Genesis Chapter 47

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422. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

JACOB AND HIS DESCENDANTS EXALTED IN GOSHEN

Joseph presents his father and his brethren to Pharaoh, and secures for them the land of Goshen. The famine increases in severity and he acquires all Egyptian property on behalf of Pharaoh. The children of Israel increase in number, and finally Jacob prepares for death which he realises is imminent.

Jacob Presented to Pharaoh — Vv. 1-10.

The crucial test of Joseph's character had now come. For the viceroy of Egypt to acknowledge these foreign suppliants as his brethren, men who had given every

reason for him to repudiate them, called for the highest loyalty and devotion. But the issue was never in doubt for these were inbuilt characteristics of Joseph. In this, his character foreshadowed that of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the days of his flesh, Christ wept over Jerusalem, and lamented the hard-heartedness of the peo­ple as he submitted to the cruel oppres­sion, but he will return to help and elevate the nation that then hated and rejected him. Paul was similarly willing to "be accursed" for the benefit of his brethren (Rom. 9:2-3). Joseph identified himself with his father and his brethren, and received the permission of Pharaoh for them to dwell in the land.

VERSE 1

"Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen" — Whilst it was permitted strangers to enter Egypt, a permit to remain as dwellers therein had to come from Pharaoh person­ally.

VERSE 2

"And he took some of his brethren" — The word "some" is getseh, and signi­fies extremity. The R.V. renders From among his brethren he took five men. He made careful choice of them.

"Even five men" — Five is the num­ber of grace, and Joseph sought the grace of Pharaoh. "Men" is enoshim and relates to weak, mortal men. Those whom Joseph selected, therefore, were not the most powerful among his brethren, but were the "extremity" of them. As such, they might well evoke the sympathy of Pharaoh, and excite his grace.

"And presented them unto Pharaoh"— This is referred to by Stephen as taking place "at the second time" (Acts 7:13)

VERSE 3

"And Pharaoh said unto his breth­ren, What is your occupation?" — Cp.

Ch. 46: 33.

"And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers" — They answered as Joseph had instructed them to do.

VERSE 4

"They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come" — To "sojourn" is to dwell temporarily, not permanently. This is the very language of the prophecy made to Abraham con­cerning his descendants (Gen. 15:13) and, therefore, was a vindication of its truth. Later, after the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, their sojourning there was ever kept in mind (Deut. 26:15). To petition Pharaoh in such a manner was a tactful statement that they had not arrived to take up perma­nent residence in the land, nor to unduly presume upon the status of authority enjoyed by their illustrious brother.

"For thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan" — They explained that only dire necessity had driven them to move to Egypt, and they implied that they would leave as soon as the famine was over. In fact they remained for over two hundred years.

"Now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen" — They made formal request to remain where, already, they were dwelling (cp. Gen. 46:34). Goshen is said to signify Approaching (The English and Hebrew Student's Concordance). It is identified in the north-eastern section of the Egyptian Delta. This constituted the approaches of Egypt to those arriving from Canaan. It was a very fertile section of the land, excellent for grazing and for certain types of agriculture. It extended some thirty or forty miles in length between Lake Timsa and the Nile.

VERSE 5

"And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee" — The emphasis is not that they had come to Egypt or to Goshen, but to Joseph, the typical Christ.

VERSE 6

"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" — Pharaoh's gracious generosity and kindness to Joseph's father and brethren foreshadow the goodness and grace of Yahweh towards Israel.

"And if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle" — Activity" is from the Hebrew chayil, and signifies strength. It is from a root meaning to twist as rope. Rotherham renders it as ability. The word implies strength of mind and body. The word for "cattle" is migneh from kanah, to possess, and signifies property or possessions of any kind, though it frequently is used for cattle, because in ancient times they constituted the principal part of a man's possessions. These men of ability from among the chil­dren of Israel, therefore, were to be placed in control over those who tended Pharaoh's possessions. For the antitype see Isa. 30:23.

