A² G 1. Departure to Beer-sheba and Egypt.
H 2-. Divine Manifestation and Call.
I -2. Jacob's response.
H 3,4. Divine Manifestation and Promise.
G 5-7. Arrival in Egypt from Beer-sheba.1701 B.C.
Genesis 46)
1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba (= well of the oath), and offered sacrifices (= to offer up what has been slain) to the God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spoke to Israel (see 32:28; 43:8; 45:26,28) in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob." (for emphasis, to remind him of what he was and had been, in contrast to what God would make him. See 22:11)
And he said, "Here am I."
3 And He said, "I am GOD (El), the God of your father: fear not to go down into Egypt (though Isaac forbidden to go-26:2, and Abraham warned-15:13,14, no need to fear where God goes with Jacob and us); for I will there make of you a great nation:
4 I will go down with you into Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again (cp. 15:14): and Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes." (= close your eyes in peace)
1706 B.C. Begins sojourn in Egypt which was 215 years.
5 And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father (they now take the ground of faith), and their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
7 His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters (cp. 31:55 and 46:15,16), and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
B² K¹ 8-25. Severally.
K² 26,27. Collectively.
K¹ L 8-15. Leah.
M 16-18. Zilpah.
L 19-22. Rachel.
M 23-25. Bilhah.
8 And these are the names of the children of Israel (70 names), which came into Egypt, Jacob (= supplanter) and his sons: Reuben (= behold a man), Jacob's firstborn. (Cp. the above order with 49:3-27)
9 And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch (= dedicated), and Phallu (= distinguished), and Hezron (= enclosed), and Carmi (= vine dresser).
10 And the sons of Simeon (= heard); Jemuel (= day of God), and Jamin (= he shall establish), and Ohad (= united), and Jachin (= he shall establish), and Zohar (= light), and Shaul (= asked) the son of a Canaanitish woman.
11 And the sons of Levi (= joined); Gershon (= exile), Kohath (= assembly), and Merari (= bitter, unhappy. Jochebed = whose glory is Yahaveh-is to be added, for she "came into" Egypt in her mother-Num.26:59).
12 And the sons of Judah (= praised, celebrated); Er (= watchful), and Onan (= strong), and Shelah (= a petition), and Pharez (= a breach), and Zerah (= a ring of light): but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan (These are not to be reckoned). And the sons of Pharez were Hezron (= enclosed) and Hamul (= pitied. These grandsons take the place of Er and Onan).
13 And the sons of Issachar (= reward); Tola (= worm), and Phuvah (= mouth), and Job (= persecuted), and Shimron (= watch-height).
14 And the sons of Zebulun (= a habitation); Sered (= fear), and Elon (= an oak), and Jahleel (= hoping in Yahaveh).
15 These are the sons of Leah (= wearied), which she bare to Jacob in the plains of Syria, with his daughter Dinah (= judged, acquitted): all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three. (Heb. Nephesh. Soul put by Fig. Synecdoche for the person, and "of" = the Gen. of Apposition: i.e. "the souls", that is to say, his sons &c.)
16 And the sons of Gad (= a troop); Ziphion (= watch), and Haggi (= festive), Shuni (= fortunate), and Ezbon (= working), Eri (= watchful), and Arodi (= a wild ass), and Areli (= heroic).
17 And the sons of Asher (= happy); Jimnah (= prosperity), and Ishuah (= quiet), and Isui (= quiet), and Beriah (= in evil, or a gift), and Serah (= exceedingly, super-fluidity) their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber (= alliance), and Malchiel (= king of i.e. appointed by, God).
18 These are the sons of Zilpah (= a trickling), whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare to Jacob, even sixteen souls.
19 The sons of Rachel (= ewe) Jacob's wife; Joseph (= increase), and Benjamin (= son of the right hand, fortunate).
20 And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh (= forgetful) and Ephraim (= double fruitfulness), which Asenath (= worshiper of Neith) the daughter of Potipherah (= belonging to the sun. One of the shepherd kings of lower Egypt) priest of On (= abode, or city of the sun) bare to him.
21 And the sons of Benjamin were Belah (= destruction), and Becher (= young, or firstborn), and Ashbel (= reproof of God), Gera (= a grain), and Naaman (= pleasantness), Ehi (= my brother), and Rosh (= head), Muppim (= serpent), and Huppim (= protected), and Ard (= one that descends).
22 These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
23 And the sons of Dan (=a judge); Hushim (=who makes haste).
24 And the sons of Naphtali (= wrestling); Jahzeel (= whom God alots), and Guni (= painted), and Jezer (= power), and Shillem (= requital).
25 These are the sons of Bilhah (= timid, bashful), which Laban (= white) gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bare these to Jacob: all the souls were seven.
A³ P 46:28-47:12. Israelites.
Q 47:13-26. Egyptians.
P 47:27-50:13. Israelites.
P R¹ 46:28. Jacob's arrival in Goshen accomplished.
X¹ S 46:29,30. Jacob's meeting with Joseph.
T o 46:31,32. Presentation planned.
p 46:33,34. Directions given.
R² 47:1. Jacob's arrival in Goshen announced.
X² T o 47:2. Presentation made.
47:3-6. Directions followed.
S 47:7-10. Jacob's meeting with Pharaoh.
R³ 47:11,12. Jacob's settlement in Rameses. 28 And he sent Judah before him to Joseph (see 44:18 and cp. 37:26), to direct his face to Goshen (The land east of Memphis, suitable for grazing, called "the field of Zoan". Zoan, or Tanis, mentioned in the Inscriptions as containing non-Egyptian inhabitants and Semites); and they came into the land of Goshen (= land of departure).
29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself to him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
30 And Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are yet alive."
31 And Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father's house, "I will go up, and show Pharaoh, and say to him, 'My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come to me;
32 And the men are shepherds (see v.34), for their trade has been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.'
33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, 'What is your occupation?'
34 That you all shall say, 'Your servant's trade has been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers:' that you all may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians." (Apepi the Pharaoh of Joseph, was one of the Hyksos, or shepherd kings. Joseph's advise would command his brothers to Pharaoh-47:6, and keep them separate from the Egyptians. It was a race prejudice, not a class prejudice)