Genesis 46:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen,

NASB: Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to guide him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

CSB: Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival at Goshen. When they came to the land of Goshen,

NLT: As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to meet Joseph and get directions to the region of Goshen. And when they finally arrived there,

KJV: And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

NKJV: Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen.

The count of Joseph's descendants in the previous verses delayed a long-awaited reunion. Joseph has not seen his father since being sold as a slave some twenty years earlier (Genesis 37:24–28). Jacob, for his part, had thought Joseph was dead (Genesis 37:31–34). Now, as Jacob's large family moves into Egypt to escape famine (Genesis 45:9–11), the moment has finally arrived.

The caravan of Jacob's family is traveling with everything they own from the Promised Land of Canaan to Egypt (Genesis 45:16–21). This included herds of sheep and cattle. By necessity, the group would have moved slowly toward their designated place in Egypt, a region called Goshen.

Jacob sends Judah ahead of the company to let Joseph know they are coming. He's also to get directions to their final destination. It is fitting that Judah has taken the lead in bringing Joseph and Jacob back together. He he was the brother most outspoken about selling Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37:26–27).

Pharaoh told Joseph his family would have the best of the land of Egypt (Genesis 45:18). The land of Goshen must have been suitable for raising crops and supporting livestock. Or, it would have been other than in times of severe famine (Genesis 41:56).

Genesis 46:28–34 resumes a description of Jacob's move to Egypt. The family arrives in the Goshen region, likely along the Nile River, and Joseph rides out on his chariot to meet them. This includes an emotional reunion between Jacob and the son he thought he'd lost. Amid tears, Jacob declares he is now ready to die after seeing Joseph alive. Joseph immediately prepares his family for an audience with Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt.

Genesis 46 includes three basic sections. First, Jacob and his large family begin their journey with all their possessions towards their new home in Egypt. Jacob stops in Beersheba and offers sacrifices to God. God responds by assuring Jacob He will continue to be with him and multiply his people. The narrative pauses to count the current descendants of Jacob, then resumes with Jacob's arrival in the Goshen region of Egypt. Joseph meets him there for an emotional reunion. Then Joseph prepares the family to meet Pharaoh.

Joseph has just been dramatically reunited with his estranged brothers (Genesis 45). Following Joseph's revelation of his identity Genesis 46 describes the large family's move out of Canaan. Jacob stops in Beersheba to offer sacrifices to God and receive renewed promises from Him. Then the story pauses to provide a count of Joseph's descendants by each of his four wives. Jacob is reunited with Joseph, who prepares his family to meet with Pharaoh. Chapter 47 describes Jacob's meeting with Pharaoh and the family's settlement in Goshen.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.