Genesis 46:1 kjv
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
Genesis 46:1 nkjv
So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Genesis 46:1 niv
So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Genesis 46:1 esv
So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Genesis 46:1 nlt
So Jacob set out for Egypt with all his possessions. And when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.
Genesis 46 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:1 | "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country...to the land that I will show you.'" | God's call to Abraham to journey, similar obedience required of Jacob. |
| Gen 12:7 | "Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'To your offspring I will give this land.'" | Repetition of the land promise, now being left, testing faith. |
| Gen 21:33 | "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God." | Beersheba's sacred association with Abraham and calling on God's name. |
| Gen 26:23-25 | "From there he went up to Beersheba. And the Lord appeared to him...Isaac built an altar there and called upon..." | Beersheba's significance for Isaac, building an altar, God appearing to him there. |
| Gen 28:13-15 | "And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, 'I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac...I am with you...'" | God's promise to Jacob (at Bethel) to be with him and bring him back, echoes here. |
| Gen 31:3 | "Then the Lord said to Jacob, 'Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.'" | God's command to return to Canaan, showing Jacob's obedience to divine direction. |
| Gen 32:28 | "Then he said, 'Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men...'" | Reinforces the significance of the name Israel used here. |
| Gen 35:10-12 | "God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob...your name shall be Israel...Kings shall come from you...'" | God reconfirming Jacob's new name and the Abrahamic covenant. |
| Gen 37:1 | "Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan." | Highlights Canaan as the homeland from which he departs. |
| Gen 45:25-28 | "They went up from Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father...When he saw the wagons, he said..." | Immediate preceding context: Jacob's family telling him about Joseph and the call to Egypt. |
| Gen 46:2-4 | "Then God spoke to Israel in visions... 'Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation.'" | God's immediate response and assurance to Jacob's sacrifice and prayer at Beersheba. |
| Exo 3:6 | "He said also, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'" | Moses' encounter, God confirming His identity as the covenant God of the patriarchs. |
| Num 21:16-17 | "And from there they continued to Beer...which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, 'Gather the people...'" | Demonstrates the spiritual significance of wells and divine leading in journeys in later Israel. |
| Deut 6:10 | "When the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob..." | Future promise of entry into Canaan, founded on the ancestral covenant. |
| Josh 24:3 | "Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan..." | Echoes God's leading of Abraham, now Jacob's turn to be led. |
| Ps 20:3 | "May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices!" | A prayer for God's acceptance of sacrifices, fitting for Jacob's action. |
| Prov 3:6 | "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." | A general principle of acknowledging God before important endeavors, reflected in Jacob's action. |
| Isa 41:8 | "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend..." | Reaffirms God's covenant with Israel, descended from Jacob, chosen from the lineage of Abraham. |
| Heb 11:8 | "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance..." | Abraham's journey of faith, mirroring Jacob's obedience. |
| Heb 11:9-10 | "By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land...looking forward to the city that has foundations..." | Highlights the Patriarchs' understanding of their transient status and reliance on God's ultimate plan. |
| Heb 11:21 | "By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph..." | Jacob's enduring faith even until his death, rooted in this life of trust. |
| Acts 7:15 | "So Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he and our fathers died." | Stephen's sermon summarizing Jacob's descent into Egypt. |
| 1 Pet 5:7 | "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." | Jacob's action exemplifies casting anxieties on God before a major life change. |
Genesis 46 verses
Genesis 46 1 Meaning
Genesis 46:1 describes Jacob (Israel) initiating the momentous journey from Canaan to Egypt, a critical turning point for the nascent nation of Israel. Before fully departing the Promised Land, he paused at Beersheba, a place with deep ancestral significance, to offer sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac. This act signifies Jacob's profound faith, his seeking of divine guidance and blessing for the perilous and unprecedented migration, and his reliance on the covenant God of his ancestors for protection and affirmation as he steps into an unknown future in a foreign land. It underscores the spiritual gravity of his departure and the continuity of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob.
Genesis 46 1 Context
Genesis 46:1 marks the physical commencement of a pivotal event in biblical history: the migration of Jacob's entire household from the Promised Land of Canaan to Egypt. This move is a direct consequence of Joseph's revelation of himself to his brothers and his subsequent invitation for the whole family to come and live in Egypt to survive the ongoing famine (Gen 45:9-11). The immediate preceding verses (Gen 45:25-28) depict Jacob's profound emotional journey, from disbelief to confirmation of Joseph being alive and governing Egypt, and his subsequent decision, "It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."
Historically and culturally, the narrative places this journey within the patriarchal period, where the worship of Yahweh (God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) was characterized by personal encounters, altar building, and sacrifices. Beersheba itself was not just a geographic location but a consecrated site, previously hallowed by Abraham (Gen 21:33) and especially Isaac (Gen 26:23-25) as a place of divine appearance, covenant, and worship. Jacob's stopping here, on the very edge of the Promised Land and the last patriarchal landmark before entering a foreign nation, underscores the gravity of the decision and his need for divine sanction. This departure to Egypt, though seemingly a detour from the land promise, was in fact part of God's overarching plan for Israel's growth and later deliverance, foretold to Abraham (Gen 15:13).
