Genesis 47 meaning explained in AI Summary

Joseph manages the famine in Egypt wisely, storing grain during the years of abundance and selling it during the years of famine. The Egyptians sell their land and livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. Joseph becomes extremely wealthy and powerful.

This chapter details Jacob's family settling in Egypt during a severe famine.

1. Arrival and Presentation (vv. 1-12): Joseph brings his father Jacob and his family to meet Pharaoh. Jacob blesses Pharaoh, and Pharaoh offers them the best land in Egypt, Goshen.

2. Providing for the Family (vv. 13-26): Joseph provides his family with food and land in Goshen. He skillfully manages the famine, buying up land for Pharaoh in exchange for grain. This establishes Pharaoh as the ultimate owner of all the land except for the priests' land.

3. Jacob's Request (vv. 27-31): Jacob and his family prosper in Goshen. As Jacob nears death, he asks Joseph to swear an oath to bury him in Canaan, the Promised Land, rather than in Egypt.

Key Themes:

• Providence and Provision: God's faithfulness is evident in providing for Jacob's family through Joseph during the famine.
• Reconciliation and Forgiveness: The chapter highlights the ongoing reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers, with Joseph generously caring for them.
• Faith in the Promise: Jacob's request to be buried in Canaan underscores his unwavering faith in God's promise of the land to his descendants.

Overall, Genesis 47 marks a significant shift for Jacob's family. They transition from famine-stricken nomads to prosperous settlers in Egypt, all orchestrated by God's providence through Joseph.

Genesis 47 bible study ai commentary

Genesis 47 showcases God's sovereign providence in preserving His covenant people through Joseph's wisdom, even within a foreign and pagan land. It contrasts the temporary security found in Egypt with the enduring hope of the promised land of Canaan. The chapter masterfully juxtaposes Jacob's family thriving in Goshen with the Egyptians selling their land and themselves into servitude, highlighting Israel's distinct status. It culminates with Jacob's final act of faith, looking beyond his physical life in Egypt to his ultimate rest in the land promised by God.

Genesis 47 Context

Egypt's theology centered on the Pharaoh as a divine being, Horus incarnate, who maintained ma'at (order and justice). He owned all the land in theory. This chapter's events, where he becomes the literal owner of all land and people (except for the priests), solidify this divine-king status. Israelites identifying as "shepherds" could be significant; while a noble profession for them, some historical evidence suggests settled agricultural Egyptians may have viewed nomadic shepherds with suspicion. The story unfolds during a severe, multi-year famine, a catastrophic event in an agriculture-based society, giving immense power to whoever controlled the food supply.

Genesis 47:1-4

So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

In-depth-analysis

• Joseph acts as a wise mediator, preparing Pharaoh and instructing his brothers on how to answer.
• Presenting "five men" may be symbolic, or simply a representative, manageable number for a royal audience.
• Their identity as "shepherds" is stated upfront. This honestly answers Pharaoh's question but also serves to keep them distinct from the Egyptians, justifying their settlement in the pastoral land of Goshen rather than being integrated into Egyptian cities.
• The word for "sojourn" (gûr) emphasizes their temporary status. They are not seeking to conquer or permanently immigrate but are asking for refuge as resident aliens, respecting Pharaoh's authority.
• Their request is humble and specific: "please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen," the very area Joseph intended for them.

Bible references

• Acts 7:13-15: '...Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred... and Jacob went down into Egypt. And he died, he and our fathers.' (Stephen's historical summary of this event).
• Exodus 1:8: 'Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.' (Shows the transient nature of the favor they receive here).
• Psalm 105:23-24: 'Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And the LORD made his people very fruitful...' (A poetic retelling of this settlement and its outcome).

Cross references

Gen 46:34 (following Joseph's instructions), Exod 3:1 (Moses as a shepherd), Psa 39:12 (believers as sojourners), Heb 11:9 (patriarchs living as sojourners).

