God’s Word Translation
Genesis 47:4
4We have come to live in this land for a while. The famine is so severe in Canaan that there’s no pasture for our flocks. So please let us live in Goshen.”
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
2Since he had taken five of his brothers with him, he presented them to Pharaoh. 3Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What kind of work do you do?” They answered Pharaoh, “We are shepherds, as were our ancestors. We have come to live in this land for a while. The famine is so severe in Canaan that there’s no pasture for our flocks. So please let us live in Goshen.” 5Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6All of Egypt is available to you. Have your father and your brothers live in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. If they are qualified, put them in charge of my livestock.”
Read all of Genesis 47Genesis 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- They saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- moreover unto Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- For to sojournגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- are we comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- for thy servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- have no pastureמִרְעֶהmir‛eh · pastureH4829
- for their flocksצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- for the famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
- soreכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
- of Canaanכְּנַ֫עַןkena‛an · CanaanH3667
- dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of Goshenגֹּ֫שֶׁןgôshen · GoshenH1657
Cross-references for Genesis 47:4
- Genesis 12:10There was a famine in the land. Abram went to Egypt to stay awhile because the famine was severe.
- Genesis 15:13God said to Abram, “You can know for sure that your descendants will live in a land that is not their own, where they will be slaves, and they will be oppressed for 400 years.
- Deuteronomy 26:5You will make this formal statement in the presence of the Lord your God: “My ancestors were wandering Arameans. There were only a few of them when they went to Egypt and lived as foreigners. But then they became a great, powerful, and large nation.
- Psalms 105:23Then Israel came to Egypt. Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
- Isaiah 52:4This is what the Almighty Lord says: In the beginning my people went to Egypt to live there as foreigners. Later the Assyrians oppressed them for no reason.
- Acts 7:6God told Abraham that his descendants would be foreigners living in another country and that the people there would make them slaves and mistreat them for 400 years.
- Genesis 43:1The famine was severe in the land.
- Acts 7:11Then a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan brought a lot of suffering. Our ancestors couldn’t find any food.
- Genesis 46:34you must answer, ‘We have taken care of herds all our lives, as our ancestors have done.’ ⌞You must say this⌟ so that you may live in the region of Goshen, because all shepherds are disgusting to 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
In the dictionaries
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
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