VERSE 7

"And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh" — Jacob's presentation to Pharaoh was deferred until after the formal introduction of the family described in the previous verse because of its personal and private nature. This was a unique and moving occasion when the old pilgrim and man of God met the great monarch of Egypt. Obviously Jacob, who had experienced such vicissitudes in life including wrestling with an angel of God, possessed great dignity, due, no doubt, to his spiritual experiences and his intimacy with God. This was recognised by Pharaoh as he looked into the countenance of the out­standing man before him. It caused him to seek Jacob's blessing, or, at least, consent­ed to it being bestowed upon him. A life­long walk of faith even though punctuated with many a failure, adds to the experi­ence and dignity of a man which others note and respect.

"And Jacob blessed Pharaoh" — He acknowledged Pharaoh's position of authority. See verse 10.

VERSE 8

"And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?" — The margin pro­vides the Hebrew equivalent: How many are the days and the years of thy life?

VERSE 9

"And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrim­age"—This important statement, clearly set before Pharaoh the fact that Jacob had a hope that saw beyond the present. His life was a "pilgrimage." The word is magurim and signifies wanderings, sug­gesting places of temporary abode. A pil­grim is one who has an objective before him as he travels through a foreign land. It implies a religious journey requiring one to submit to many privations and hard­ships to attain to the end in view. In this sense, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were pil­grims (Exod. 6:4; see also Psa. 119:54; Heb. 11:10-16), and Jacob now pro­claimed that fact to Pharaoh, leaving it to the monarch to seek further information if he so desired. All true saints are "strangers and pilgrims" (1 Pet. 2:11).

They are strangers and foreigners hav­ing been called to separateness by the Gospel (2 Cor. 6:14-18); they are pilgrims for there is objective and purpose in their separation. Their very attitude is a procla­mation of the Gospel, a witness to the Truth.

Jacob claimed that he had not attained the age of his predecessors. Abraham was 175 at his death, and Isaac 180, as against Jacob's present age of 130, and his death at the age of 147 (v. 28). Significantly, his age when presented to Pharaoh was 215 years from the time Abram commenced his pilgrimage in the land, and exactly halfway from the 430 years of Israel's sojourn among oppressors (see Exod. 12:41; Gal. 3:17). Jacob describes them as "evil years" because they were years of adversity and affliction. If Jacob married immediately on arrival at Haran, at the age of 57, as seems most likely, Reuben would have been about 70, Dinah over 40, Joseph 39, and Benjamin a little over 30.

VERSE 10

"And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh" — The

verb barak signifies to kneel as in venera­tion, and shows that Jacob acknowledged the authority vested in Pharaoh by God (Rom. 13:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:17). On entering and on leaving the presence of Pharaoh, Jacob thus acknowledged his position. See v. 7.

Land Granted To Jacob In Egypt — Vv. 11-12

Joseph's family is granted outstanding privileges in Egypt.

VERSE 11

"And Joseph placed his father and his brethren" — He established them in the land of Goshen.

"And gave them a possession in the land of Egypt" — He gave each his sepa­rate property. The antitype: Ezekiel 48.

"In the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had command­ed" — This was before the time of Rame­ses, but was so called by Moses because of the later building activity of this Pharaoh in the vicinity that brought it into histori­cal importance. See Exod. 1:11.

VERSE 12

"And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families" — He apportioned them

their quota of corn as with all the people of Egypt. For the antitype, see Isa. 40:11.

The Egyptians Made Bondservants To Pharaoh — Vv. 13-21

As the famine increases in severity, Joseph's grain-storage plan proves to be invaluable. The people are able to pur­chase the means of sustenance, first with money, then with cattle, thirdly with their land, and finally with themselves. Thus the people become serfs in exchange for bread.

VERSE 13

"And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine" — Famine in Egypt was of such serious consequences, that its results were depicted on Egyptian inscriptions. The land is described as having "fainted," liter­ally was exhausted, so as to become spirit­less, discouraged, or to lose heart. For the antitype see Amos 8:12-14; Dan. 12:1.

VERSE 14

"And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought"—The word for "money" is keceph, silver, the coin of redemption (Exod. 30:13-15; Lev. 5:15). For the antitype see IPet. 1:18. In the age to come, after Israel has been established in its inheritance, the call will go forth to all nations to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to seek the means of redemption he shall offer (cp. Psa. 2:10-12; Rev. 14:6-7). Those who refuse this offer of mercy will perish (Isa. 60:12).

