Genesis 46
Introduction
Genesis 46 narrates Jacob's departure from Canaan to Egypt — a journey of profound theological significance. Before leaving the promised land, Jacob stops at Beersheba, where God appeared to his father Isaac (Genesis 26:23-25), and offers sacrifices. There God speaks to him in a night vision, reassuring him with the words "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there" (Genesis 46:3). This divine encounter is necessary because leaving Canaan is not a casual decision — it means departing the land of promise, the very territory God gave to Abraham.
The chapter then provides a genealogical register of the seventy persons who descended to Egypt — a number that will become theologically significant as the small family grows into the great nation God promised. The chapter concludes with the reunion of Jacob and Joseph in Goshen, one of the most tender scenes in Genesis, and Joseph's strategic instructions for how the family should present themselves to Pharaoh.
God's Reassurance at Beersheba (vv. 1-7)
1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: "Jacob, Jacob!" He said. "Here I am," replied Jacob. 3 "I am God," He said, "the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph's own hands will close your eyes." 5 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their children and wives. 6 They also took the livestock and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. 7 Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters — all his offspring.
1 So Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" And he said, "Here I am." 3 He said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I myself will surely bring you up again. And Joseph will place his hand upon your eyes." 5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they came to Egypt — Jacob and all his offspring with him — 7 his sons and his sons' sons, his daughters and his sons' daughters — all his offspring he brought with him to Egypt.
Notes
בְּאֵרָה שָּׁבַע ("Beersheba") — Beersheba sits at the southern edge of the promised land. It was here that Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech (Genesis 21:31-33) and that God appeared to Isaac (Genesis 26:23-25). Jacob's stop here is deliberate — he pauses at the boundary of the land to seek God's guidance before crossing it. The sacrifices (זְבָחִים) he offers are not burnt offerings but communion sacrifices, implying a meal shared in God's presence.
יַעֲקֹב יַעֲקֹב ("Jacob! Jacob!") — The double calling of a name is a pattern in Scripture that signals a momentous divine encounter: "Abraham! Abraham!" (Genesis 22:11), "Moses! Moses!" (Exodus 3:4), "Samuel! Samuel!" (1 Samuel 3:10). Jacob responds with הִנֵּנִי ("Here I am") — the same word of availability used by Abraham at the binding of Isaac.
אָנֹכִי הָאֵל אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ ("I am God, the God of your father") — God identifies himself using הָאֵל with the definite article — "the God" — an emphatic identification. The reassurance אַל תִּירָא ("do not be afraid") is necessary because Jacob's grandfather Abraham was warned not to go to Egypt (Genesis 26:2), and Jacob may fear that leaving the promised land means abandoning the promise. God's response reaffirms the Abrahamic covenant: לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשִׂימְךָ שָׁם ("I will make you into a great nation there"). The promise will be fulfilled not in Canaan but in Egypt — and later, through the exodus.
אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ... וְאָנֹכִי אַעַלְךָ גַם עָלֹה ("I myself will go down with you... and I myself will surely bring you up") — The emphatic אָנֹכִי ("I myself") appears twice, and the infinitive absolute עָלֹה intensifies the promise of return. God will accompany Jacob into Egypt and will bring him (or his descendants) back. The promise is fulfilled partially in Jacob's burial in Canaan (Genesis 50:13) and fully in the exodus.
וְיוֹסֵף יָשִׁית יָדוֹ עַל עֵינֶיךָ ("Joseph will place his hand upon your eyes") — This is the ancient custom of a beloved one closing the eyes of the deceased. God promises Jacob that he will die in Joseph's presence — the son he thought dead will be the one to give him final comfort.
The Genealogy of Jacob's Family (vv. 8-27)
8 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three. 16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah — whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah — sixteen in all. 19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel born to Jacob — fourteen in all. 23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel — seven in all. 26 All those belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt — his direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob's sons — numbered sixty-six persons. 27 And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt were seventy in all.
