Notes for Gen 47:1LEB

"Look they [are] in the land of Goshen." Joseph draws attention to the fact of their presence in Goshen.

 

Notes for Gen 47:2LEB

"and from the whole of his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh."

 

Notes for Gen 47:3LEB

"his"; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

 

"both we and our fathers."

 

Notes for Gen 47:4LEB

"to sojourn."

 

"for there." The Hebrew uses a causal particle to connect what follows with what precedes. The translation divides the statement into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

 

Notes for Gen 47:6LEB

"men of skill."

 

"make them rulers."

 

Put them in charge of my livestock. Pharaoh is, in effect, offering Joseph’s brothers jobs as royal keepers of livestock, a position mentioned often in Egyptian inscriptions, because the Pharaohs owned huge herds of cattle.

 

Notes for Gen 47:7LEB

"caused him to stand."

 

The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb translated "blessed" is difficult in this passage, because the content of Jacob’s blessing is not given. The expression could simply mean that he greeted Pharaoh, but that seems insufficient in this setting. Jacob probably praised Pharaoh, for the verb is used this way for praising Yahweh. It is also possible that he pronounced a formal prayer of blessing, asking Yahweh to reward Pharaoh for his kindness.

 

Notes for Gen 47:8LEB

"How many are the days of the years of your life?"

 

Notes for Gen 47:9LEB

"the days of."

 

"sojournings." Jacob uses a term that depicts him as one who has lived an unsettled life, temporarily residing in many different places.

 

"the days of."

 

The Hebrew word רַע (ra’) can sometimes mean "evil," but that would give the wrong connotation here, where it refers to pain, difficulty, and sorrow. Jacob is thinking back through all the troubles he had to endure to get to this point.

 

"and they have not reached the days of the years of my fathers in the days of their sojournings."

 

Notes for Gen 47:10LEB

"from before Pharaoh."

 

Notes for Gen 47:11LEB

"a possession," or "a holding." Joseph gave them a plot of land with rights of ownership in the land of Goshen.

 

The land of Rameses is another designation for the region of Goshen. It is named Rameses because of a city in that region (Exod 1:11LEB; Exod 12:37LEB). The use of this name may represent a modernization of the text for the understanding of the intended readers, substituting a later name for an earlier one. Alternatively, there may have been an earlier Rameses for which the region was named.

 

Notes for Gen 47:13LEB

The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, laah) means "to faint, to languish"; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.

 

Notes for Gen 47:14LEB

Or "in exchange." On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.

 

"house."

 

Notes for Gen 47:15LEB

"all Egypt." The expression is a metonymy and refers to all the people of Egypt.

 

The imperfect verbal form has a deliberative force here.

 

Notes for Gen 47:16LEB

The word "food" has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

 

On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.

 

Notes for Gen 47:17LEB

The definite article is translated here as a possessive pronoun.

 

Notes for Gen 47:18LEB

"my." The expression "my lord" occurs twice more in this verse.

 

Notes for Gen 47:19LEB

After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.

 

Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.

 

After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.

 

The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.

 

Notes for Gen 47:20LEB

The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

 

The Hebrew text adds "upon them." This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

 

Notes for Gen 47:21LEB

"and he"; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

 

The MT reads "and the people he removed to the cities," which does not make a lot of sense in this context. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX read "he enslaved them as slaves."

 

Notes for Gen 47:23LEB

The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.

 

Notes for Gen 47:24LEB

The words "the crop" have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

 

The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.

 

"four parts."

 

Notes for Gen 47:25LEB

"we find favor in the eyes of my lord." Some interpret this as a request, "may we find favor in the eyes of my lord."

 

Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.

 

Notes for Gen 47:26LEB

On the term translated "statute" see P. Victor, "A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament," VT 16 (1966): 358-61.

 

The words "which is in effect" have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

 

Notes for Gen 47:28LEB

"the days of the years."

 

Notes for Gen 47:29LEB

"days."

 

On the expression put your hand under my thigh see Gen 24:2LEB.

 

Or "deal with me in faithful love."

 

Notes for Gen 47:30LEB

"lie down." Here the expression "lie down" refers to death.

 

"he"; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

 

Notes for Gen 47:31LEB

"he"; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

 

"swear on oath to me." The words "that you will do so" have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

 

"he"; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

 

"swore on oath to him."

 

The Hebrew verb normally means "bow down," especially in worship or prayer. Here it might simply mean "bend low," perhaps from weakness or approaching death. The narrative is ambiguous at this point and remains open to all these interpretations.

 

The MT reads מִטָּה (mittah, "bed, couch"). The LXX reads the word as מַטֶּה (matteh, "staff, rod") and interprets this to mean that Jacob bowed down in worship while leaning on the top of his staff. The LXX reading was used in turn by the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews (11:21LEB).