Genesis 46
The Family of Jacob goes to Egypt
Gen 46:1 So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. When he came to Beer Sheba he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Jacob means "supplanter." Israel means "prince of God." God changed Jacob's name to Israel. When Jacob was living in obedience to God, then he was called Israel. When he was living in disobedience to God, he was called Jacob. Since it was the will of God to transport the family of Jacob to Egypt, Jacob was called by his divine name of Israel. God will give all believers a new name in heaven.
The Hebrew word for "journey" is נָסַע (nasa), meaning a departure by marching. Jacob was to march his family and all of his possessions to Egypt by a caravan of camels. Ancient travel was dangerous, especially during a global famine.
Beer-Sheba was on the southern border of Israel. Isaac had been dead for ten years. Jacob offered sacrifices, perhaps wanting God to confirm that it was in God’s will for Jacob to leave the Promised Land. Abraham and Isaac traveled to Egypt, because they did not trust God. Jacob did not want to make the same mistakes of his previous fathers. These sacrifices pointed to the future atonement work of the Messiah.
2 God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!”
This was the sixth appearance of God to Jacob. Notice that God used both proper names in this verse. The names were used interchangeably. When God calls one to service, He calls their name twice.
Charismatics falsely use this verse to claim that God verbally calls them to perform a certain divine service. It is usually a money-making scam in the name of God. Believers cannot take their doctrine from Old Testament history. The doctrine for New Testament believers is found in Paul’s letters.
3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
The Hebrew for "I am God" is אָנֹכִ֥י הָאֵ֖ל (anki ha-el), meaning "I am the one and only singular God." The Hebrew for "the God of your father" is אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ (elohi avika), meaning the triune Creator God of your fathers. Together, God said, "I am the one and only singular God, the triune Creator God of your fathers." In Hebrew, this is a very strong trinitarian verse.
Abraham and Isaac went to Egypt not on divine decree, but on their own human volition. God sent Jacob to Egypt on the divine decree that he would build the nation of Israel from within the geography of Egypt.
4 I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. Joseph will close your eyes.”
God made three prophetical statements to Jacob. First, God would go to Egypt with Jacob. Second, God would bring the nation of Israel back to Canaan. Third, Jacob would die in Egypt. Since humans die with their eyes open, then Joseph would close the eyes of his deceased father.
According to the Abrahamic Covenant, God will eventually raise Jacob from the dead and personally give him the literal land that was promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
5 Then Jacob started out from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him.
This was a government sponsored re-location trip. All expenses were paid. An armed guard was probably escorting the Jacob family through dangerous land.
6 Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt.
Jacob was a very wealthy man. All of this wealth was transferred to Egypt.
7 He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters – all his descendants.
Notice that Jacob fathered more daughters than just Dinah.
8These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons: Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.
Reuben was the first born of Jacob, but he lost his first born status when he slept with Jacob’s concubines.
9The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
Reuben took four sons into Egypt.
10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman).
Simeon lost the patriarchal blessing when he killed all of the men of Shechem for raping his sister Dinah. He took six sons into Egypt, including the son of a Canaanite woman. If God had not removed Israel from Canaan, then the twelve tribes would have intermarried with the Canaanites, adopted the Canaanite culture, and eventually they would have been exterminated.
11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Levi lost the patriarchal blessing because he helped his brother slaughter the Shechemites. He took three sons into Egypt. Moses and Aaron would eventually be born from this family. They would become the Levitical priests of Israel. The name Levi eventually was used when Levi Strauss invented the Levi Jeans.
12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
Judah will become the seed-son. Judah married a Canaanite wife, which endangered the messianic seed. Er and Onan committed the sin unto death and died at early ages. Perez was born from the incestuous seduction of Tamar. Perez will become the seed son. Zerah was another son of Judah.
Hezron and Hamul were grandsons of Judah. They would be born in Egypt. Hebron would become the seed son of the Messiah. All of the kings of Judah would come from the line of Judah. The Messiah Himself would come through the tribe of Judah as well. There are two genealogies in Matthew and Luke which document the genealogy of the Messiah.
13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.
Issachar took four sons into Egypt.
14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
Zebulun took three sons into Egypt.
15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all.
Jacob and Leah gave birth to six sons and twenty-four grandsons, not including Er and Onan.
16 The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
Gad took six sons into Egypt.
17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister.The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel.
Asher took four sons, one daughter, and two grandsons into Egypt.
18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen in all.
The number sixteen contains two sons, eleven grandsons, one granddaughter, and two great grandsons.
19 The sons of Rachel the wife of Jacob: Joseph and Benjamin.
Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob. She died while giving birth to Benjamin.
20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore them to him.
Manasseh and Ephraim were half-Jewish and half-Egyptian. Asenath was the daughter of the Egyptian priest of On.
21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
By the time Benjamin was 25, he had ten sons. Benjamin could have had multiple wives, or these children could have been born later in Egypt.
22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all.
Rachel had two sons and twelve grandsons.
23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
Dan took one son into Egypt. Naphtali took four sons into Egypt.
25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all.
Bilhah was the concubine of Jacob. She had a total of seven sons who traveled into Egypt.
26 All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.)
This number excluded Jacob, Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim.
27 Counting the two sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, all the people of the household of Jacob who were in Egypt numbered seventy.
The number 70 includes only Jacob and his immediate descendants. If the servants and wives from Shechem were added, then the number would be over 300.
In the Book of Acts, (7:14) Stephen mentioned that 75 people migrated from Canaan to Egypt. Skeptics like to use this verse to deceive those who are not grounded in the entire counsel of the Word of God. Stephen simply added the five grandsons of Joseph.
28 Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. So they came to the land of Goshen.
Judah would later be announced as the seed-son of the Messiah. The rabbi predicted that there would be two Messiahs. One would be Messiah ben Joseph, who would suffer. The other would be Messiah ben Judah, who would reign. The rabbi did not understand that there would be one Messiah, but two comings.
29 Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him, he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time..
Jacob and Joseph had been separated for 23 years. Chariots were ridden by Egyptian officials and warriors. Chariots were the tanks and airplanes of ancient warfare.
30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”
Jacob lived for 17 more years.
31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me.
Joseph reported his family’s arrival to Pharaoh.
32 The men are shepherds; they take care of livestock. They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’
Shepherds were looked down upon by the Egyptians.
33 Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’
Jacob’s family would now become citizens of Egypt. They must appear before Pharaoh as his subjects. Pharaoh would need to learn their occupations so that he could give them land to live and a job to perform.
34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting to the Egyptians.”
This was a very true point, but they were not to stress it or be proud about it. Egyptians were disgusted with the shepherding business. Egyptians would not eat with Semites. The family of Joseph was separated from the rest of the Egyptian population by geography. These three circumstances would keep the Jewish race from intermarrying with the Egyptians.