1706 B.C.

Genesis 47)

1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, "My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen." (see 46:28)

2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men (#5=grace), and presented them to Pharaoh.

3 And Pharaoh said to his brethren, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "your servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers."
4 They said moreover to Pharaoh, "For to sojourn in the land are we come; for your servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray you, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen."
5 And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, "Your father and your brethren are come to you:
6 The land of Egypt is before you; in the best of the land make your father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if you know any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle."

7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How old are you?" (=how many are the days? First question asked in the East even today)
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojornings are an hundred and thirty years (Joseph being 39, Reuben 46, Simeon 45, Levi 44, Judah 42. 215 years from Abraham's call from Chaldea): few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings."
10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh ("The less is blessed of the better"-Heb.7:7-cp.v.2), and went out from before Pharaoh.

11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses (later name of Goshen), as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.

13-26. Egyptians.

13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
14 And Joseph (caused all the money to be) gathered up that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, "Give us bread: for why should we die in your presence? for the money fails."
16 And Joseph said, "Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail."
17 And they brought their cattle to Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18 When that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, "We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19 Wherefore shall we die before your eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate."
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion (= statute, statute put for portion allowed by it) assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. (The reference of Herodotus to this is thus proved to be correct)
23 Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and you all shall sow the land.
24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that you all shall give the fifth part to Pharaoh (this is the Turkish law in Palestine today, if the landlord supplies cattle and seed. So the terms would not be onerous), and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones."
25 And they said, "You have saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."
26 And Joseph made it a decree over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

47:27-50:13. Israelites.

P  Q  U  47:27. Jacob's dwelling in Egypt.
       V  47:28. Years of life (147); and dwelling (17).
        W  47:29-49:32. Charges.
   Q  U  49:33-50:2. Jacob's death in Egypt.
       V  50:3-14. Days of mourning.

27 And Israel (used here, for the first time, of the Nation) dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. (Fulfilling 46:3, and preparing for Ex.1:7)

28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.

29 And the time drew near that Israel must die (here used of the man Jacob. See v.27; 43:8; 45:26,28): and he called his son Joseph, and said to him,

47:29-48:32. Jacob's charges.

W  X  47:29-31. Charge to Joseph, re: burial.
    Y  48:1-20. Blessing of Joseph and his sons.
     Z  48:21,22. Assurance of return.
    Y  49:1-28. Blessing of all his sons.
   X  49:29-32. Charge to all his sons, re: burial.

"If now I have found grace in your sight, put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray you, in Egypt:
30 But I will lie with my fathers, and you shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place." And he said, "I will do as you have said."
31 And he said, "Swear to me." And he swore to him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head. (Much confusion caused by supposing Heb.11:21 refers to this. Mistake made by Ancient versions and modern commentators. Heb.11:21 refers to his blessing of Joseph's sons. This refers to the charge concerning his burial. It may or may not be bed, or staff.)

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