Genesis-Chapter-47
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“Genesis Chapter 47”
With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Genesis
47 showcases Joseph’s brilliant administrative leadership during the height of
the global famine. The narrative begins with a formal diplomatic meeting
between Pharaoh and Joseph’s family, securing their official settlement in the
prime pastoral region of Goshen.
As the crisis deepens, the narrative tracks the complete economic
transformation of Egypt.
Joseph systematically consolidates all land, livestock, and wealth under
Pharaoh’s centralized crown, while establishing a sustainable, structural
system of agricultural taxation. The chapter concludes with Jacob’s advanced
age and his solemn command to Joseph, demanding an oath that his body be buried
back in Canaan.
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Let us read
Genesis Chapter 47, verses 1 to 31: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah). Below this chapter you will find my
commentary for this study.
1 “Then
Joseph went in 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’. 2 And
from among his brethren he took five men, and presented them unto
Pharaoh. 3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren: ‘What is
your occupation?’ And they said unto Pharaoh: ‘Thy servants are shepherds, both
we, and our fathers’. 4 And they said unto Pharaoh: ‘To
sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants’
flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan.
Now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen’. 5 And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph, saying: ‘Thy father and thy
brethren are come unto thee; 6 the land of Egypt is
before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell;
in the land of Goshen let them dwell. And if thou knowest
any able men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle’. 7 And
Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob
blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob: ‘How
many are the days of the years of thy life?’ 9 And
Jacob said unto Pharaoh: ‘The days of the years of my sojournings are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil
have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the
days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings’. 10 And Jacob blessed
Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. 11 And
Joseph placed his father and his brethren, 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. 12 And Joseph sustained his
father, and his brethren, and all his father’s
household, with bread, according to the want of their little ones. 13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was
very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan
languished by reason of the famine. 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; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s
house. 15 And when the money was all spent 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 our money faileth’. 16 And Joseph said: ‘Give your cattle, and I will give you
(bread) for your cattle, if money fail’. 17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph. And Joseph gave
them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds,
and for the asses; and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle
for that year. 18 And when that year was ended, they
came unto him the second year, and said unto him: ‘We will not hide from my
lord, how that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are my lord’s;
there is nought left in the sight of my lord, but our
bodies, and our lands. 19 Wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for
bread, and we and our land will be bondmen unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that
we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate’.
20 So Joseph bought all the land
of Egypt for Pharaoh; for
the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them;
and the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the
people, he removed them city by city, from one end of the border of Egypt
even to the other end thereof. 22 Only the land of the
priests bought he not, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat
their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their
land. 23 Then Joseph said unto the people: ‘Behold, I
have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh. Lo, here is seed for you,
and ye shall sow the land. 24 And it shall come to
pass at the ingatherings, that ye shall give a fifth unto
Pharaoh, 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’. 25 And they said: ‘Thou hast saved our lives.
Let us find favour in the sight of my lord, and we will
be Pharaoh’s bondmen’. 26 And Joseph made it a statute
concerning the land
of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of
the priests alone became not Pharaoh’s. 27 And Israel dwelt in the land
of Egypt, in the land of Goshen;
and they got them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied
exceedingly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt
seventeen years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred
forty and seven years. 29 And the time drew near that
Israel must die; and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him: ‘If now I
have found favour in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy
hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray
thee, in Egypt. 30 But when I sleep with my fathers,
thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their
burying-place’. And he said: ‘I will do as thou hast said’. 31 And
he said: ‘Swear unto me’. And he swore unto him. And Israel bowed down upon the bed’s
head”.
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My Commentary on Genesis Chapter 47, verses 1 to 31:
Verses 1-3: Joseph informs Pharaoh
that his father, brothers, flocks, and herds have arrived from Canaan and are
currently in the land
of Goshen. He selects
five of his brothers and presents them directly to Pharaoh, who immediately
questions them about their occupation.
Verses 4-6: The brothers inform
Pharaoh that they are shepherds who have come to reside as foreigners because
Canaan’s pastures are depleted by famine; they request permission to settle in Goshen. Pharaoh tells
Joseph that the land
of Egypt is at his
disposal, instructing him to settle them in the best region and to appoint any
capable men among them as chief herdsmen over his own livestock.
Verses 7-10: Joseph brings his father
Jacob to meet Pharaoh, and Jacob blesses the monarch. Pharaoh asks Jacob his
age, and Jacob describes his one hundred and thirty years as a brief, difficult
pilgrimage that has not matched the lifespans of his
ancestors, before blessing Pharaoh once more and exiting.
Verses 11-12: Joseph settles his father
and brothers in Egypt,
granting them property in the prime region of Rameses
as Pharaoh commanded. Joseph systematically provides food for his father,
brothers, and entire parental household, calculating provisions based on the
number of dependents.
Verses 13-15: The famine grows so
exceptionally severe that there is no food left anywhere, causing Egypt and Canaan
to languish. Joseph collects all the money circulating in Egypt and Canaan
in exchange for the grain purchased, depositing the entire wealth directly into
Pharaoh's treasury.
Verses 16-19: When all the money in Egypt and Canaan
is spent, the citizens beg Joseph for food lest they die before his eyes.
Joseph offers to trade food for their livestock, and for an entire year, they
bring their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys in exchange for grain
provisions.
Verses 20-22: As the livestock trade
concludes, the people offer to sell themselves and their lands to Pharaoh in
exchange for seed and food to survive. Joseph buys every piece of land in Egypt
for Pharaoh, reducing the populace to servitude from one end of the border to
the other, exempting only the land of the priests, who receive a regular food
allotment from Pharaoh.
Verses 23-26: Joseph provides the
populace with seed to sow the land, establishing a permanent agrarian law:
one-fifth (twenty percent) of all harvest yield belongs to Pharaoh, while the
remaining four-fifths belong to the people for food and future seeding. The
land remains Pharaoh's exclusive property, with only the priests' land exempt
from this national policy.
Verses 27-28: Israel settles firmly in the land of Egypt,
specifically in Goshen,
where they acquire property, remain exceptionally fertile, and multiply
greatly. Jacob lives in Egypt
for seventeen years, bringing his total lifespan to one hundred and forty-seven
years.
Verses 29-31: As death approaches, Israel summons Joseph and requests a solemn act
of loyalty: “Put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and
faithfully with me; do not bury me in Egypt”. He insists on resting with
his ancestors, demanding Joseph carry his body out of Egypt to their burial plot, and after Joseph
swears a binding oath, Israel
bows in worship at the head of his bed.
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My Closing Message:
Genesis
47 demonstrates how true wisdom operates during systemic crises. Joseph handled
unparalleled economic collapse with absolute integrity, structural foresight,
and fairness, ensuring the survival of an empire while simultaneously
preserving his own family. Simultaneously, Jacob’s refusal to be buried in Egypt
serves as a powerful testament to long-term vision. He enjoyed Egypt’s best provisions, yet he never mistook Egypt for his
ultimate home. Enjoy the blessings and provisions of your current season, but
never lose sight of your primary values, identity, and long-term destiny.
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Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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