Genesis 47:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Joseph needed to go about this arrangement in an honest and open way. Pharoah had already indicated that Joseph should place his family in Goshen, a fertile area in Lower Egypt up on the Nile delta, and on the strength of this Joseph had directed them to go there. But he wanted this arrangement to be formerly and publicly recognised and so he came to Pharoah again for him to, as it were, seal his previous decision. Joseph had great power in the land, but he conducted himself very carefully, and would not take personal advantage of his authority even on behalf of his family. He knew how to show proper deference to Pharoah as his ruler, and behaved with modesty. He is in this a model for all ministers and employees.The brothers could hardly all come to Pharoah as a family with all their flocks and herds. Joseph needed some place to put them while this was sorted out, and so they go to Goshen as agreed, but their final status there is undecided until a formal statement is made by Pharoah. Six of the brothers are left to look after the livestock and family, and five are honoured to be brought before Pharoah. They are not named, but we could speculate that Benjamin, the favourite brother of Joseph, and Judah who has taken more and more of a leading role were among them. Calvin points out that the word translated ‘some of’ is a Hebrew word for extremity, suggesting that brothers were selected from the oldest and the youngest.Joseph had anticipated correctly that Pharoah would ask their occupation – this conversation is presumably conducted through an interpreter (Genesis 42:23). They reply as he has told them to. Joseph is the expert in this situation and they are out of their depth. They who were ready to sell and even kill their brother are now dependant on his advice. In saying that they are shepherds and shepherding has been the family occupation for generations, they ensure that Pharoah will allocate them a place in the land which is separated from the rest of the population, and this is just what Joseph hoped to achieve. He had already though carefully about what God was doing with them, and was far ahead of his brothers. He understood that the nation was to be taken out of the dangerous influences of Canaan and put in a place where it could grow unmolested by the influences of the pagan culture around.The five brothers stress that they have not come to dwell, but only to sojourn. They have only come to Egypt because the famine has temporarily driven them out of their homeland. They will one day return to Canaan, the land which God has given them. They should therefore be seen as no threat to Egypt. This is how Israel was supposed to see itself. Consistent with this, Jacob is going to ask to be buried with Abraham back in Mamre. But in the plan of God, Israel was to stay in Egypt for 430 years. They were indeed sojourners, but they did not understand God’s timetable. They ask to be settled in GoshenPharoah does not go back on his word and now formerly gives them the land of Goshen. Knowing how well Joseph has served him, and thinking that the rest of the brothers must be of the same character, he asks that if there are any ‘men of activity’ among them – we might say ‘men of ability’ – let them be put in charge of his cattle. There is nothing to say they took him up on this.