Genesis 47

Jacob Settles in Egypt

¹Then 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.”

²From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.

³Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.”

⁴They 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.”

⁵Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.

⁶The 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.”

⁷Joseph brought in Jacob, his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

⁸Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

⁹Jacob 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.”

¹⁰Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.

¹¹Joseph 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.

¹²Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household with bread, according to the sizes of their families.

¹³There 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.

¹⁴Joseph 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.

¹⁵When 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.”

¹⁶Joseph said, “Give me your livestock; and I will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone.”

¹⁷They 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.

¹⁸When 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.

¹⁹Why 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.”

²⁰So 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.

²¹As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end of it.

²²Only 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.

²³Then 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.

²⁴It 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.”

²⁵They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”

²⁶Joseph 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.

²⁷Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.

²⁸Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.

²⁹The 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,

³⁰but 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.”

³¹Israel said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head.

Previous Genesis 46

Next Genesis 48

Joseph formally presents his family to Pharaoh, who grants them the fertile land of Goshen and offers them positions overseeing royal livestock. Jacob blesses Pharaoh twice during their meeting, reflecting his patriarchal authority despite being a refugee. As the famine intensifies, Joseph implements a systematic economic policy that consolidates Egypt's wealth and land under Pharaoh's control, while ensuring his own family's provision and protection.

Context

This chapter completes the family's migration from Canaan begun in chapter 46 and sets the stage for Jacob's final blessings in chapters 48-49.

Key Themes

Outline

1-6
Joseph's Brothers Meet Pharaoh Joseph presents five brothers to Pharaoh, who welcomes them as shepherds and grants them Goshen.
7-10
Jacob Blesses Pharaoh The aged patriarch meets Egypt's ruler, blessing him and reflecting on his difficult 130-year pilgrimage.
11-12
Settlement in Rameses Joseph establishes his family in Egypt's best land and provides for all their needs.
13-17
Famine Administration Begins Joseph collects all money in Egypt and Canaan for grain, then trades food for livestock.
18-26
Land Consolidation Policy Egyptians sell their land and themselves to Pharaoh for survival, creating a tenant farming system.
27-31
Jacob's Final Request Israel prospers in Goshen for seventeen years before making Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan.

Jacob Settles in Egypt

47:1–47:31

narrative dialogue solemn

Joseph presents his family to Pharaoh, who grants them the best land in Goshen, while Joseph administers Egypt's resources during the continuing famine.

person_contrast

Joseph's dual role as covenant son and Egyptian administrator creates unprecedented tension as he simultaneously preserves Israel's lineage while wielding absolute economic power over Egypt's survival.

Insight Character Study

Cross-References

Connected passages across Scripture

Genesis 47:1 4 references

Lexicals 4

Genesis 50:8 Lexical

all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds, th…

4 shared words

Genesis 46:31 Lexical

Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father’s house, “I will go up, and speak with Pharaoh, and will tell him, ‘My br…

4 shared words

Genesis 45:10 Lexical

You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children’s children, your fl…

Genesis 47

Jacob Settles in Egypt

Jacob Settles in Egypt

Insights

Cross-References

Genesis 47:1 4 references

Genesis 47:3 1 reference

Genesis 47:4 3 references

Genesis 47:6 1 reference

Genesis 47:13 1 reference

Genesis 47:14 5 references

Genesis 47:15 2 references

Genesis 47:17 5 references

Genesis 47:18 4 references

Genesis 47:19 1 reference

Genesis 47:20 5 references

Genesis 47:22 1 reference

Genesis 47:23 3 references

Genesis 47:24 1 reference

Genesis 47:25 5 references

Genesis 47:26 1 reference

Genesis 47:27 2 references

Genesis 47:29 5 references

Genesis 47:30 1 reference

Interlinear

Historical Context