Heber and Malchiel, are listed. These are presumed to be included in the list because they were the only great-grandsons of Zilpah who had been born prior to the move into Egypt. This portion of the list totals sixteen.
46:19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. 21 And 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—fourteen persons in all.
The next portion of the list gives the names of the descendants of Rachel. These names add up to fourteen. However, we need to remember that Joseph and his sons were already in Egypt. Since the narrative, up to this point, had not mentioned Benjamin having any children, the children listed, like Perez’s children above, were probably added by the author to provide an accurate account of the founding family.
46:23 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—seven persons in all.
The final segment of the list includes the names of the sons and grandsons of Rachel’s maid, Bilhah, for a total of seven people.
46:26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.
While it is true that these four groups add up to 70 names, the list does not include any of the wives of Jacob’s sons and grandsons, nor the husbands of his daughters and granddaughters. The number seventy is often associated in Scripture with the nation of Israel, beginning here with these “founding” family members, that form the beginning of the nation of Israel. The seventy original Israelites included Jacob and his 12 sons, 51 grandsons, two great-grandsons, one daughter, one granddaughter, and one other unnamed daughter of Leah, and one unnamed granddaughter of Leah.
One can easily see how difficulties can arise in interpreting these numbers and lists of names. For example, the difference between the totals of 66 and 70 in these two verses require that Jacob, as well as Joseph and his two sons, be included among the 70 founders of Israel (66+4=70). The problem, however, is that the totals given in verses 15, 18, 22, and 25, also add to 70, not including Jacob himself, but only “his sons and daughters.” Then later another problem can be seen in Stephen’s bold teaching in Acts 7:14 where he says that there were 75 of Jacob’s ‘kindred’ (Greek word ‘syngenian’,[1] referring to relatives) called into Egypt. Perhaps the five relatives that were added in his account, were not direct descendants (not in the bloodline) of Jacob and who were then not included in the total here in verse 27. It is interesting to note that the Septuagint also states 75, which probably was Stephen’s source of information. It is possible that only five of the living wives of Joseph’s brothers consented to leave their homelands and move to Egypt. Others believe the 75 includes the five grandsons of Joseph (see Numbers 26:28-37 and 1 Chronicles 7:14-27). Therefore, the debate and discussion continue.
Considerations
The line of Israel was to remain holy, to be separated from the influences of the world and not be assimilated (culturally merged) with others, as the rite of circumcision was to indicate. Egypt was a polytheistic nation, and now Israel comes and joins them. As pointed out earlier, the move appears to us as being contraindicated and illogical. Again, we need to remember that God is in control, history tells us that the Egyptians were reluctant to mix and intermarry with foreigners and that was especially true regarding shepherds (see Genesis 43:32; 46:32). But perhaps more importantly, the Israelites would be able to occupy a region of Egypt that the Egyptians had not yet inhabited, allowing them to become essentially a nation within a nation, without the influence of the hosting nation. Sadly, many of the Israelites were affected, leading to disobedience and disbelief as we will read later, that a whole generation was not allowed into the Promised Land. It will require the time for one full generation to pass, “sentenced” to wandering in the desert, to purge the influences of Egypt and the world from them.
As Christians, we too, have been called to live a holy life, just as Jesus said in His prayer to His Father about us, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:14-15) Living for Jesus surrounded by a world of enormous temptations, lusts, and passions is never easy. Nor was it easy for the Israelites to live in Egypt and follow God. This period in Egypt will build them up and ultimately define the nation of Israel as a God-fearing nation.
Israel and Joseph Reunited
46:28 He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Then 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 and know that you are still alive.”
Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet with Joseph to inform him that they were on their way to Goshen (see Genesis 45:10). Apparently, Judah is trusted more than his older brothers and now appears to be the primary spokesman and leader of Jacob’s other sons. Here he is going to Joseph, probably to get last-minute instructions of where to settle and to let Joseph know that their father would be arriving soon.
As soon as Joseph heard that his father was coming, he prepared his chariot and went to Goshen to meet him. Over 22 years had passed since they last seen each other, the joy was apparently greater than words could express as no dialog is recorded until after they wept for long period of time. Israel thought that Joseph had died, and Joseph was unsure he would ever see his father again, truly an emotional time. When Israel was finally able to speak, he said that he could now die happy, knowing that Joseph was alive.
46:31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the 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 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
After meeting with his father, Joseph spoke to everyone arriving in Goshen. Even though Joseph had selected Goshen as the ideal location for the family (good for keeping the flocks, but also somewhat remote to minimize assimilation into the Egyptian way of life), it appears that Pharaoh had not yet formally declared that region for them to inhabit. So, he instructed his brothers to tell Pharaoh that they are “keepers of livestock,” so that he will agree that Goshen is the best place for them. Joseph explains that the Egyptians consider the occupation of being a shepherd, “an abomination.” (See also Genesis 43:32) Living in Goshen would allow the Israelites to live without much contact with their hosts.
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[1] Strong’s Greek 4772.