God Speaks to Jacob at Beersheba
Study note
Jacob stops at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to God before leaving the Promised Land. Beersheba was a sacred place where both Abraham and Isaac had worshipped. Jacob may have been worried about leaving the land God had promised to his family. God speaks to him in a night vision, calling his name twice — 'Jacob, Jacob' — to show the importance of the message. God tells him not to be afraid to go to Egypt, because God will make him into a great nation there. God also promises to go with him, to bring his descendants back to Canaan, and that Joseph will be with him when he dies.
1 Israel gathered everything he had and set off. When he reached Beersheba, he stopped and offered sacrifices to the God his father Isaac had worshiped. And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
2 That night, God spoke to Israel in a vision: "Jacob! Jacob!" He answered, "I'm here." And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
3 God said, "I am God — the same God your father worshiped. Don't be afraid to go to Egypt, because I am going to grow your family into a mighty nation there." And 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:
4 "I will go down to Egypt with you, and I promise I will bring your family back again. When you die, Joseph will be there at your side." I 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 Jacob left Beersheba. His sons loaded their father, their little children, and their wives into the wagons Pharaoh had sent. And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: 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.
6 They packed up their livestock and everything they had accumulated in Canaan. Jacob and his entire family headed for Egypt. And 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:
7 He brought along all his descendants — sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters. His whole family went with him to Egypt. His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
The Family of Jacob
Study note
This section lists all the members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt, organized by their mothers: the sons and grandsons of Leah (thirty-three people), the descendants of Zilpah (sixteen people), the sons of Rachel (fourteen people, including Joseph's sons born in Egypt), and the descendants of Bilhah (seven people). The total number who came from Jacob's own line was sixty-six. Including Joseph, his two sons already in Egypt, and Jacob himself, the total household was seventy. This number would grow over the centuries into the nation of Israel.
8 Here is the list of Jacob's family members who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn son. And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.
9 Reuben's sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
10 Simeon's sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul (whose mother was a Canaanite woman). And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.
11 Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 Judah's sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. (Er and Onan had already died back in Canaan.) Perez's sons were Hezron and Hamul. And 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.
13 Issachar's sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron. And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.
14 Zebulun's sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.
15 All of these descended from Leah and Jacob, born in Paddan Aram. (His daughter Dinah also came from Leah.) Counting sons and daughters, there were thirty-three family members in this group. These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.
16 Gad's sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.
17 Asher's sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. They had a sister named Serah. Beriah's sons were Heber and Malkiel. And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.
18 All of these descended from Zilpah — the servant Laban had given to his daughter Leah. She bore sixteen of Jacob's descendants. These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.
19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob's beloved wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Rachel Jacob's wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.
20 While in Egypt, Joseph's wife Asenath (daughter of Potiphera, priest of On) had given him two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him.
21 Benjamin's sons: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
22 All of these descended from Rachel and Jacob — fourteen family members in this group. These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
23 Dan had one son: Hushim. And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
24 Naphtali's sons: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.
25 All of these descended from Bilhah — the servant Laban had given to his daughter Rachel. She bore seven of Jacob's descendants. These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.
26 Jacob's own children and grandchildren traveled with him to Egypt. The total was sixty-six. This did not count his sons' wives. All 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;
27 Joseph's two sons were born in Egypt. Add them in. The grand total of Jacob's family in Egypt came to seventy people. And 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.
Joseph and Jacob Reunited
Study note
Jacob sends Judah ahead to get directions to Goshen. Joseph prepares his chariot and goes to meet his father. When they see each other, Joseph throws his arms around Jacob's neck and weeps for a long time. Jacob says he can now die in peace since he has seen Joseph's face and knows he is alive. Joseph then coaches his brothers on what to tell Pharaoh — they should say they are shepherds. This is important because Egyptians looked down on shepherds, which would ensure that Pharaoh would settle them in Goshen, a fertile region separate from the main Egyptian population. This separation would help preserve Israel's identity as a distinct people.
28 Jacob sent Judah on ahead to get directions from Joseph to the region of Goshen. When they arrived in Goshen, And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
29 Joseph hitched up his chariot and rushed to meet his father Israel. The moment they saw each other, Joseph threw his arms around his father's neck and cried and cried for a long time. And 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.
30 Israel told Joseph, "I can die happy now. I've seen your face with my own eyes and I know you're alive." And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
31 Joseph said to his brothers and his father's family, "I will go and tell Pharaoh. I will say, 'My brothers and my father's whole family have come from Canaan to be with me.'" And 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;
32 "I'll tell him, 'These men are shepherds who raise livestock. They've brought their flocks, their herds, and everything they own.'" And 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.
33 "When Pharaoh asks you, 'What do you do for a living?'" And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
34 "tell him, 'We have been raising livestock our whole lives, just like our ancestors before us.' That way Pharaoh will settle you in Goshen." Joseph said this because Egyptians looked down on shepherds. That 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.