Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, saying, "My father and my brothers, with their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come from the land of Canaan, and behold, they are in the land of Goshen."
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
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גֹּשֶׁןGoshen
"Goshen"—a region in the eastern Nile delta
Goshen becomes the Israelite homeland in Egypt — a place of both provision and eventual oppression. Its location in the delta, away from the centers of Egyptian culture and religion, allows Israel to grow as a distinct people, fulfilling God's promise to Jacob (46:3).
Translator Notes
Joseph acts as intermediary between his family and Pharaoh, navigating the delicate politics of settling foreigners in Egypt. He has already placed them in Goshen before seeking formal royal permission — a shrewd move that presents Pharaoh with a fait accompli in the most favorable location.
'The land of Goshen' (erets Goshen) — the fertile eastern Nile delta region, ideal for pastoral families. It was geographically separate enough from the Egyptian heartland to allow the Israelites to maintain their distinct identity, yet close enough to benefit from Egyptian resources.
From among his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.
KJV And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Five men' (chamishah anashim) — Joseph selects five of his eleven brothers, presumably those who would make the best impression. The Hebrew 'from the end/extremity of his brothers' (miqqetseh echav) has been variously interpreted: some take it as 'from among' and others as 'the least significant' — that is, Joseph deliberately chose the least impressive brothers so Pharaoh would not conscript them into royal service.
'Presented them' (vayyatsigem) — the same verb used for formally setting something or someone before an authority. Joseph carefully stages this audience.
Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" They said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds of flocks, both we and our fathers."
KJV And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
Notes & Key Terms
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רֹעֵה צֹאןro'ei tson
"shepherds of flocks"—shepherds, keepers of flock, pastoralists
The shepherd identity runs deep in Israel's self-understanding. God Himself will later be called Israel's Shepherd (Psalm 23:1; 80:1), and Israel's leaders are judged by how well they shepherd God's people. The brothers' honest declaration before Pharaoh is both humble and identity-defining.
Translator Notes
'Shepherds of flocks' (ro'ei tson) — the brothers openly declare their pastoral identity. This is significant because shepherding was considered lowly or even abominable to Egyptians (see 46:34). Yet they do not hide their vocation; they identify with the occupation of their fathers, anchoring themselves in patriarchal continuity.
'Both we and our fathers' (gam-anachnu gam-avoteinu) — the emphasis on generational continuity frames shepherding not merely as a livelihood but as a heritage. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all herdsmen. The brothers claim their place in this lineage.
They said to Pharaoh, "We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for the flocks that belong to your servants, because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now, we ask, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen."
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.
Notes & Key Terms
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לָגוּרlagur
"to sojourn"—to sojourn, dwell as an alien, reside temporarily
The sojourning motif defines patriarchal existence. Abraham was a sojourner (ger) in Canaan (23:4). Jacob will describe his entire life as 'sojourning' (v. 9). The brothers' use of this term signals that Egypt is not their home — they remain oriented toward the promised land even as they seek refuge.
Translator Notes
'To sojourn' (lagur) — not to settle permanently but to reside as aliens. This word choice is theologically significant: the brothers frame their presence as temporary, as guests rather than settlers. This sojourning language (ger, magur, lagur) runs through the patriarchal narratives, expressing Israel's fundamental posture as strangers in every land except the one God has promised.
'The famine is severe' (kaved hara'av) — literally 'heavy is the famine.' The adjective kaved (heavy, weighty) conveys the crushing, oppressive nature of the famine. It is the same root used for Pharaoh's hardened (heavy) heart in Exodus.
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you."
KJV And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Pharaoh addresses Joseph directly, acknowledging the family's arrival. The phrasing 'have come to you' (ba'u elekha) places Joseph as the family's anchor in Egypt — they have come to Joseph, not to Egypt. This underscores Joseph's role as the providential link between the family and the foreign power.