Genesis 47:5-6

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

In-depth-analysis

• Pharaoh's response is generous and immediate, demonstrating his high regard for Joseph.
• "The land of Egypt is before you" is an expression of extravagant welcome.
• He specifically commands Joseph to settle them in "the best of the land," affirming Goshen's quality. This is an act of grace from a pagan king, orchestrated by God's providence.
• The offer to employ "able men" over the royal livestock is a high honor. It shows that rather than looking down on their profession, Pharaoh sees their shepherding expertise as a valuable resource for the kingdom.

Bible references

• Genesis 45:18-20: '...take your father and your households... I will give you the best of the land of Egypt...' (The fulfillment of Pharaoh's earlier promise to Joseph).
• Proverbs 16:7: 'When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.' (Joseph's faithfulness leads to favor from a foreign ruler).
• Exodus 9:3: '...the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field...' (The livestock Israel manages in Goshen will later be protected from the plagues that strike Egyptian livestock).

Cross references

Gen 12:2 (blessed to be a blessing), Rom 13:3 (rulers as agents of good).

Genesis 47:7-10

Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.

In-depth-analysis

• Jacob blessed Pharaoh: A stunning reversal of protocol. Spiritually, the covenant patriarch (Jacob/Israel), the bearer of God's promise, is greater than the world's most powerful political leader. The lesser is blessed by the greater.
• Jacob's description of his life:
  • "Sojourning": He sees his entire life, even in Canaan, as a pilgrimage, not a final destination.
  • "130 years": He is an old man, commanding respect.
  • "Few and evil": "Few" compared to his fathers (Abraham lived to 175, Isaac to 180). "Evil" (Hebrew ra') meaning full of hardship, trouble, and sorrow—reflecting his strife with Esau, labors for Laban, the tragedy of Dinah, the loss of Joseph, and the recent famine. This is not self-pity but a sober assessment of a life marked by struggle, which sanctified him.
• He blesses Pharaoh again upon leaving, reinforcing the spiritual significance of the encounter.

Bible references

• Hebrews 7:7: 'It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.' (The key interpretive text for this event, establishing Jacob's spiritual superiority).
• Hebrews 11:13: 'These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them... and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.' (Jacob's words perfectly embody this New Testament description of faith).
• Psalm 90:10: 'The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble...' (A sentiment that echoes Jacob's reflection on life's hardships).

Cross references

Job 14:1 (man's life is short and full of trouble), 2 Cor 4:17 (light momentary affliction), Psa 39:12 (I am a sojourner, as all my fathers were).

Genesis 47:11-12

Then Joseph settled 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. And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

In-depth-analysis

• "Gave them a possession": The Hebrew word is 'achuzzah, which implies a strong, permanent holding. This is deeply ironic; they gain their first real "possession" not in the Promised Land, but in Egypt. This temporary security in Egypt contrasts with their future, divinely promised inheritance.
• "Land of Rameses": This is likely an anachronism; the author of Genesis uses a later, more familiar name for the region for the benefit of his audience. Historically, the city of Rameses was built centuries later, as noted in Exodus 1:11. It simply refers to the eastern delta region, Goshen.
• Provided with food: Joseph acts as the perfect provider and savior for his family, fulfilling his divinely revealed destiny. He cares for them "according to the number of their dependents," showing meticulous and personal care.

Bible references

• Exodus 1:11: 'Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.' (Shows the same region becoming a place of slavery).
• Psalm 105:21: 'He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions...' (A poetic summary of Joseph's authority used to save his family).
• Matthew 6:31-33: '...your heavenly Father knows that you need them all... And all these things will be added to you.' (God's providential care for his people, here mediated through Joseph).

Cross references

Gen 50:20 (evil turned to good), Exod 12:37 (Israelites journeyed from Rameses), Acts 7:15-16 (family settled in Egypt).

