GENESIS CHAPTER 46 ------------------ Verses 1, Jacob who is called Israel stops at Beersheba to worship God, on his way to see Joseph. He had left the land of Canaan with all that he had, which shows that he planned on staying there during the famine as his son, Joseph, had said. Beer-sheba = "well of the sevenfold oath" 1) a city at the south edge of Israel This is where Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech that they would live in peace and treat each other fairly. (Gen 21:22-34) Verses 2-4, Jacob probably feared going to Egypt, for it was there he got into trouble and when he was there before he was not where God had told him to be. His father Isaac had been told by God not to go to Egypt under similar circumstances. (See Gen 26:1-3). Gen 1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; So, he probably had concern that he was not where God wanted him to be, that he was going against the command of His God, the God of his father. Now God, the God of his father Isaac, speaks to him in the night and calls him Jacob, to probably remind him of where he had come from and his former low estate. God tells him to go to Egypt, and fear not, that He will be with him there, and make a great nation of him. Perhaps he also realizes that this will be the fulfillment of the prophecy given in Gen 15, verses 13-14, to his father's father, Abraham. Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. Perhaps Jacob realized that something big was going to soon take place, the judging of the nation that they were to serve. And also a greater affliction than they had realized during their pilgrimage since that calling of Abraham. The fact that God said that He would be with Jacob, should calm all his fears about making the trip. He told Jacob that he would bring him up again, which refers to his posterity, though his corpse would be brought up when he dies in Egypt; but his posterity would be brought up into this land again to inherit it later, which fulfills the promise given in Gen 15:14-16 Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full. And Joseph, his son, shall put his hands upon Jacob's eyes, which means to close them upon his death. He would die in the presence of Joseph, his beloved son, whom he had not seen for so many years. Verses 5-7, No mention of Jacob's wives are mentioned in verse 5, probably because they were all dead by now. We know that Rachel died in child birth (35:19), and perhaps Leah was also dead, since Jacob says that he had buried Leah in the land of Canaan (49:31). Verses 8-25, A listing of the offspring of the sons of Jacob. Verse 26, This is excluding those who had died before hand and also those who were already in Egypt. The total is 66 souls, not counting "besides Jacob's sons' wives." Verse 27, Four more souls are added, which must include Jacob himself now, since it is referred to as the house of Jacob, as Gill says, were as before it spoke of the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob (vs 26). Joseph, his two sons, and Jacob, total four more. Joseph's wife is not counted, since in verse 26 it says, "besides Jacob's sons' wives." Verse 28, Jacob sends Judah before him to Joseph. Gill says that Jacob trusted Judah more than his older sons. Besides it was Judah that poured his heart out to Joseph before, when Joseph revealed himself to his brethren. Judah was to inform Joseph of their coming and where in the land of Goshen they were to dwell. Goshen = "drawing near" 1) a region in northern Egypt, east of the lower Nile, where the children of Israel lived from the time of Joseph to the time of Moses Verse 29, Joseph departs to Goshen to meet his father, Israel, whom he had not seen in many years. When he saw him he fell on his neck and wept a good while. Either when Joseph saw his father, or when Jacob saw Joseph. Perhaps both wept. It has been Joseph that has wept in previous verses. But in Luke 15:20 it was the father that fell on the neck of the prodigal son, however Joseph would not fit as the prodigal son, here. Verse 30, Not that he was ready to die then, but it speaks of the great satisfaction that he now had. A relief from the sorrow he had before, thinking that his beloved son was dead. And death is a release and rest from the sorrows of this world. He was now content! Verses 31-34, Joseph informs his brethren of what to say before Pharaoh. That they are shepherds, which are an abomination before the Egyptians. Gill says, foreign shepherds, which usually robbed and plundered. Not that they were to say that shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians, but that they are. Joseph must have had a reason that he wanted them to be sure and tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds and an abomination to the Egyptians. This would cause Pharaoh to settle them in the land of Goshen, which is the closest to Canaan and closest to Joseph. It would also keep them separated from the Egyptians, thus keeping their worship untainted by the world's religion. How did he go up to see Pharaoh (vs 31) when it says that he went up to the land of Goshen to meet his brethren (vs 29)? Perhaps Goshen is above in physical position and Pharaoh is above in authority.