The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any capable men among them, appoint them as chief herdsmen over my livestock."
KJV The 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.
Notes & Key Terms
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אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִלanshei-chayil
"capable men"—men of valor, men of ability, worthy men, competent men
The term chayil encompasses both moral and practical competence. It appears throughout Scripture to describe warriors (Judges 6:12), capable women (Proverbs 31:10), and men of substance. Pharaoh's request for such men signals his respect for their skills.
Translator Notes
'In the best of the land' (bemeitav ha'arets) — Pharaoh's generosity exceeds the brothers' request. They asked only for Goshen; Pharaoh offers the finest portion of all Egypt. This lavish hospitality reflects Joseph's immense value to Pharaoh, and it fulfills God's promise that Israel would be settled in Egypt (46:3-4).
'Capable men' (anshei-chayil) — men of strength, skill, and competence. The term chayil denotes valor, ability, and substance. Pharaoh recognizes that skilled herdsmen would be an asset and offers them positions of responsibility over royal livestock — a mark of trust and honor.
'Chief herdsmen over my livestock' (sarei miqneh al-asher-li) — literally 'rulers of livestock over what is mine.' Pharaoh invites Joseph's brothers into royal service. This is a remarkable integration: foreign shepherds, whose occupation Egyptians disdained, are offered oversight of the king's own herds.
Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
KJV And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Notes & Key Terms
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וַיְבָרֶךְvayevarekh
"blessed"—blessed, spoke a blessing, conferred blessing
Jacob blesses Pharaoh both upon arrival (v. 7) and departure (v. 10). The patriarch's blessing frames the entire audience, placing the covenant bearer in a position of spiritual authority over the world's greatest king. Through Abraham's seed, all nations are blessed (12:3) — and here that promise takes visible form.
Translator Notes
'Jacob blessed Pharaoh' (vayevarekh Ya'aqov et-Par'oh) — this is an extraordinary moment. The aged patriarch, a landless sojourner dependent on Pharaoh's hospitality, pronounces blessing upon the most powerful ruler in the known world. The writer of Hebrews notes the theological principle at work: 'without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater' (Hebrews 7:7). Jacob's authority to bless derives not from political power but from his standing as bearer of the Abrahamic covenant.
'Set him before Pharaoh' (vayyaamidehu lifnei Far'oh) — the verb 'amad (to stand, set upright) gives the scene a formal, courtly character. Yet what follows is not obeisance but blessing — Jacob is the one who confers, not receives.
Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the days of the years of your life?"
KJV And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'How many are the days of the years of your life?' (kamah yemei shenei chayyekha) — the Hebrew is far more expansive than 'how old are you?' Pharaoh asks about the days, the years, and the life — a layered expression that invites reflection on the totality of a life lived. The phrasing suggests Pharaoh was struck by Jacob's aged appearance. Jacob's response will match this expansiveness with theological depth.
Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty years. Few and difficult have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not reached the days of the years of my fathers in the days of their sojourning."
KJV And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
Notes & Key Terms
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מְגוּרַיmegurai
"my sojourning"—my sojourning, my pilgrimage, my temporary dwelling, my time as a stranger
This is one of Scripture's most theologically dense self-descriptions. Jacob sees his entire life — from fleeing Esau to working for Laban to burying Rachel to mourning Joseph — as one continuous sojourn. The New Testament picks up this theme: the patriarchs 'confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth' (Hebrews 11:13).
Translator Notes
'My sojourning' (megurai) — Jacob does not say 'my life' (chayyai) first, but 'my sojourning.' He defines his entire existence as that of a stranger and pilgrim. The word magur/megurai comes from the same root as ger (sojourner, alien). Jacob's self-understanding is profoundly theological: he has never been at home in this world. His true home is the promise, not yet realized.
