Genesis 46:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.

NASB: And Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared to him, Joseph threw himself on his neck and wept on his neck a long time.

CSB: Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.

NLT: Joseph prepared his chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father, Jacob. When Joseph arrived, he embraced his father and wept, holding him for a long time.

KJV: And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

NKJV: So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.

This moment has been more than twenty years in the making. Joseph's older brothers had jealously sold him into slavery when he was a teenager (Genesis 37:24–28). They then lied, telling their father Jacob that his favorite son was dead (Genesis 37:31–34). Joseph's experiences with slavery and false imprisonment improbably ended with him becoming the second most powerful man in the nation of Egypt (Genesis 41:44). This presented an opportunity to rescue his estranged family from starving during an intense famine (Genesis 46:9–11). Jacob's large family and all they own has arrived in the Egyptian region of Goshen. They will settle in with the blessing of Egypt's ruler, Pharaoh (Genesis 45:16–20).

Joseph rides out in his chariot (Genesis 41:43) to meet his family. Joseph again becomes very emotional, as he did after revealing his identity to his brothers and when he embraced Benjamin (Genesis 45:14). As one might expect, his immediate reaction to seeing his father is intense. Joseph embraces Jacob and sobs. English translations such as "a long time" or "a good while" come from a single Hebrew word, 'owd, which literally means "continually," or "yet," or "longer." Two decades of suffering and separation required more than a few moments to express.

This reunion clearly means as much to Joseph as it does to Jacob.

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.