Genesis 47:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

NIV: and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.'

NASB: The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.'

CSB: the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."

NLT: choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too.'

KJV: The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

NKJV: The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

Joseph's large family has arrived in Egypt from Canaan at the Pharaoh's invitation (Genesis 45:16–20). Their formal interview with him has concluded. He has heard their request to settle in Egypt since the famine has made it impossible for them to support their large herds and flocks in Canaan. Specifically, they have requested to settle in the fertile region of Goshen (Genesis 47:1–5).

To respond, Pharaoh addresses Joseph, not his brothers. He makes it clear that he is giving Joseph the authority to grant their request. This wisely maintains the understanding that the family is there under Joseph's care, not necessarily that of Pharaoh. He commands Joseph to place his brothers on the best of the land of Egypt, specifically mentioning the land of Goshen for the first time.

This is the exact outcome Joseph has been hoping for, and it would have been enough. Pharaoh goes further, however. He tells Joseph to put the most able of his brothers in charge of his own livestock, an offer with huge implications. This would make some of Joseph's brothers official officers of the court. This would afford them benefits not usually given to immigrants.

Scholars report that this position of a stockman for the Pharaoh is regularly mentioned in Egyptian history. As one might expect, it was mostly given to foreigners. This fits with Joseph's statement in Genesis 46:34 that shepherds were detestable to the Egyptians. It's not a job most Egyptians would want.

Genesis 47:1–12 describes how Joseph's family officially arrived as landowners in Egypt. They are given the fertile region of Goshen. At court, Joseph's brothers formally request permission to settle there, and Jacob blesses Pharaoh twice. Pharaoh gives Joseph the authority to give his family enough land in Goshen to accommodate their herds and growing families. Joseph also begins to distribute a regular allotment of food to each member of his extended family.

Genesis 47 begins with Pharaoh interviewing Joseph's brothers and father before granting their request to settle in the region of Goshen in Egypt. Just as Joseph had hoped, his family is secure. The rest of the people of Egypt and Canaan are not. Most run out of money and can no longer buy food from Joseph. On Pharaoh's behalf, Joseph trades food for their livestock and then their land and even their freedom. Nearly all people will be required to pay to Pharaoh 20 percent of their harvest each year from this time forward. After several years, Jacob asks Joseph to swear that he will bury Jacob's body with his fathers in Canaan.

After describing the family's journey from Canaan and their arrival in Egypt in chapter 46, this passage opens on a formal conversation between Pharaoh and Joseph's family. He officially grants their request to settle in Egypt. As the famine continues, citizens of Egypt and Canaan turn over their money, land, and livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. The final three chapters of Genesis explain Jacob's dying blessings, and the passing of both Jacob and Joseph.

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.