'Few and difficult' (me'at vera'im) — literally 'few and evil.' Jacob's assessment is brutally honest. Though 130 years is long by modern standards, it falls short of Abraham's 175 years and Isaac's 180 years. And the quality of those years — marked by Esau's enmity, Laban's deception, Dinah's violation, Rachel's death, Joseph's loss — has been ra'im: evil, grievous, full of sorrow.
'Have not reached' (lo hissigu) — the verb nasag means to overtake, attain, reach. Jacob's years have not caught up with his fathers'. This is a statement of both quantity (shorter lifespan) and quality (greater suffering). There is no self-pity but a sober reckoning before the throne of the world's most powerful king.
Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from before Pharaoh.
KJV And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Jacob's audience with Pharaoh is framed by two blessings — one upon entering (v. 7) and one upon departing. The patriarch arrives as a supplicant but acts as a priest, conferring divine favor on the king. This second blessing confirms that Jacob's authority derives from his covenant status: he is the one through whom blessing flows to the nations (12:3).
Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
KJV 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, as Pharaoh had commanded.
Notes & Key Terms
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אֲחֻזָּהachuzzah
"a possession"—possession, property, holding, estate
The granting of achuzzah in Egypt creates a paradox: Israel receives a permanent holding in a land that is not their inheritance. This property in Egypt provides security during the famine but must eventually be relinquished when God brings them to the land He promised their fathers.
Translator Notes
'A possession' (achuzzah) — the word denotes a permanent holding or estate, not merely a temporary campsite. This is the same term used for Abraham's purchase of the cave of Machpelah (23:4, 9, 20). Joseph secures for his family a deeded holding in Egypt's choicest territory.
'The land of Rameses' (erets Ra'meses) — this appears to be another name for Goshen, or a specific district within it. The name Rameses is likely an editorial update reflecting the later name of the region, as the city of Rameses (Pi-Ramesses) was built centuries later. The name would become grimly familiar: it is one of the store cities the enslaved Israelites would build (Exodus 1:11).
Joseph sustained his father and his brothers and all his father's household with bread, according to the number of their children.
KJV And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
Notes & Key Terms
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וַיְכַלְכֵּלvayekhalkel
"sustained"—sustained, nourished, provided for, maintained
The pilpel form of kul intensifies the meaning: Joseph thoroughly and continuously provides. This word choice elevates Joseph's care beyond mere feeding to comprehensive sustenance — a role that mirrors God's own sustaining of Israel.
Translator Notes
'Sustained' (vayekhalkel) — from the root kul, meaning to contain, sustain, provide for. Joseph's role as sustainer fulfills the providential purpose revealed in 45:5-7. The same root appears in 1 Kings 4:7 for Solomon's provisioning system. Joseph's administration foreshadows royal stewardship.
'According to the number of their children' (lefi hattaf) — literally 'according to the mouth of the little ones.' The provision was calculated per dependent, ensuring each family received food proportional to its size. The word taf refers specifically to small children, suggesting Joseph's particular attention to the most vulnerable members of the household.
Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, and the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Languished' (vattelah) — from the root lahah, meaning to be exhausted, to faint, to languish. The land itself is personified as weakening under the famine's oppression. Both Egypt and Canaan are affected — the famine is universal, sparing no nation. This sets the stage for Joseph's sweeping economic measures.
This verse marks the beginning of a narrative section (vv. 13-26) describing Joseph's administration of the famine. The narrator shifts from the family story to a political-economic account of how Joseph centralized all wealth and land under Pharaoh's control.
Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
KJV And Joseph gathered up all the money 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.
Notes & Key Terms
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כֶּסֶףkesef
"money"—silver, money, payment
In the ancient Near East, kesef (silver) functioned as the standard medium of exchange before coined money existed. Joseph's collection of 'all the silver' represents a complete monetary transfer — the first stage of economic centralization under Pharaoh.
