Genesis 47:4

Genesis 47:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

Context of Genesis 47:4

2And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. 3“What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.” Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.” 5Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you, 6the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

Genesis 47:4 word by word

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֗ה לָג֣וּר בָּאָרֶץ֮ בָּאנוּ֒ כִּי־אֵ֣ין מִרְעֶ֗ה לַצֹּאן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד הָרָעָ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְעַתָּ֛ה יֵֽשְׁבוּ־נָ֥א עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ בְּאֶ֥רֶץ גֹּֽשֶׁן׃Read the interlinear

• Then they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• We have comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to live in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• for a timeגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• there is noאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
• pastureמִרְעֶהmir‛eh · pastureH4829
• for the flocksצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• of your servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• the famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
• of Canaanכְּנַ֫עַןkena‛an · CanaanH3667
• has been severeכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
• So nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
• pleaseנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• to settleיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• of Goshenגֹּ֫שֶׁןgôshen · GoshenH1657

Cross-references for Genesis 47:4

• Genesis 12:10Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
• Genesis 15:13Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
• Deuteronomy 26:5and you are to declare before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty and numerous.
• Psalms 105:23Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
• Isaiah 52:4For this is what the Lord GOD says: “At first My people went down to Egypt to live, then Assyria oppressed them without cause.
• Acts 7:6God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
• Genesis 43:1Now the famine was still severe in the land.
• Acts 7:11Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
• Genesis 46:34you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

Commentaries on Genesis 47:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-31Verses 1-31 - Jacob in Goshen 11. רעמסס ra‛mesês Rameses “son of the sun.” 31. מטה mı̂ṭṭāh “bed.” מטה maṭṭeh “staff.” Arrangements are now made for the settlement of Israel in Goshen. The administration of Joseph during the remaining years of the famine is then recorded. For the whole of this period his father and brothers are subject to him, as their political superior, according to the reading of his early dreams. We then approach to the death-bed…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-6Pharaoh responded as Joseph hoped by giving Jacob’s family the best part of the land; he even gave some of the brothers oversight of his own livestock (47:6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. For to sojourn ... are we come--The royal conversation took the course which Joseph had anticipated (Ge 46:33), and they answered according to previous instructions--manifesting, however, in their determination to return to Canaan, a faith and piety which affords a hopeful symptom of their having become all, or most of them, religious men.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 47:4

• Israel
• Jacob
• Joseph

In the dictionaries

• Canaan
• Goshen
• Pharaoh
• Canaan; Canaanites
• Canaan, Canaanite
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• City
• Exchange
• Fail
• Nourish

Commentaries on Genesis 47

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings