World English Bible
- Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.”
- From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
- Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.”
- They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
- Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
- The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
- Joseph brought in Jacob, his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
- Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
- Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. The days of the years of my life have been few and evil. They have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
- Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
- Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
- Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household with bread, according to the sizes of their families.
- There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
- Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
- When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For our money fails.”
- Joseph said, “Give me your livestock; and I will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone.”
- They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock for that year.
- When that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord how our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands.
- Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.”
- So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Pharaoh’s.
- As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end of it.
- Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn’t sell their land.
- Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
- It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field, for your food, for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.”
- They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
- Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s.
- Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
- Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years.
- The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don’t bury me in Egypt,
- but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you have said.”
- Israel said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head.
Genesis 47 brings us deeper into the profound unfolding of God’s providence in the life and family of Jacob. Joseph, highly favored in Egypt, presents his father Jacob—also called Israel—to Pharaoh. Jacob, at the ripe age of a hundred and thirty, blesses Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7, New International Version) in an act filled with deep significance. Indeed, the patriarch from Canaan enriches the ruler of one of the mightiest earthly kingdoms by blessing him—a prophetic picture of God’s ultimate purpose to bless “all the peoples on earth” through Abraham’s lineage (Genesis 12:3, New International Version).
Jacob describes his life to Pharaoh as “few and difficult” (Genesis 47:9, New International Version). The Hebrew phrase “מְעַט וְרָעִים” (“me’at v’ra’im”), literally meaning “short and evil,” reveals Jacob’s humility and awareness of life’s transient nature and the hardships he endured. This perspective reminds believers not of pessimism, but of a candid honesty before God. Jacob, reflecting on his pilgrimage, identifies himself as a “sojourner,” underscoring our own identity as believers—a powerful theological theme traced throughout Scripture (Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 2:11). Like Jacob, we journey from temporal struggles toward an eternal homeland prepared by God.
The chapter also emphasizes Joseph’s wisdom and integrity during Egypt’s devastating famine. His skillful administration saves countless lives but also leads to radical social shifts: Egyptians surrender their livestock, lands, and finally themselves as servants for food and seed (Genesis 47:13-24, New International Version). This arrangement might discomfort modern readers steeped in individual freedoms. Yet culturally, such crisis-driven economic arrangements were not uncommon in ancient Near Eastern practice, attested even in archaeological findings revealing Egypt’s centralized agricultural management systems.
Interestingly, Joseph’s methods have sparked diverse interpretations historically. While Origen and Augustine commended Joseph’s godly stewardship and foresight, modern theologians sometimes debate ethical implications. Scripture, however, neither explicitly praises nor condemns Joseph’s economic maneuvers here, but presents them simply as historical reality, affirming Joseph’s unwavering consistency and fairness: he spares the Egyptian population, sets clear limits of taxation, and saves nations from starvation (Genesis 47:24-26). Broadly, Joseph prefigures God’s universal provision and redemption found fully in Christ.
Another crucial detail is Israel’s settlement in Goshen, a fertile region suitable for shepherds, isolated enough to sustain their distinct identity (Genesis 47:11, 27, New International Version). Egyptians culturally despised shepherding (Genesis 46:34), yet in God’s providence, this very stigma became the means preserving Israel from assimilation into Egyptian society—a powerful lesson demonstrating God’s sovereignty even over human prejudice.
Historically and archaeologically, this settles Israel into the Nile Delta region, aligning intriguingly with discoveries in areas like Tell el-Daba (ancient Avaris), which indicate Semitic settlements during the early second millennium BC. Remnants suggest an enclave with distinct customs and cultural identity, paralleling Genesis’ account.
Spiritually, Goshen symbolizes believers’ call to maintain holiness within a secular world—living distinctively but faithfully in foreign territory, sustained and protected by the One who sovereignly guides human history. Joseph’s tangible provision for Israel foreshadows Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, who secures and sustains us spiritually throughout trials and famines.
This chapter challenges us to honestly evaluate our perspective during life’s pilgrimage. Jacob’s encounter with Pharaoh inspires humility—a realistic appraisal of our earthly sojourn—and gratitude for God’s blessings, both seen and unseen.
Like Jacob recognizing his identity as pilgrim and sojourner, we acknowledge this world as temporary, and our true citizenship anchored securely in heavenly promises. Our pilgrimage, no matter how it seems externally, holds deep meaning as God’s redemptive story unfolds in and through us.
The beautiful hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” resonates deeply with this pilgrim theme, encouraging us through life’s provision-crises, uncertainties, and transitional seasons to trust fully in God’s faithfulness.
“Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty,
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.”
Father God, you hold history in Your sovereign hands, guiding Your people through famines, hardship, and cultural isolation toward the fulfillment of Your perfect plans. Remind us, like Jacob, that we ourselves are but pilgrims and sojourners here, longing and seeking the homeland You have prepared for us. Grant us wisdom like Joseph, humility like Jacob, and faithfulness to trust in Your provision in all life’s trials. Keep us distinct yet engaged, serving others through trials. In Christ’s sovereign and faithful name, we pray. Amen.