Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Genesis 47
Genesis 47:9And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning."
Jacob's honest and somber reflection on his difficult life before the mighty Pharaoh shows a perspective grounded in eternal realities, not earthly power.Genesis 47:25So they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.”
The Egyptians' response reveals their desperation and gratitude. Joseph's plan, while harsh by modern standards, was seen by them as an act of salvation.Genesis 47:29-30And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place." He answered, "I will do as you have said."
This final request from Jacob is a powerful statement of faith, showing that he never saw Egypt as his true home but clung to God's promise of the land of Canaan.
Historical & Cultural Context
An Audience with Pharaoh
After the emotional reunion in the previous chapters, Joseph now formally brings his family before the ruler of Egypt. This is a crucial moment, as their future depends entirely on Pharaoh's favor. Joseph, acting as a wise mediator, has already instructed his brothers on what to say. The scene is a mix of courtly procedure and a humble family of shepherds standing before the most powerful man in the known world.
The Famine's Desperate Climax
The narrative then shifts from the personal story of Jacob's family to the national crisis gripping Egypt. The famine, which brought the family to Egypt, has now reached its most desperate stage. Joseph's administrative skills are on full display as he implements a series of policies that will forever change the economic landscape of the nation, centralizing all resources under Pharaoh's control.
Settling In and Taking Over
Genesis 47 opens with Joseph presenting his family to Pharaoh, securing their new home. The chapter then details Joseph's sweeping economic reforms in response to the severe famine, which save the population but also transform them into servants of the state. It concludes years later with Jacob, on his deathbed, looking beyond Egypt and securing a promise from Joseph about his burial in the Promised Land.
A New Home in Goshen (Genesis 47:1-12)
1 So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, "My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen."
2 And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were."
4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the days of the years of your life?"
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning."
10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
11 Then Joseph settled 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.
12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents.
Commentary:
Joseph secures the fertile land of Goshen for his family, and Jacob blesses Pharaoh.
The Price of Survival (Genesis 47:13-22)
13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because 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, in exchange for the grain that 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 to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone."
16 And Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. Thus he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year.
18 And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land.
19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate."
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's.
21 And as for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other.
22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.
Commentary:
To survive the famine, the Egyptians sell their livestock, land, and themselves to Pharaoh for food.
A New Economic Order (Genesis 47:23-26)
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.”
24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.”
25 So they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.”
26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's.
Commentary:
Joseph creates a new law where the people work the land for Pharaoh and pay a 20% tax on their harvest.
A Promise for the Promised Land (Genesis 47:27-31)
27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.
29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt,
30 but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place." He answered, "I will do as you have said."
31 Then he said, "Swear to me"; and he swore to him. So Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.
Commentary:
As he nears death, Jacob makes Joseph swear to bury him not in Egypt, but back in the Promised Land of Canaan.
God's Hand in a Foreign Land
God's Providence
This chapter is a powerful display of God's providence, which is His active care and guidance over all things. He used a devastating famine and Joseph's powerful position not only to save a nation but, more importantly, to protect and preserve the family through whom His covenant promises would be fulfilled.
The Life of a Sojourner
Jacob describes his life as a 'sojourning,' a journey through a land that is not his permanent home. This theme defines Israel's stay in Egypt - it is a temporary refuge, not the final destination. Jacob's dying wish to be buried in Canaan underscores that their true identity and hope were tied to the land God had promised them.
Wise and Just Stewardship
Joseph's leadership saved millions of lives, showing incredible wisdom and foresight. However, his policies also led to the entire population becoming serfs to the state. This raises complex questions about power, showing that even well-intentioned solutions can have far-reaching and morally ambiguous consequences.
Lessons from Goshen and the Grave
As God placed Joseph in a position of power to provide for his family in a time of crisis (Genesis 47:11-12), He is still in control of your circumstances. This story reminds you that God can use unexpected situations and people to provide for your needs. It encourages you to trust in His sovereign plan, even when the future feels uncertain.
Jacob's final request to be buried in Canaan (Genesis 47:29-30) shows his heart was set on God's promise, not his present comfort. You can cultivate this by regularly focusing on God's eternal promises rather than temporary earthly security. This means investing in your relationship with God and in people more than in possessions, remembering that this world is a temporary 'sojourning' on the way to your true home.
Joseph's solution to the famine was effective but had enormous social consequences (Genesis 47:20-21). This teaches you that life's problems rarely have simple, perfect answers. It's a reminder to approach your own decisions with wisdom and humility, praying for guidance to not only solve the immediate problem but also to consider the long-term impact on the well-being and dignity of others.
God's Provision for His Promise
Genesis 47 shows God's masterful plan to preserve His people through crisis. He uses Joseph's wisdom to provide food and to plant the seed of a nation in a temporary, protective incubator. The message is that God's provision is always purposeful, designed to move His ultimate plan forward. Even in a foreign land, God is nurturing the family He chose to bless the world.
What This Means for Us Today
Jacob's final request is a powerful act of faith, looking beyond the comfort of the present to the certainty of God's promise. It invites us to ask where our true home is. Are we content with the 'Goshen' we've found on earth, or is our heart, like Jacob's, set on the promised inheritance that awaits us?
- What earthly comforts might be causing you to forget your heavenly home?
- How can you, like Jacob, pass on a legacy of faith that points to God's future promises?
- In what area of your life do you need to trust God's provision, even if it means living as a 'sojourner' for a season?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter details Jacob's journey to Egypt and lists the seventy members of his household who made the trip, setting the stage for their settlement.
The narrative continues with Jacob, near death, blessing Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and elevating them to the status of his own sons.
Connections Across Scripture
Shows the long-term consequence of Israel multiplying in Egypt, as a new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph enslaves them.
This passage explains the faith of the patriarchs, who lived as 'strangers and exiles on the earth,' looking forward to a heavenly country.
In his defense before the Sanhedrin, Stephen recounts this exact period of history, highlighting God's sovereign hand in moving Jacob's family to Egypt.
Discussion Questions
- Jacob, a humble shepherd, blesses Pharaoh, the most powerful man in the world (Genesis 47:7, 10). What does this reversal of status suggest about the difference between worldly power and spiritual authority?
- Joseph's plan to save Egypt from famine was effective, but it resulted in the entire population selling their land and themselves to Pharaoh. Was his plan just? How do we balance providing for immediate needs with long-term freedom and dignity?
- At the end of his life, after 17 years of peace in Egypt, Jacob's primary concern was being buried in Canaan. Why was this so important to him, and what does it reveal about his faith in God's promises?
Glossary
places
Goshen
A fertile region in the eastern Nile delta of Egypt, given to Jacob's family to live in.
Canaan
The land God promised to Abraham and his descendants, which became the nation of Israel.
Land of Rameses
Another name for the region of Goshen, likely named after a later Pharaoh but used here to identify the location for future readers.
figures
Jacob (Israel)
The patriarch whose twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel; his name was changed to Israel by God.
Joseph
Jacob's favored son who rose to become the second-most powerful man in Egypt, saving the nation from famine.
Pharaoh
The title for the king of ancient Egypt, who held absolute power.