"And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house" — For the antitype, see Hag. 2:8-9; Isa. 60:5, mg; Rev. 21:24. The wealth of the nations, both spiritual and literal, will be used to glorify the house of Yahweh in the age to come.

VERSE 15

"And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth" — The statement" the money failed" taught that more than money was required. Our redemption requires even more than the offering of the Lord: it necessitates as well, a striving on our part to be worthy of it. This requires personal sacrifice as the parable of Joseph's life illustrates.

VERSE 16

"And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail" — This was a course of true wisdom, both for the preservation of the people, and of the cattle. As the people had no grain for their own sustenance, they had none for their cattle. Starving animals would be little use to them, and if retained by the people would have been eaten, to the ruination of the future restoration of the nation. Purchased by Joseph, they were available when the famine ceased. Thus step by step Joseph was bringing the people to the end of their resources, forcing them to recognise their utter dependence upon Pharaoh and his servant. Christ will do likewise in regard to Israel and the world. He "shall deliver the needy when he crieth" (Psa. 72:12).

VERSE 17

"And they brought their cattle unto Joseph" — The word miqneh is a general term signifying property, i.e. livestock.

"And Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses" — As noted above, in view of the severity of the famine, the value of such livestock would have been greatly depreciated.

"And he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year" — The verb is nahal which signifies to run with a sparkle, to flow, and hence to conduct, protect, sustain, lead. Joseph stood at the head of the nation, confidently leading them as a shepherd. For the antitype, see Ps. 23:2; Isa. 40:11; John 10:14-16.

VERSE 18

"When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year" — This "second year" is dated from after the money was spent, not after the commence­ment of the famine. It was the "next" year after the circumstances of v. 15. See v. 23.

"And said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands"—Their dire need of Joseph was completely evident to them; as the world's need of Christ will be brought home to it in the age to come.

VERSE 19

"Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate" — The people thus offered themselves as servants to Pharaoh.

VERSE 20

"And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's" — The people recog­nised their utter dependence upon Pharaoh and Joseph, and delivered all up to them. In the antitype, the time will come when mankind will realise that all belongs to Yahweh, and will willingly offer them­selves and all their possessions to Him and His Son (Isa. 2:17-22). Dire necessity will compel the people to acknowledge this (Isa. 60:12).

VERSE 21

"And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the bor­ders of Egypt even to the other end thereof' — Food having been stored in certain cities (Gen. 41:35), the people were settled in centres where they could be conveniently fed. The future will see a similar arrangement. The populations of the earth will be placed where they can be conveniently fed — with the bread of Life (Mai. 1:11; Luke 19:17). Altars for wor­ship and spiritual nourishment will be appropriately located throughout the world (Mal. 1:11).

Before the famine was over, Joseph had acquired in order (1) money; (2) cattle and livestock; (3) lands and persons. Typi­cally, these represented (1) the price of redemption; (2) the means of livelihood, or activity; (3) their inheritance and very being. All of this Christ claims of believ­ers today, and will require it of all mankind in the age to come. Having received these in order, Joseph, as the type of Christ, distributed seed to the people that they might bring forth fruit to the ben­efit of all. The significance of the type is obvious.

The Priests' Land Exempted — Vv. 22-26

The priests' land is exempted from the general acquisition of land. They are treated as a class apart. Meanwhile, to relieve the hardship of the people, Joseph distributes to them corn for sowing, with the understanding that one-fifth of the increase is to be returned to the govern­ment.

VERSE 22

"Only the land of the priests bought he not" — The priests were treated as a privileged class. Wallis Budge in The Dwellers On The Nile observes: "The power of the king of Egypt at that time was absolute, and right of conquest made him the owner of the whole country, and master of every living being in it, and the religious directors of the people were his servants. But sooner or later, every king of Egypt has found it expedient to be on good terms with the ancient priesthood of the country, and the early dynastic kings obtained the support of the priesthood of Nekhen in Upper Egypt, and of the priest­hood of Per-Uatchit in the Delta." Joseph, therefore, followed the normal traditional policy of the Pharaohs.

