Genesis 46

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 46

1¶ And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

2And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here [am] I.

3And he said, I [am] God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

4I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up [again]: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

5¶ And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

6And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:

7His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

8And these [are] the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

9And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.

10And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.

11And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

13And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.

14And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.

15These [be] the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters [were] thirty and three.

16And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.

17And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.

18These [are] the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, [even] sixteen souls.

19The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.

20And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

21And the sons of Benjamin [were] Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

22These [are] the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls [were] fourteen.

23And the sons of Dan; Hushim.

24And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.

25These [are] the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls [were] seven.

26All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls [were] threescore and six;

27And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, [were] two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, [were] threescore and ten.

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

29And 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.

30And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou [art] yet alive.

31And 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;

32And the men [are] shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.

33And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What [is] your occupation?

34That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, [and] also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd [is] an abomination unto the Egyptians.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jacob, also called Israel, journeyed to Beersheba, where God appeared to him, promising to make a great nation of his descendants in Egypt and to bring him back. Trusting God's word, Jacob and his entire household, numbering seventy souls, travelled into Egypt with all their possessions. Upon arrival in Goshen, Jacob was joyfully reunited with his son Joseph, whom he had long believed dead.

Medium Summary

Genesis chapter 46 recounts Jacob's pivotal journey to Egypt, beginning with a stop at Beersheba where he offered sacrifices. There, God appeared to him in a night vision, reaffirming His covenant promises: He would go with Jacob to Egypt, make him a great nation there, and surely bring his descendants back. Reassured, Jacob, his sons, their wives, and all their children, along with their livestock and goods, embarked for Egypt in Pharaoh's provided wagons. The chapter then meticulously lists the names of Jacob's seventy descendants who came into Egypt, detailing the lineage through Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, and Bilhah. Upon reaching the land of Goshen, Joseph went to meet his father, resulting in an emotional and tearful reunion. Joseph then prepared his family for their presentation to Pharaoh, advising them to declare their occupation as shepherds, a profession that would ensure their settlement in the separate land of Goshen.

Long Summary

The chapter opens with Israel, or Jacob, commencing his journey towards Egypt, first pausing at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. During the night, God spoke to Jacob in a vision, identifying Himself as the God of his father and instructing him not to fear the descent into Egypt. God promised to make a great nation of Jacob's lineage there, to accompany him, and to surely bring his descendants back, also assuring him that Joseph would be present at his death. Following this divine reassurance, Jacob and his entire household, including his sons, their wives, and their little ones, departed from Beersheba in the wagons sent by Pharaoh. They brought all their cattle and goods acquired in Canaan, entering Egypt as a complete family unit. The narrative then provides a detailed genealogical record, enumerating the names of Jacob's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who came into Egypt. This comprehensive list accounts for the descendants of Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, and Bilhah, meticulously tallying the total number of souls from Jacob's loins as sixty-six, which, when combined with Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons born in Egypt, totals seventy souls for the house of Jacob. As they neared their destination, Jacob sent Judah ahead to Goshen to meet Joseph. Joseph, preparing his chariot, went to Goshen to meet his father, leading to a deeply emotional reunion where they embraced and wept. Overwhelmed with joy, Jacob declared his readiness to die, having seen Joseph alive. Subsequently, Joseph instructed his family on how to present themselves to Pharaoh, advising them to state their occupation as shepherds, a trade considered an "abomination" to the Egyptians, thereby ensuring their settlement in the distinct land of Goshen.

Core Concepts

  • Divine ReassuranceGod speaks to Jacob at Beersheba, confirming His presence and promises for the journey to Egypt, specifically assuring him of a great nation and a future return.
  • Covenant FulfillmentThe descent into Egypt, though seemingly a hardship, is presented as a step towards the fulfillment of God's promise to make Jacob's descendants a great nation.
  • Genealogical RecordA significant portion of the chapter is dedicated to listing the names of Jacob's seventy descendants who entered Egypt, establishing the foundation for the future nation of Israel.
  • Family ReunionThe emotional meeting between Jacob and Joseph in Goshen highlights the restoration of a long-broken family bond and the joy of reconciliation.
  • Separation of PeoplesJoseph's strategic advice to his family about declaring themselves shepherds ensures their distinct settlement in Goshen, preventing assimilation with the Egyptians due to cultural differences.
  • Providence in AdversityThe entire journey to Egypt, prompted by famine, is framed as a divinely guided event, transforming a potential crisis into an opportunity for growth and preservation of Jacob's lineage.