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt — Jacob and his sons: Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah — but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah. All the persons of his sons and daughters were thirty-three. 16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob — sixteen persons. 19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob — fourteen persons in all. 23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob — seven persons in all. 26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt — those who came from his body, besides the wives of Jacob's sons — were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy.
Notes
The genealogy is organized by mother: Leah's sons (vv. 8-15, thirty-three persons), Zilpah's sons (vv. 16-18, sixteen persons), Rachel's sons (vv. 19-22, fourteen persons), and Bilhah's sons (vv. 23-25, seven persons). The total of seventy is reached by adding 33 + 16 + 14 + 7 = 70. However, the count of sixty-six in v. 26 excludes Jacob himself, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons (who were already in Egypt), arriving at 70 - 4 = 66, described as יֹצְאֵי יְרֵכוֹ ("those coming from his thigh/loins") — a vivid Hebrew idiom for direct descendants.
The number seventy has symbolic significance in the Bible. It recalls the seventy nations of Genesis 10 (the Table of Nations) and will reappear in Exodus 1:5 and Deuteronomy 10:22. The Septuagint (LXX) reads seventy-five, which Stephen follows in Acts 7:14 — likely including Joseph's additional grandchildren through Ephraim and Manasseh mentioned in 1 Chronicles 7:14-29. The discrepancy is textual rather than contradictory.
Several names in this list have variant spellings in parallel genealogies in Numbers 26 and 1 Chronicles 2-8, reflecting different textual traditions and dialectal variation. Er and Onan are listed among Judah's sons though they died in Canaan (Genesis 38:7-10) — they are included for completeness as part of Judah's line. The mention of בֶּן הַכְּנַעֲנִית ("son of the Canaanite woman") for Shaul son of Simeon (v. 10) is notable as the only mixed-marriage reference in the genealogy.
The Reunion in Goshen (vv. 28-34)
28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob's family arrived in the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely. 30 Then Israel said to Joseph, "Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!" 31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and inform Pharaoh: 'My brothers and my father's household from the land of Canaan have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.' 33 When Pharaoh summons you and asks, 'What is your occupation?' 34 you are to say, 'Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth — both we and our fathers.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."
28 He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to direct the way before him to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. 29 Joseph harnessed 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 long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face — for you are still alive." 31 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 my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds of flocks, for they have been men of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.' 33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation?' 34 you shall say, 'Your servants have been men of livestock from our youth until now, both we and our fathers' — so that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd of flocks is an abomination to the Egyptians."
Notes
לְהוֹרֹת לְפָנָיו גֹּשְׁנָה ("to direct the way before him to Goshen") — The verb הוֹרָה (Hiphil of יָרָה) usually means "to teach, instruct" — it is the root of תּוֹרָה. Here it means "to show the way, give directions." Judah — again the leader — is sent ahead as pathfinder. The same brother who led the family's negotiations with Joseph now leads them physically to their new home.
וַיֵּבְךְּ עַל צַוָּארָיו עוֹד ("he wept on his neck a long time") — The word עוֹד ("still, yet, more") conveys duration — Joseph kept weeping. This is the fourth time Joseph weeps in the narrative (cf. Genesis 42:24, Genesis 43:30, Genesis 45:2, 14-15), but this is the longest and most cathartic. The reunion of father and son, separated for twenty-two years, is one of the most moving scenes in Scripture.
אָמוּתָה הַפָּעַם ("Let me now die") — Israel's statement is not a death wish but an expression of fulfilled longing. The cohortative form (אָמוּתָה) means "I am ready to die now." Compare Simeon's words in Luke 2:29-30: "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace... for my eyes have seen your salvation."
תוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם כָּל רֹעֵה צֹאן ("every shepherd of flocks is an abomination to the Egyptians") — The word תּוֹעֵבָה ("abomination") is one of the strongest terms of revulsion in Hebrew. Egyptian sources confirm cultural prejudice against nomadic herders. Joseph uses this prejudice strategically: by identifying his family as shepherds, he ensures they will be settled in Goshen — separate from the Egyptian population, where they can maintain their identity and grow into the nation God promised. What appears to be a social stigma becomes the mechanism of providential protection.