"For the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh" — In the parable, the priests represent the believers, the immortal priests of the age to come (1

Pet. 2:9; Rev. 5:9-10), who will have spe­cial portions assigned them of Christ. (Cp. Matt. 25:21; Eph. 1:10-14). They com­prise the seed of the Redeemer (Isa. 53:10), the "sons" whom Yahweh has granted him (Heb. 2:13), and as such they inherit special privileges (see Ezek. 46:16).

"And did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them" — There was no demand made on them to purchase the available corn, for already, as priests, their whole lives were given in service to Pharaoh and the State. This will be the case with the members of Christ's Melchizedek priesthood. They will receive the gift of life eternal from the great King of the heavens, even Yahweh. Not only so, but they will have the privilege of "eating" with His viceroy, even Christ the king (Matt. 26:29; Luke 12:37; 14:15; 22:30; Ezek. 44:3).

"Wherefore they sold not their lands" — Figuratively, they dwelt in their inheritance for ever (Gen. 13:15 ).

VERSE 23

"Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh" — The people of Egypt were now a "purchased people." That is the condition of all who accept Christ today (1 Cor. 7:23; 1 Pet. 2:9, Gr.), and will be the lot of all peoples in the Kingdom age, in their relationship to the Lord Jesus and to Yahweh.

"Lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land" — This implies that this took place in the last year of famine, clearly revealing the wisdom and fore­knowledge of Joseph. In the parable, Joseph's actions show that it is not suffi­cient for a person to "sell" himself to Christ; he must also bring forth fruit to the glory of the Lord. This also will be required of all mortals in the age to come who, as such, will be incorporated into the kingdom (cp. Mai. 4:4; Zech. 14:16; Isa. 65:20; Isa. 2:2-4). Meanwhile there was a need to restore Egypt's depleted resources.

VERSE 24

"And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh" — Five is the number of grace. See note Gen. 43:34. Seeing that the seed, land, animals and lives of all now belonged to Pharaoh, the command that a fifth of the increase should be paid to him was by no means exorbitant. In fact, mercy and justice are blended in the system introduced by Joseph. Under this tenant law, the people became the grateful, contented and prosperous subjects of a well-ordered kingdom (cp. v. 25).

"And four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones" — In this instruction, Joseph divided the use of the increase into five parts, the first of which was to be allocated to Pharaoh. The rest was to be for (1) increase; (2) personal use; (3) use of fellow labourers; (4) personal offspring.

VERSE 25

"And they said, Thou hast saved our lives" — The work of Christ to that end will be universally recognised in the age to come. See Ps. 72:13.

"Let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's ser­vants" — Divine grace, manifested in Christ, elevates believers to the status of Yahweh's servants (1 Cor. 7:22; Luke 12:42-43, Rom. 1:1). That same grace, in the age to come, and after the judgments have been poured out, will bring all sur­viving humanity to seek the servitude of Yahweh under Christ (Isa. 60:14), for "all nations shall serve him" (Ps. 72:11).

VERSE 26

"And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part" — For the significance of the "fifth part" see the note on v. 24. This shall be required of the mortal populations of the Kingdom of God in the Age to come. But it is also a fact, attested by historians, that the econo­my of Egypt was established upon some such law. For example, Herodotus, (book 2, 109) records that the land was "divided among all the Egyptians in equal square allotments to each," and "from thence he (the king) drew his revenues, having required them to pay a fixed tax every year."

"Except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's" — The priests inherited their land "for ever." See v. 22; Ezek. 46:16-17.

Israel's Descendants Multiply In Egypt — v.27

With the privileges granted the chil­dren of Israel, and the cessation of famine, they multiply and prosper in the land of Goshen.

VERSE 27

"And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen" — In this verse, for the first time, Israel is used of the nation, and not merely of the indi­vidual.

"And they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly" — Their increasing prosperity foreshad­ owed their future increasing power and influence (Mic. 4:7), whilst, at the same time, fulfilling the prophecy made to Jacob (Gen. 46:3).

Israel's Command Concerning Burial — Vv. 28-31.

For seventeen years the land of Goshen remains the quiet resting-place of Jacob in his old age. During this time his life seems eventless. His descendants increase about him, and prosper. But Jacob recalls the ominous prophecy deliv­ered to Abram concerning oppression (Gen. 15:13), and lest his descendants, in their prosperity, forget the covenant and the land, and the hope of the resurrection, he orders that he should be buried in the Land of Promise.