Translator Notes
'Collected all the money' (vaylaqet et-kol-hakkesef) — the verb laqat means to gather, glean, collect. Joseph systematically drains the monetary supply of two entire regions. The word kesef (silver/money) underscores that coinage-equivalent silver was the medium of exchange. All of it flows to Pharaoh's treasury.
'For the grain they were buying' (bashever asher-hem shoverim) — the root shavar here means to buy grain. Joseph's stored grain becomes the instrument of total economic consolidation. What began as wise administration now transforms the entire social order.
When the money was exhausted from the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, saying, "Give us bread! Why should we die before you? For the money is gone."
KJV And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'The money was exhausted' (vayyittom hakkesef) — the verb tamam means to be complete, finished, used up. The money has not merely diminished — it is entirely gone. The people's desperation drives them to appeal directly to Joseph, and their plea is raw: 'Why should we die before you?'
'Why should we die before you?' (lammah namut negdekha) — literally 'why should we die in front of you?' The people frame their starvation as something Joseph is witnessing and therefore bears responsibility for. Their cry is both a plea and a subtle accusation — will you watch us perish?
Joseph said, "Give me your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if the money is gone."
KJV And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Give me your livestock' (havu miqneikhem) — Joseph proposes the next stage of exchange: livestock for grain. The word miqneh (livestock, cattle) represents the people's primary productive asset after money. By accepting livestock as payment, Joseph transfers the means of agricultural production to Pharaoh's control.
So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds of cattle, and the donkeys. He provided them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
KJV And they brought their cattle unto 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The catalogue of livestock — horses (sussim), flocks (tson), herds of cattle (baqar), and donkeys (chamorim) — represents every category of animal wealth. The thoroughness of the list emphasizes the completeness of the transfer. By year's end, the people have no animals left.
'He provided them' (vayenahelem) — from the root nahal, to lead, guide, provide for. The same root is used of God leading Israel through the wilderness (Exodus 15:13). Joseph guides the people through famine with careful provision, though at enormous cost to their independence.
When that year ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, "We will not hide from my lord that the money is spent, and the herds of livestock belong to my lord. There is nothing left before my lord except our bodies and our land.
KJV When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto 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:
Notes & Key Terms
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גְּוִיָּתֵנוּgeviyyotenu
"our bodies"—our bodies, our corpses, our persons
The word geviyyah often refers to a dead body (Judges 14:8-9; 1 Samuel 31:10, 12). The people's use of this term for their living selves conveys a grim reality: they are offering the shells of people already stripped of everything that sustains life. It is a profound expression of destitution.
Translator Notes
'We will not hide from my lord' (lo-nekached me'adoni) — the people's transparency reveals their total vulnerability. They have nothing left to bargain with and openly confess it. The repeated 'my lord' (adoni) reflects the power imbalance — Joseph holds all leverage.
'Our bodies and our land' (geviyyotenu ve'admatenu) — geviyyah refers to the physical body, often a dead body or corpse. The people offer the last two things they possess: their very persons and their ancestral soil. This language carries the weight of desperation — they speak of their bodies as if they are already nearly dead.
Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for bread, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and the land will not become desolate."
KJV Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
Notes & Key Terms
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עֲבָדִיםavadim
"slaves"—slaves, servants, bondmen, subjects
The Egyptian people's voluntary self-enslavement to Pharaoh creates the very political structure that will later oppress Israel. The word avadim will echo through Exodus as God demands: 'Let my people go, that they may serve (ya'avdu) me' (Exodus 7:16). The contrast between serving Pharaoh and serving God defines the exodus narrative.
Translator Notes
'Buy us and our land' (qeneh-otanu ve'et-admatenu) — the people voluntarily request their own purchase. The verb qanah (to buy, acquire) is used here for acquiring persons — a transaction that transforms free citizens into royal dependents. The people initiate this exchange, driven by the primal need to survive.
'Slaves to Pharaoh' (avadim leFar'oh) — the word avadim (slaves, servants) here describes a feudal relationship: the people become crown serfs bound to the land. This foreshadows the later enslavement of the Israelites (Exodus 1:13-14), where the same word describes brutal bondage. The irony is thick: Joseph saves Egypt through a system that will later devour his own descendants.
'Give us seed' (veten-zera) — the plea for seed represents hope beyond mere survival. Seed means future harvests, renewed productivity, life continuing. The word zera (seed) resonates with the covenant promises — Abraham's 'seed' would be great. Here, agricultural seed and covenantal seed share the same Hebrew word.
So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field because the famine overpowered them. And the land became Pharaoh's.
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Bought all the land of Egypt' (vayyiqen Yosef et-kol-admat Mitsrayim) — the consolidation is complete. Every privately held field passes to the crown. Joseph has created a command economy in which Pharaoh owns all land, all livestock, and all labor. The narrator states this without moral commentary, leaving readers to assess the implications.
'The famine overpowered them' (chazaq alehem hara'av) — the verb chazaq (to be strong, overpower) portrays the famine as a conquering force. The people did not sell willingly from abundance but surrendered under duress. The famine, not Joseph, is the proximate agent of their dispossession.
As for the people, he relocated them to the cities from one end of Egypt's border to the other.
KJV And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'He relocated them to the cities' (he'evir oto le'arim) — Joseph moves the rural population into urban centers. This mass relocation severs the people's attachment to their ancestral lands and completes their dependence on Pharaoh's centralized system. Some textual traditions (notably the Samaritan Pentateuch and LXX) read 'he made them slaves' (he'evid) rather than 'he removed them to cities,' which would make the enslavement even more explicit.
'From one end of Egypt's border to the other' (miqqetseh gevul-Mitsrayim ve'ad-qatsehu) — the geographical scope emphasizes that this was not a local measure but a nationwide transformation. No region of Egypt was exempt from Joseph's reorganization.
Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allotment from Pharaoh, and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they did not sell their land.
KJV Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
Notes & Key Terms
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חֹקchoq
"a fixed allotment"—statute, prescribed portion, allotment, decree, ordinance
The Egyptian priests' choq from Pharaoh parallels the later Levitical provisions in Israel, where priests received prescribed portions from sacrifices and tithes (Numbers 18:8-20). The structural similarity highlights a universal ancient pattern: religious servants are sustained by the governing authority.
Translator Notes
'The priests' (hakkohanim) — the Egyptian priestly class held a privileged position, receiving a state-funded stipend (choq) from Pharaoh. Their exemption from land sale reflects the deeply embedded power of the Egyptian religious establishment. The priestly class maintained its independent land base while everyone else lost theirs.
'A fixed allotment' (choq) — the word choq means a prescribed portion, statute, or decree. It refers here to the regular provision Pharaoh guaranteed to the priests. Because they had guaranteed income, they had no need to sell their land for food. This same word choq will later describe God's statutes given to Israel — laws that sustain and order life.
Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have bought you this day, and your land, for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you; sow the land.
KJV Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'I have bought you this day' (qaniti etkhem hayyom) — Joseph formally declares the transaction complete. The people and their land now belong to Pharaoh. Yet immediately he provides seed — the instrument of future productivity. Joseph's administration combines consolidation of power with genuine provision for the people's survival.
'Here is seed for you' (he-lakhem zera) — after stripping the people of money, livestock, land, and freedom, Joseph gives back the one thing that makes life possible: seed for planting. This act of provision within a system of total control creates a complex moral picture — Joseph preserves life even as he restructures society around absolute royal authority.
At the harvest, you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts shall be yours — for seed for the field, for your food, for those in your households, and for food for your little ones."
KJV And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, 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.
Notes & Key Terms
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חֲמִישִׁיתchamishit
"a fifth"—a fifth part, one-fifth, twenty percent
This twenty-percent levy becomes the permanent tax structure of Egypt. It establishes Pharaoh's ongoing claim on all agricultural production. Later, Israel's own tithing system will require a tenth (ma'aser) for the LORD — notably less than Pharaoh's demand, reflecting God's more generous economy.
Translator Notes
'A fifth' (chamishit) — a twenty percent tax on agricultural production. By ancient Near Eastern standards, this was a moderate rate. Mesopotamian tax rates could reach a third or more. Joseph's system, while built on total royal ownership, leaves the people with eighty percent of their produce — enough for seed, food, and family sustenance.
'Four parts' (arba hayadot) — literally 'four hands,' meaning four portions out of five. The metaphor of 'hands' for portions is distinctive Hebrew idiom. The people retain the substantial majority of their harvest, making the system workable rather than extractive to the point of collapse.
They said, "You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the eyes of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."
KJV And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
Notes & Key Terms
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הֶחֱיִתָנוּhecheyitanu
"you have saved our lives"—you have kept us alive, you have preserved our lives, you have given us life
This declaration echoes Joseph's own theological interpretation of his story: 'God sent me before you to preserve life' (45:5). The people unknowingly affirm the divine purpose behind Joseph's rise to power. Their physical salvation through Joseph foreshadows Israel's greater salvation through God.
Translator Notes
'You have saved our lives' (hecheyitanu) — literally 'you have caused us to live.' The hiphil form of chayah emphasizes Joseph's agency in their survival. Despite losing everything — money, livestock, land, and personal freedom — the people express gratitude. Survival itself is the supreme value when death looms.
'Let us find favor' (nimtsa-chen) — the word chen (grace, favor) appears throughout Genesis at moments of dependency: Noah found chen before God (6:8), Jacob sought chen from Esau (33:8), Joseph found chen in Potiphar's house (39:4). The people now seek the same gracious regard from Joseph that sustains the vulnerable before the powerful.
So Joseph established it as a statute over the land of Egypt, to this day, that a fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's.
KJV And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Established it as a statute' (vayyasem otah lechoq) — Joseph's emergency measure becomes permanent law. The word choq (statute, decree) gives the arrangement the force of enduring legislation. What began as famine relief becomes the foundational economic structure of Egypt.
'To this day' (ad-hayyom hazzeh) — this editorial note places the narrative in historical perspective, suggesting the arrangement persisted into the time of the narrator. The fifth-tax and priestly exemption became permanent features of the Egyptian economy, both attributed to Joseph's administration during the great famine.
Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. They acquired property in it and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.
KJV And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
Notes & Key Terms
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וַיִּפְרוּ וַיִּרְבּוּvayyifru vayyirbu
"were fruitful and multiplied"—were fruitful and increased, bore fruit and became many
This paired expression is a signature of covenant fulfillment. It first appears in the creation blessing (1:28), is repeated to Noah (9:1, 7), and is promised to the patriarchs. Its appearance here signals that even in Egypt, God's creational and covenantal purposes are advancing. Seventy souls are becoming a nation.
Translator Notes
'They acquired property' (vayyiahazu bah) — from the root achaz, to seize, take hold of, acquire. While the Egyptians are losing their land, Israel is gaining property in Goshen. The contrast is striking and deliberate: Joseph's family prospers in the very land whose native inhabitants are being dispossessed.
'Were fruitful and multiplied' (vayyifru vayyirbu) — this language directly echoes the creation mandate (1:28) and God's promise to Jacob at Bethel (35:11). The verbs parah (to be fruitful) and ravah (to multiply) are covenant markers. In Egypt, removed from the promised land, Israel begins to fulfill the promise of becoming a great nation. This growth will eventually provoke Pharaoh's fear (Exodus 1:7-10).
Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years.
KJV And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Seventeen years' — Jacob's final seventeen years in Egypt mirror the seventeen years Joseph spent with his father before being sold (37:2). The number creates a poignant symmetry: the years of separation are answered by years of reunion. Jacob's life ends with the same duration of closeness to Joseph with which it began.
