Commentary - Genesis 47:1-12

Bird's-eye view

This passage records the formal settlement of God's covenant people in the land of Egypt. It is a moment pregnant with redemptive-historical significance. On the surface, it is a family reunion and a story of survival, but underneath, it is a crucial move on God's grand chessboard. Joseph, the exalted son, acts as the mediator between his humble shepherd family and the most powerful throne on earth. The scene is a masterful display of God's providence, where a pagan king is moved to give the "best of the land" to incubate the chosen people. The central and most stunning event is the encounter between Jacob and Pharaoh. Here, the spiritual order of the world is revealed: the aged, weary patriarch, representing the covenant God, blesses the mighty monarch. The greater blesses the lesser. This is not just about finding pasture for flocks; it is about God preserving the seed of the woman in a foreign land, setting the stage for the great drama of the Exodus and the giving of the law.

The entire event is a type, a foreshadowing of a greater reality. Joseph is a type of Christ, who saves His people and provides for them in a hostile world. Goshen is a type of the church, set apart and protected within the broader pagan culture. And Jacob's blessing of Pharaoh is a picture of the church's role in the world: though we are sojourners and pilgrims, we are ambassadors of the great King, and our role is to be a source of blessing to the nations.

Outline

Context In Genesis

This chapter is the culmination of the long Joseph narrative, which began with his dreams in Genesis 37. After years of suffering, betrayal, and imprisonment, Joseph has been exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh. The famine he predicted has come to pass, driving his brothers to Egypt and leading to their dramatic reconciliation. In the preceding chapter, Jacob received a direct promise from God at Beersheba, assuring him that God would go down with him to Egypt and make him a great nation there (Gen 46:3-4). This passage, therefore, is the direct fulfillment of that promise. It is the beginning of Israel's 400-year sojourn in Egypt, a period that will see them multiply exceedingly before their bondage and eventual deliverance under Moses. This settlement is not an accident of history; it is a divinely orchestrated prelude to the Exodus, the central redemptive event of the Old Testament.

Key Issues

The Shepherd Blesses the King

The world has its own rigid hierarchy of power. In this story, Pharaoh is at the absolute apex of that hierarchy. He is a living god to his people, the ruler of the most powerful empire on the planet. Jacob is, by any worldly metric, at the bottom. He is an elderly nomad, a shepherd from a backwater region, a refugee dependent on the king's charity. But when these two men meet, the Bible shows us God's hierarchy, which turns the world's upside down. The story does not revolve around Pharaoh's generosity; it revolves around Jacob's blessing. The author of Hebrews makes the principle explicit: "And without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater" (Heb. 7:7). In that moment, the true spiritual authority in the room is not the man on the throne, but the man leaning on his staff. Jacob comes as an ambassador of the Most High God, and he dispenses God's favor upon this pagan king. This is a paradigm for the church in every age. We may appear weak, small, and dependent, but in Christ, we are a kingdom of priests, and our calling is to be the source of true blessing to the world.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.”

Joseph acts with propriety and wisdom. He does not presume upon his position. He had instructed his family to wait in Goshen, and now he goes as a formal courtier to report their arrival to the king. He is a faithful mediator, representing his family's needs to the throne. He is also completely transparent about who his family is; they are pastoralists with flocks and herds. There is no attempt to hide their humble origins. This is a picture of our Lord Jesus, who is not ashamed to call us brethren (Heb. 2:11), presenting us, with all our humble baggage, before the throne of grace.

2 And he took five men from among his brothers and set them before Pharaoh.

Joseph's selection of five brothers is a mark of his prudence. He doesn't overwhelm the court with his entire clan. He chooses a representative delegation. This demonstrates his understanding of courtly protocol and his skill as an administrator. He is not just a dreamer; he is a wise and capable ruler. He presents his brothers, putting them forward to speak for themselves. This is leadership. He prepares them, but he allows them to stand and give their own testimony.

3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”

Pharaoh asks the fundamental question of identity. What do you do? Who are you? Their answer is direct and honest, just as Joseph had coached them. "Your servants are shepherds." This was not a prestigious occupation in Egypt. Shepherds were often viewed by the settled, agricultural Egyptians as nomadic, low-class, and untrustworthy. But it was their identity, and they do not shrink from it. They also identify themselves with their heritage: "both we and our fathers." They are part of a covenant line of shepherds, from Abel to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are God's flock, and they are keepers of flocks.

