CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Genesis 47
Chapter 47 of 50
Chapter Overview
What happens in Genesis 47
Joseph presents his family to Pharaoh, who grants them the best land in Goshen. The elderly Jacob blesses Pharaoh. As the famine worsens, Joseph manages Egypt's food supply, acquiring livestock, land, and labor for Pharaoh. Jacob lives in Egypt seventeen years and, as death approaches, makes Joseph swear to bury him in the Promised Land.
Scripture
Genesis 47
Jacob's Family Settles in Goshen
Study note
Joseph brings five of his brothers before Pharaoh. When Pharaoh asks their occupation, they say they are shepherds, just as Joseph instructed. Pharaoh generously grants them the land of Goshen and even offers to put skilled men among them in charge of his own livestock. Then Joseph brings in his father Jacob, who blesses Pharaoh. When Pharaoh asks how old he is, Jacob replies he is 130 years old and says his years have been few and difficult compared to his ancestors. Jacob blesses Pharaoh again as he leaves. Joseph settles his family in the best part of Egypt, in the region of Rameses, and provides them with food.
1 Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, "My father and brothers have arrived from Canaan. They brought their flocks, herds, and everything they own, and right now they are staying in the land of Goshen." 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.
2 Joseph had picked five of his brothers to come along, and he introduced them to Pharaoh. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What kind of work do you do?" They answered, "We are shepherds, sir, just like our fathers and grandfathers before us." And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
4 Then they added, "We have come to stay in your country for a while because the famine back in Canaan is so bad that there is no grass left for our animals. We are asking you to please let us live in the region of Goshen." They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their 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 Pharaoh told Joseph, "Your father and brothers are here with you now." And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
6 "All of Egypt is available to you. Go ahead and give your father and brothers the very best land to live on. Let them settle in Goshen. And if any of them are especially skilled, put them in charge of my own animals." 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: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
7 After that, Joseph brought his father Jacob in to meet Pharaoh. Jacob greeted Pharaoh and gave him a blessing. And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 Pharaoh asked Jacob, "How old are you?" And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
9 Jacob answered Pharaoh, "I have been traveling through this life for 130 years. My years have been short and full of trouble, and they do not measure up to the long lives my fathers lived before me." 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.
10 Jacob gave Pharaoh another blessing, and then he left. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 Joseph gave his father and brothers a place to live. He gave them land in the finest part of Egypt. This was the area of Rameses. Pharaoh had ordered it. 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 Joseph ensured his father, his brothers, and everyone in his father's family had enough food. He gave each family what they needed. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
Joseph Manages the Famine
Study note
As the famine grows worse, Joseph collects all the money in Egypt and Canaan in exchange for grain. When the money runs out, the people trade their livestock for food. The next year, they offer their land and themselves. Joseph buys all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh and moves the people to the cities. The only land he does not buy belongs to the priests, who receive a food allowance directly from Pharaoh. Joseph then gives the people seed to plant and establishes a law that one-fifth of all future harvests will go to Pharaoh. The people are grateful, saying Joseph has saved their lives.
13 The famine grew so terrible that there was no food to be found anywhere. Both Egypt and Canaan were suffering greatly because of it. 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.
14 Joseph gathered up every bit of money people paid for grain throughout Egypt and Canaan. He took all that money and brought it to Pharaoh's palace. 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 When the people of Egypt and Canaan had spent all their money, the Egyptians came to Joseph and begged, "Please give us food! Are we supposed to die right here in front of you? We have no money left!" 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.
16 Joseph told them, "If your money is all gone, bring me your animals and I will trade food for them." And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
17 So the people brought their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys to Joseph. He traded food for all their animals that whole year. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18 When the next year came around, the people returned to Joseph and said, "We will not hide it from you, sir. Our money is spent and all our animals belong to you now. The only things we have left are ourselves and our farmland." When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, 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:
19 "Why should we die while you watch -- us and our land together? Trade us food for ourselves and our land. We will work for Pharaoh, and our land will be his. Give us seed to plant so we can stay alive and keep the land from turning into a desert." 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.
20 That is how Joseph bought every piece of farmland in Egypt for Pharaoh. Each Egyptian farmer sold his field because the famine was too harsh to survive otherwise. So all the land became Pharaoh's property. 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.
21 Joseph also moved the people into the cities, from one end of Egypt to the other. And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
22 The only land he did not buy belonged to the priests. Pharaoh gave the priests a regular supply of food, so they had no reason to sell their land. Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
23 Joseph told the people, "Today I have purchased you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you to go and plant your fields." 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 "When harvest time comes, you must give one-fifth of everything you grow to Pharaoh. You may keep the other four-fifths for planting and for feeding yourselves, your families, and your children." And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part 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 The people replied, "You have saved our lives! You have been so kind to us. We are happy to serve Pharaoh." And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
26 So Joseph made it an official law in Egypt, and it still stands today, that one-fifth of all crops belong to Pharaoh. The only exception was the priests' land, which never became Pharaoh's. And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.
Jacob's Final Request
Study note
The Israelites settle in Goshen and prosper greatly. Jacob lives in Egypt for seventeen years, reaching 147 years old. As he nears death, he calls Joseph and asks him to make a solemn promise: do not bury me in Egypt. Jacob wants to be buried with his ancestors in the cave at Machpelah in Canaan. He asks Joseph to place his hand under his thigh — an ancient way of making the most serious kind of oath. Joseph swears to carry out his father's wish. Israel bows down in worship at the head of his bed.
27 The people of Israel made their home in Goshen, in the land of Egypt. They bought property there, had many children, and their numbers grew quickly. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
28 Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years. In all, he lived to be 147 years old. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
29 When the time for Israel to die drew near, he sent for his son Joseph. He said, "If you truly care about me, place your hand under my thigh and make me a solemn promise. Show me real love and faithfulness -- please do not bury me in Egypt." And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and 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; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
30 "When I die, carry me out of Egypt and lay me to rest in the same place where my fathers are buried." Joseph replied, "I will do exactly what you ask." But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
31 Jacob said, "Give me your oath." So Joseph made a solemn oath to him. Then Israel bowed his head and worshiped God there at the head of his bed. And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.
Key Themes
Themes in Genesis 47
Settling in goshenJacob blesses PharaohGod's provision during famineThe importance of legacyThe land of promise remains the goal
Apply This Today
Living Genesis 47
Even though Egypt provided safety and food, Jacob made Joseph promise to bury him in the promised land. No matter how comfortable your temporary situation may be, never lose sight of God's ultimate promises for your future.
Go Deeper
Study Genesis in Covenant Path
Read every chapter with study aids, bookmarks, and daily reading plans — free in the app.