Genesis 47:13-26

...Now there was no food in all the land... And Joseph collected all the money... And when the money was all spent... Joseph said, “Give your livestock...” And when that year was ended... they said... “There is nothing left... except our bodies and our land. Buy us and our land for food..." So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh... And as for the people, he made servants of them... Only the land of the priests he did not buy... Joseph made it a statute... that Pharaoh should have the fifth...

In-depth-analysis

• This section details a five-stage economic collapse and Joseph's administrative response:
  1. Money Fails (v.15): The first medium of exchange becomes worthless.
  2. Livestock Fails (v.17): People trade their capital assets for subsistence.
  3. Land is Sold (v.20): Their means of future production is surrendered.
  4. People are Sold (v.23): They sell themselves into servitude.
  5. A New System is Established (v.24): A permanent 20% tax is levied in exchange for seed and survival, turning the population into tenant farmers.
• Joseph's character: His actions can be viewed as shrewd and pragmatic, saving the nation from starvation. However, they also lead to the total centralization of power and wealth in the state (Pharaoh), creating a system of national serfdom.
• Exemption of Priests: The priests' land was not bought because their food was supplied by a direct stipend from Pharaoh. This detail adds historical realism and highlights their privileged status in Egyptian society, a status Israel's priests would later hold through tithes (Numbers 18:21), but from God, not the king.

Polemics

This narrative can be read as a subtle polemic against Egyptian state-religion. While Joseph's policy saves lives, its result—the entire population becoming property of the divine king—stands in stark contrast to the Israelite ideal given later in the Law. In Israel, the land belongs to Yahweh, not the king (Lev 25:23), and each family has an inalienable inheritance that must be returned in the Year of Jubilee (Lev 25:10). Joseph establishes a system of permanent royal ownership; the Mosaic Law establishes a system of divine ownership and familial stewardship.

Bible references

• Leviticus 25:23: 'The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.' (A direct theological counterpoint to Joseph's policy in Egypt).
• Nehemiah 5:1-5: 'We are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves... and some of our daughters have already been enslaved... with no power in our hands to help it, for our fields and our vineyards belong to others.' (Describes a similar economic crisis in Israel, seen as a great sin).
• Proverbs 22:7: 'The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.' (A wisdom principle vividly illustrated by this narrative).

Cross references

2 Ki 4:1 (a widow's sons taken as slaves for debt), Lam 5:2 (inheritance turned over to strangers), Deut 17:16 (the king must not acquire many horses or cause people to return to Egypt).

Genesis 47:27

Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.

In-depth-analysis

• This verse serves as a crucial summary and transition.
• Contrast: While the Egyptians were losing everything, the Israelites "gained possessions" ('achuzzah) and "multiplied greatly."
• This is the direct fulfillment of God's covenant promises to the patriarchs about becoming a great nation. The protected environment of Goshen is the incubator God uses to grow the family of 70 into a nation of millions.
• This verse directly sets the stage for the book of Exodus. The "multiplying greatly" is the very reason the next Pharaoh becomes fearful and enslaves them (Exodus 1:7-9).

Bible references

• Exodus 1:7: 'But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.' (An almost identical phrase, directly linking the blessing of Genesis to the crisis of Exodus).
• Genesis 1:28: 'And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply...”' (The language echoes the original creation mandate, showing God's blessing is still at work with his people).
• Deuteronomy 26:5: '...A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.' (Israel's historical creed, summarizing this very process).

Cross references

Gen 12:2 (I will make of you a great nation), Gen 17:6 (I will make you exceedingly fruitful), Gen 22:17 (I will surely multiply your offspring), Acts 7:17 (the people grew and multiplied in Egypt).

Genesis 47:28-31

And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years. And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” And he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of the bed/staff.