Genesis 46 1 Word analysis
- So Israel: יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el). This is Jacob's new name, meaning "He struggles with God" or "Prince of God." Its use here, rather than "Jacob," emphasizes his transformed identity after wrestling with the angel (Gen 32:28) and points to his maturity as a patriarch chosen by God, representing the burgeoning nation that will bear this name.
- took his journey: נָסַע (nasa'). A common Hebrew verb for "to pull up stakes," "to break camp," "to set out." It often carries the connotation of a purposeful journey, often initiated by divine command or for significant reasons, rather than casual travel. Here, it denotes the full and deliberate migration.
- with all that he had: כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ (kol-asher-lo). This phrase stresses the completeness of their departure. Jacob was taking his entire family, including sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, all their livestock, and accumulated possessions (Gen 46:5-7). It was not a temporary visit but a relocation, signifying the immense scale of this familial movement and commitment.
- and came to Beersheba: וַיָּבֹא בְּאֵר שָׁבַע (vayyavo Be'er Shava'). Beersheba (meaning "well of oath" or "well of seven") was the southernmost significant patriarchal outpost in Canaan. Its historical and spiritual significance is immense: Abraham and Abimelech made a covenant there (Gen 21), and Isaac had a profound encounter with God and built an altar there (Gen 26). For Jacob to stop here, on the literal edge of the Promised Land, shows an intentional seeking of divine confirmation before venturing into Egypt, a land not part of the Abrahamic promise. It served as a spiritual gateway and a last opportunity to connect with the covenant God on ancestral land.
- and offered sacrifices: וַיִּזְבַּח זְבָחִים (vayyizbach zevachim). The verb זָבַח (zabach) refers to the act of animal sacrifice. This was a central form of worship in the patriarchal era, typically involving a burnt offering or peace offering to commune with God, express gratitude, seek forgiveness, or petition for divine favor and guidance. Performing sacrifices before a major undertaking like this journey signifies Jacob's deep faith and desire for God's approval and blessing on the momentous move.
- to the God of his father Isaac: לֵאלֹהֵי אָבִיו יִצְחָק (le'elohei aviv Yitschak). This specific designation for God (Elohim) emphasizes the continuity of the covenant and the personal relationship God maintained with the patriarchs. By naming Isaac, rather than Abraham, Jacob specifically connects his action to the unique Beersheba encounters that Isaac experienced (Gen 26:23-25). It also affirms the lineage of faith, acknowledging the ancestral legacy of divine encounter and covenant promises upon which his own relationship with God was founded. This underscores that his God was not a general deity, but the specific, covenant-keeping God known by his lineage.
Genesis 46 1 Bonus section
- The geographical precision of Beersheba's mention is not just for realism but to signify the spiritual boundary being crossed. It was the southern border of the territory implicitly promised, a point of no return for a short period.
- This verse initiates a significant "descent" narrative – physically moving south from the higher ground of Canaan to Egypt. Throughout biblical narrative, a "descent" can signify a move towards trouble or a place of divine judgment, but in this instance, it's also a divine strategy for growth before a future "ascent" to the Promised Land.
- The emphasis on "all that he had" implicitly foreshadows the subsequent account (Gen 46:5-7) which details the entire enumeration of the household and their vast possessions, emphasizing the fulfillment of God's promise of growth to Jacob's descendants.
- The sacrifice itself could have been a "peace offering" (shalom offering), which brought communion with God, or a "burnt offering" (olah), symbolizing complete dedication. In either case, it's an act of profound devotion and submission to God's will.
Genesis 46 1 Commentary
Genesis 46:1 paints a vivid picture of Jacob, now known as Israel, poised at a critical juncture, embodying both apprehension and profound faith. The act of "taking his journey with all that he had" signals a decisive, irrevocable step away from the familiar and the promised land into the unknown. This physical movement is deeply imbued with spiritual meaning. His deliberate stop at Beersheba is not a mere geographical convenience; it is a pilgrimage to an ancestral sanctuary. Here, amidst the echoes of Abraham's prayer and Isaac's altar, Jacob lays bare his concerns and his trust before "the God of his father Isaac." This prayerful offering before venturing into Egypt is an act of acknowledging God's sovereignty over his life and destiny. It demonstrates that even when moving by human design (to meet Joseph and survive famine), the faithful Israelite seeks divine permission and blessing. God's subsequent response in a night vision (Gen 46:2-4) validates Jacob's seeking and reassures him, confirming that this sojourn in Egypt, though temporary and challenging, is indeed part of His larger covenant plan for making Israel into a great nation. The verse powerfully illustrates faithful obedience and reliance on God when facing major transitions.
- Example 1: When making a significant life change (e.g., career, relocation), taking time for focused prayer and seeking God's guidance before stepping out.
- Example 2: Acknowledging the heritage of faith passed down from generations and seeking the same God who guided previous generations.