Tyndale Open Study NotesGenesis 47

This section marks a transition as the family moved from Canaan to Goshen, where they would live for the next 400years.

Pharaoh 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).

Ancient Egyptian texts do not mention Goshen (see study note on 45:10). Later Egyptian writings called it "the district of Rameses" (47:11; see Exodus 1:11). It was fertile and near Joseph's court. This suggests it was on the eastern side of the Nile delta.

When Jacob entered and left Pharaoh’s court, he blessed Pharaoh. This showed Jacob's role as God's representative (see Hebrews 7:7). God promised to bless those who blessed Abraham’s family (Genesis 12:2–3), so Jacob blessed Pharaoh and Egypt.

The Lord blessed Pharaoh because Pharaoh was blessing Abraham’s descendants (12:3). Through Joseph’s smart management in Egypt, the Lord saved the people from hunger and helped Pharaoh prosper. During the famine, Joseph sold food to the Egyptians, accepting money, livestock, and eventually land as payment. Then Pharaoh owned almost all of Egypt. Meanwhile, God gave Israel some of the best land in Egypt where they could live, work, and multiply.

reduced the people to servitude: In Hebrew script, the words for slaves (Hebrew ‘abadim) and towns (Hebrew ‘arim) look very similar. Moving the people into the towns does not fit the context well, so most translations choose slaves as the reading that makes the most sense (compare 47:20).

God blessed his people, just as he had promised Abraham. He said that Abraham’s descendants would be too many to count (15:5; 22:17). But they still had to wait for the second part of the promise, that they would own the land of Canaan (17:8).

• bury me with them: Compare 49:29–33. Jacob wanted to be buried with Abraham and Isaac in the cave of Machpelah (see study note on 49:29–33; see 23:1–20; 25:7–10; 35:27–29).

• put your hand under my thigh: This custom was a serious oath to continue the covenant (compare with 24:1–9 and study note on 24:2). The covenant's main promise was descendants in the promised land that would be too many to count.

After taking the oath, Jacob bowed in worship and thanked the Lord for making sure he would be buried with his ancestors in the promised land (compare 1 Kings 1:47).