In-depth-analysis

• 17 years: Jacob lived with Joseph in Egypt for the same number of years that Joseph lived with him in Canaan before being sold (Gen 37:2). A beautiful literary symmetry showing God's restoration.
• "Israel must die": The text switches from "Jacob" to "Israel," his covenant name. His final acts are as the patriarch of the covenant people, not just as an individual.
• The Oath:
  • "Hand under my thigh": This is the same solemn oath Abraham made his servant swear (Gen 24:2). It is a sacred oath connected to one's descendants and the covenant promises.
  • "Kindly and truly" (Hebrew: hesed we'emet): This phrase pairs covenant loyalty/loving-kindness (hesed) with faithfulness/truth ('emet). It's a plea for Joseph to act with covenant faithfulness.
• The Request: Jacob's ultimate concern is not his comfort in death, but his participation in the promise. Being buried in Canaan, in the tomb of Abraham (Machpelah), is his final and most powerful statement of faith that God will bring His people back to that land. He refuses to be rooted in Egypt.
• "Bowed himself upon the head of the bed/staff": The Hebrew mitah (bed) and matteh (staff) differ by only one vowel point. The Septuagint (Greek OT) and Hebrews 11:21 translate it as "staff," suggesting an act of worship, leaning on his pilgrim's staff as he acknowledged God's faithfulness in securing this oath from his son.

Bible references

• Hebrews 11:21: 'By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.' (The NT interpretation of this act as one of faith and worship).
• Genesis 23:17-19: '...the field of Ephron... the cave of Machpelah... was made over to Abraham as a possession... Abraham buried Sarah his wife...' (The burying place Jacob demands to be taken to, the only piece of the promised land they actually owned).
• Genesis 50:25: 'Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”' (Joseph follows his father's example, showing the same faith in the future Exodus).

Cross references

Gen 24:2 (the same oath), Gen 49:29-32 (Jacob repeats the burial instructions), 2 Sam 19:37 (a desire to be buried with one's fathers), Acts 7:16 (his burial in Shechem, a possible variant tradition or conflation with the bones of Joseph).

Genesis chapter 47 analysis

• Divine Providence and Human Wisdom: The chapter brilliantly intertwines God's sovereign hand with Joseph's practical wisdom. Joseph's administrative skill is the human means by which God accomplishes His divine purpose of preserving and multiplying Israel.
• Goshen: Separation and Incubation: Israel is deliberately settled apart from the Egyptians. This separation (in Goshen) serves a divine purpose: it protects them from cultural and religious assimilation, allowing them to grow into a distinct nation while in the "womb" of Egypt.
• The Great Reversal: Jacob and Pharaoh: The theological centerpiece is the patriarch Jacob, a weary pilgrim, blessing the divine king of the world's superpower. This act subverts all human and Egyptian ideas of power, asserting that true spiritual authority and blessing come from God's covenant people, not from worldly thrones.
• Irony of Possession: Israel gains its first official land "possession" ('achuzzah) in Egypt at the very moment the Egyptians are losing theirs. This temporary physical possession in Egypt is a taste of, but also a stark contrast to, the promised spiritual and physical inheritance in Canaan.
• Foreshadowing the Exodus: The chapter is saturated with elements that point forward. Israel's multiplication (v. 27) becomes the reason for their enslavement (Exod 1:7). Joseph's policies create a state of servitude that the Israelites will soon experience. Jacob's demand to be buried in Canaan (v. 29-30) is an act of faith that anticipates a future return for the entire nation.

Genesis 47 summary

Joseph presents his family to Pharaoh, securing for them the fertile land of Goshen, where they thrive. In a powerful scene, Jacob blesses Pharaoh, expressing faith despite a life of hardship. As the famine intensifies, Joseph's administration leads to the Egyptians selling their land and themselves to Pharaoh in exchange for food. In stark contrast to Egypt's decline into servitude, Israel multiplies greatly. The chapter ends with Jacob, nearing death, making Joseph swear to bury him not in Egypt but in the promised land of Canaan, a profound final testament to his faith in God's covenant.