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

2He took five of his brothers and introduced them to Pharaoh. 3Pharaoh said to Joseph’s brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did.” Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as temporary residents in the land. There is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.” 5Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men among them, put them in charge of my 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

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, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay 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 foreign country. They will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.
• Deuteronomy 26:5Then you must affirm before the Lord your God, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with a household few in number, but there he became a great, powerful, and numerous people.
• Psalms 105:23Israel moved to Egypt; Jacob lived for a time in the land of Ham.
• Isaiah 52:4For this is what the sovereign Lord says: “In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt; Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.
• Acts 7:6But God spoke as follows: ‘Your descendants will be foreigners in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years.
• Genesis 43:1Now the famine was severe in the land.
• Acts 7:11Then a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan, causing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.
• Genesis 46:34Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting 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