'One hundred and forty-seven years' — shorter than Abraham (175) and Isaac (180), confirming Jacob's own assessment that his days 'have not reached' those of his fathers (v. 9). Yet these 147 years encompass one of Scripture's most dramatic arcs: from grasping Esau's heel to blessing Pharaoh.
When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, please place your hand under my thigh and deal with me in steadfast love and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt.
KJV And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶתchesed ve'emet
"steadfast love and faithfulness"—lovingkindness and truth, covenant loyalty and faithfulness, mercy and fidelity
This word pair is one of Scripture's most important theological expressions. It describes God's own character (Exodus 34:6) and the ideal of human covenant relationships. Jacob asks Joseph for the same quality of faithfulness that God extends to His people — a love that endures and a truth that does not waver.
Translator Notes
'Place your hand under my thigh' (sim-na yadekha tachat yerekhi) — this solemn oath gesture appears only twice in Scripture: here and when Abraham's servant swore regarding Isaac's bride (24:2, 9). The thigh (yarekh) is associated with procreative power and descendants. By placing his hand there, Joseph swears by Jacob's offspring — by the covenant future itself. The gesture binds the oath to the most sacred dimension of family continuity.
'Steadfast love and faithfulness' (chesed ve'emet) — this paired expression describes covenant loyalty enacted in truth. Chesed is lovingkindness that exceeds obligation; emet is reliability, trustworthiness, fidelity. Together they describe the highest form of interpersonal commitment. Jacob asks Joseph not merely for a favor but for an act of covenantal faithfulness.
'Do not bury me in Egypt' (al-na tiqbereni beMitsrayim) — Jacob's insistence on burial outside Egypt is not merely sentimental. It is a theological statement: Egypt is not home. The land of promise, where Abraham and Isaac are buried, is where Jacob's body must rest. His burial there is an act of faith in God's promise that Israel will return to Canaan.
When I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place." He said, "I will do as you have said."
KJV But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'I will lie down with my fathers' (veshakhavti im-avotai) — the expression 'to lie with one's fathers' is a standard idiom for death that carries the hope of reunion. Jacob envisions joining Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah in the cave of Machpelah — the one piece of the promised land that the patriarchs actually owned.
'Their burial place' (qivratam) — the cave of Machpelah in Hebron, purchased by Abraham from Ephron the Hittite (chapter 23). This cave is the patriarchal family tomb and the tangible anchor of Israel's claim to the promised land. Jacob's burial there will affirm his belonging to the covenant community and the covenant land.
He said, "Swear to me." So Joseph swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.
KJV And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּvayyishtachu
"bowed in worship"—bowed down, prostrated, worshipped
This verb describes the deepest physical expression of reverence in Hebrew. Jacob's act of worship at the head of his bed is an act of faith: he trusts that God's promises regarding the land will be fulfilled, and he entrusts his body to that future. Hebrews 11:21 cites this moment as exemplary faith.
Translator Notes
'Swear to me' (hishav'ah li) — Jacob requires a formal oath, not merely a promise. The shevuah (oath) invokes God as witness and guarantor, making the commitment inviolable. Jacob's insistence reveals both the gravity of the request and his awareness that circumstances in Egypt might tempt Joseph to bury his father there instead.
'Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed' (vayyishtachu Yisra'el al-rosh hamittah) — the verb hishtachavah means to bow down in worship or reverence. Jacob, too frail to rise, worships God from his bed. The LXX (Septuagint) reads 'upon the top of his staff' (matteh instead of mittah), which Hebrews 11:21 follows. Whether bed or staff, the image is the same: a dying patriarch worshipping God in gratitude that his burial in the promised land is secured.
The switch from 'Jacob' (the human name) to 'Israel' (the covenant name) at this climactic moment is significant. It is Israel — the one who wrestled with God and prevailed — who worships at the end. The covenant identity has the final word.