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 took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. 3And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 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. 5And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 6The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

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

• 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 12:10And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
• Genesis 15:13And 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;
• Deuteronomy 26:5And thou shalt speak and say before Yhwh thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
• Psalms 105:23Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
• Isaiah 52:4For thus saith the Lord Yhwh, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
• Acts 7:6And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.
• Genesis 43:1And the famine was sore in the land.
• Acts 7:11Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
• Genesis 46:34That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto 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