VERSE 28

"And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years" — They were years of relaxation and peace for the old man, a contrast to the "evil" conditions that had been his lot previously (v. 9). The same Pharaoh remained upon the throne; Joseph continued to be Prime Minister; the land of Goshen provided every means of prosperity. Thus Jacob had few cares. A space was allowed him, during which he might meditate upon the past and the future glory. He could recall the "sins and offences of his youth," wrestle in prayer as a "prince with God" and prevail; and look forward with anticipation to the "joy set before him." 

Happy are they to whom such a quiet time is granted, free from distracting cares and anxieties, from trouble, from undue toils, with time and leisure given to contemplate what God "has in store for them that fear and love Him." That now was Israel's lot. 

"So the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years"— See Note v. 9. 

VERSE 29 

"And the time drew nigh that Israel must die" — Since Adam's disobedience, this is the imperative law of human nature (Rom. 5:12); though the redeemed living at the end of the age may escape it (I Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4 :17). 

"He called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me" — Israel calls upon Joseph to swear by the most solemn oath of the covenant that he will fulfil his bidding. See Note Gen. 24:2. 

"Bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt" — Two considerations may have motivated this request of Israel: first, the growing prosperity of Israel's descendants made it necessary for him to recall to their minds that their hope was not in Egypt, but in the future of the land of Promise through a resurrection from the dead; and, second, his own hope of such a resurrection, and his desire to meanwhile rest in the dust of that beloved land. Elpis Israel (p. 278) comments:  "Why was Jacob thus anxious? Surely it could make no difference to him where he should crumble into dust! Nor would it, if Jacob had been a faithless Gentile; or a religionist whose mind was perverted by Platonism. He would have cared nothing about his body; all his solicitude would have been about soul.' But in Jacob's deathbed scene, he expressed no anxiety about 'his soul'; all his care was for his body after death, that it might be duly deposited in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham, Isaac, Sarah, Rebekah and Leah were sleeping." 

VERSE 30 

"But I will lie with my fathers" — In these words, Israel proclaimed his confidence in the promise of Gen. 46:4, and in doing so honored the Word of God, and so "worshipped" as Paul states (Heb. 11:21). 

"And thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place" — Undoubtedly Israel's request was made in view of his hope of the resurrection. 

"And he said, I will do as thou hast said" — Joseph was the more willing to accede to Israel's request because he was motivated by the same hope. See Gen. 50:24-26. 

VERSE 31 

"And he said, Swear unto me" — Israel called upon Joseph to bind himself in the manner expressed in v. 29, which would tie him in with the covenant to perform what he was called upon to do. 

"And he sware unto him" — That is, he solemnly promised to perform Jacob's will on the basis of the covenant. 

"And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head" — The verb suggests an act of worship. Israel bowed in thankfulness and prayer before God. The Septuagint renders it: And Israel worshipped leaning on the top of his staff. That this is the correct rendition is proved by Paul's use of the same words in Heb. 11:21. The Hebrew words for staff and bed differ only in the punctuation. Before the vowel points were added to the Hebrew consonants, the two words were identical; the sense and meaning being governed by the context alone. When the Masoretes added vowel-points to the text, they inserted those which made the word mean bed, whereas the Septuagint translators, centuries before, had rendered it as staff. The two words are mittah rendered bed's head, and matteh signifying a branch, bough, or staff. Paul's words should be paraphrased: "By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff (Heb. 11:21). The order in which these incidents are recorded by Paul is reversed, but that is of little consequence. What is of importance is that both acts were selected by Paul out of the many experiences of Jacob's varied life to express his strong faith in God. The attitude of Israel worshipping, as he placed all his weight upon his staff, epitomised his strength throughout his life, for therein he had constantly rested upon God who was as the staff in his hand. Now, as he came to the conclusion of his pilgrimage, he thanked God for all His goodness: the reunion with Joseph, the peace of his last years, the assurance of the resurrection, the knowledge that he would rest in the family sepulchre until the time of renewal of life came, the realisation that God had overshadowed his life through all its vicissitudes to this point of time. All this could have been called to mind in this act of faithful worship.