4 And 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 heavy in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”

They clearly state their intention: they have come "to sojourn." A sojourner is a resident alien, a temporary dweller. They are not seeking to become Egyptians or to seize land. They are asking for asylum, for a temporary place to ride out the famine. Their request is specific: "let your servants live in the land of Goshen." This was the plan God had orchestrated through Joseph. Goshen was on the eastern edge of the Nile Delta, good for grazing and strategically separate from the main population centers of Egypt. This separation was crucial for preserving Israel as a distinct people.

5-6 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is at your disposal; have your father and your brothers settle in the best of the land, let them settle in the land of Goshen; and if you know any excellent men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”

Pharaoh's response is exceedingly generous, a clear sign of God's favor. He doesn't just grant their request; he expands on it. He tells Joseph, his trusted vizier, that the whole land is at his disposal for his family. He specifically commands him to settle them in the "best of the land," which he identifies as Goshen. This is God's common grace operating through a pagan ruler to preserve His covenant people. Furthermore, Pharaoh recognizes the value of their skill. He doesn't despise them as shepherds; he sees an opportunity. If any of them are particularly capable, he wants to hire them to run his own royal livestock operations. This is a lesson for Christians: godly excellence in our vocations is a powerful testimony and can open doors for influence, even in a secular world.

7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and stood him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

This is the central moment of the chapter. The family business is done, and now comes the formal, patriarchal meeting. Joseph, the great mediator, brings his father before the king. And the first thing the old man does is bless the monarch. This is an act of immense spiritual authority. Jacob is not a beggar asking for a handout. He is a prophet and a patriarch, a prince with God, and he comes dispensing the favor of Heaven. He is the bearer of the Abrahamic promise, through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). Here we see a literal, partial fulfillment of that promise.

8-9 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.”

Pharaoh's question is one of awe. Jacob's appearance must have been ancient and weathered. Jacob's answer is a profound theological statement. First, he calls his life a sojourning. He understands that this world is not his home. His true citizenship is in a heavenly country. Second, he describes his 130 years as "few and evil." This is not the complaint of a curmudgeon. It is the sober assessment of a man who has lived in a fallen world. He has known betrayal, family strife, sorrow, and loss. Life this side of glory is hard. Third, he places himself in the stream of covenant history, comparing his lifespan to his fathers, Abraham and Isaac. He sees himself as one link in a great chain of God's faithfulness.

10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.

The entire audience is framed by blessing. Jacob begins with a blessing and ends with a blessing. He imparts grace coming and going. He has received a place of refuge for his family, but he has given something far greater in return: the blessing of the one true God, mediated through His covenant head. He then departs, his duty done.

11 So 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.

Joseph now carries out the king's command. He settles his family and gives them a "possession." This is the same word used for Israel's eventual possession of Canaan. It is a foretaste of their ultimate inheritance. They are given the best land, here called Rameses, which was likely the later name for the district of Goshen. Joseph is the faithful son who secures an inheritance for his brethren.

12 And Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to their little ones.

Joseph's care is not just general, but particular. He provides for them "according to their little ones," meaning he portioned out the food based on the size and need of each individual family. This is a tender and beautiful picture of pastoral care. Our Lord Jesus, the greater Joseph, does not just give us a lump sum of grace. He knows the specific needs of each of our households, down to the smallest child, and He provides for us with perfect wisdom and tenderness.

Application

First, we must embrace our identity as sojourners. Like Jacob, we must understand that this world, with all its glories and troubles, is not our final home. We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, and we are just passing through. This perspective should guard us from investing our ultimate hopes and fears in the politics and cultures of this age. We are in Goshen, not yet in the Promised Land.

Second, we must be unashamed of our identity as God's flock. The world may consider our faith a quaint or even detestable "occupation," but it is who we are. We are the people of the Good Shepherd. We are not called to assimilate to the values of Egypt, but to live as a distinct and holy people, set apart for God's purposes.

Third, we are called to be a blessing. Like Jacob before Pharaoh, we are to be agents of God's grace to the world. In our homes, our workplaces, and our communities, we carry the authority of Christ. This means we should seek the good of our cities, pray for our leaders, and speak words of life and truth. The world is starving, and we have the bread of life. We are not beggars, but ambassadors.

Finally, we must rest in the absolute sufficiency of our Joseph. Jesus Christ has gone before us. He has secured a place for us. He mediates for us before the throne of God. And He provides for our every need, down to the smallest detail, as we sojourn in this land. He saved us from the coming famine of God's wrath, and He will sustain us by His grace all the way home.