Genesis 46:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

NIV: Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, 'I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

NASB: But Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, 'I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me;

CSB: Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's family, "I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him, 'My brothers and my father's family, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

NLT: And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s entire family, 'I will go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s entire family have come to me from the land of Canaan.

KJV: And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;

NKJV: Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

The ruler of Egypt was known by the title Pharaoh. He had personally ordered his second-in-command, Joseph, to bring his family and all that they own to Egypt to survive a famine (Genesis 45:16–20). Joseph had found favor due to his God-given prophesy of the coming famine and his preparations for it (Genesis 41:28–30). Under the direction of God, Joseph had literally saved Egypt and the surrounding regions from devastating starvation. This rescue now includes his own estranged family.

Jacob and the family have now arrived, with God's blessing (Genesis 46:1–4), leaving the Promised Land of Canaan. They have brought all they own to the land of Goshen. After an emotional reunion with his father (Genesis 46:28–30), Joseph turns to preparing his family to meet the ruler and to secure their position in Egypt. Part of this includes explaining local custom and prejudice, so the family can integrate more easily into the culture (Genesis 46:32–34).

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.