Genesis Chapter 46
The Family of Jacob Comes to Egypt
A. The Family Comes to Egypt
(Genesis 46:1–4)
“So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ So He said, ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.’”
Israel, also called Jacob, gathered all that he possessed and journeyed south until he came to Beersheba, the southernmost outpost of the Promised Land. This was a deliberate and meaningful pause before leaving Canaan, for Beersheba carried deep family and spiritual significance. It was there that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the LORD, saying, “Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33). Isaac also dwelt in Beersheba, where God appeared to him, saying, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well (Genesis 26:24–25).
Jacob, remembering the encounters God had with his fathers at that same place, offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. It was an act of faith and remembrance, an acknowledgment that he stood in continuity with the covenant promises made to Abraham and Isaac. Charles Spurgeon observed that this was a defining moment for Jacob: it was both a historical and spiritual turning point. Standing where his fathers had called upon the Lord, Jacob paused to seek divine confirmation before stepping into a new and uncertain path.
In the quiet of the night, God spoke to Israel in visions, saying, “Jacob, Jacob.” This repetition of his name signifies both intimacy and urgency, reminiscent of when God called Abraham before testing him with Isaac, “Abraham, Abraham” (Genesis 22:11), and when He called Moses from the burning bush, “Moses, Moses” (Exodus 3:4). Jacob’s immediate reply, “Here I am,” showed his readiness to hear and obey the voice of God.
The Lord identified Himself, saying, “I am God, the God of your father.” The reassurance carried continuity and covenantal depth. God then comforted Jacob’s fears: “Do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.” This statement implies that Jacob had hesitation or anxiety about the move. Egypt had once been a place of testing for Abraham, where unbelief led to deceit and trouble (Genesis 12:10–20). Moreover, God had explicitly commanded Isaac not to go down to Egypt (Genesis 26:2). Thus, Jacob had reason to be cautious. He also remembered God’s prophecy to Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land and would be afflicted for four hundred years (Genesis 15:13). This must have weighed heavily on him as he led his family into Egypt, uncertain of the future.
Yet God’s words gave Jacob assurance: the journey was part of His divine plan. Egypt would serve as a womb for the nation of Israel. In the isolation and separation of Egyptian culture, the children of Israel would multiply, forming a distinct nation ready to fulfill God’s redemptive purposes. The Lord said, “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again.” This was not merely a promise of eventual return to the land, but also an affirmation of God’s abiding presence. Although Jacob himself would die in Egypt, his body would be brought back to Canaan for burial, and his descendants would ultimately return under God’s providence. Egypt was never intended to be Israel’s permanent home.
Finally, God gave Jacob a deeply personal assurance: “And Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” This expression means that Joseph, the long-lost son whom Jacob thought was dead, would be at his side when he died, closing his eyes in peace. For a father who had spent years grieving a presumed-dead son, this was one of the most tender promises God could give. The God who governed nations also cared for the personal longings of His servant’s heart.
In this passage, we see the faithfulness of God in guiding His servant Jacob at life’s crossroads. When God’s will is clear, hesitation becomes disobedience. As Spurgeon noted, one should indeed pause when uncertain, but once God’s direction is known, the believer must move forward without fear, for obedience is the safest path. Jacob’s journey to Egypt thus becomes a profound picture of trust: a step of faith taken not in the absence of fear, but in the presence of divine assurance.
The Family of Jacob Comes to Egypt
B. Listing of Jacob’s Family Who Came with Him to Egypt
(Genesis 46:5–27)
“Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the carts which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. So they took their livestock and their goods, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him. His sons and his sons’ sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt. Now these were the names of the children of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shimron. The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the persons, his sons and his daughters, were thirty-three. The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. The sons of Asher were Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah, their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob: sixteen persons. The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin. And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. The sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: fourteen persons in all. The son of Dan was Hushim. The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all. All the persons who went with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two persons. All the persons of the house of Jacob who went to Egypt were seventy.”
When Jacob departed from Beersheba, he did not go alone. His sons loaded him, their wives, and children into the carts that Pharaoh himself had provided. These carts represented far more than convenience or luxury—they symbolized divine provision and royal favor. In Genesis 45:27, it was the sight of these Egyptian carts that revived Jacob’s spirit when he first heard that Joseph was alive. The same vehicles that testified to Pharaoh’s generosity now became the means by which the covenant family entered Egypt. It was a striking image of how God can use even the resources of pagan nations to accomplish His purposes for His people.
Jacob brought “all his descendants with him.” This was an act of great faith. No one remained behind in Canaan to hold the family’s claim to the land. The patriarch was trusting completely in God’s word that He would one day bring them back. This was total obedience and full surrender to divine providence. Israel went all in, resting on God’s promise that Egypt would be the temporary incubator for the nation, not its final home.
The list that follows records the generations of Jacob’s household, organized by the four mothers of his sons—Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, and Bilhah. Each group represents the tribal foundations of Israel. The precision of this genealogical record demonstrates the seriousness with which the Hebrews preserved their lineage, because every name carried covenantal and prophetic significance.
The sons of Leah numbered thirty-three, including Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, with their respective children and Dinah. Among them, Judah’s family line is highlighted with special emphasis, as the text reminds us of the deaths of Er and Onan in Canaan. Judah’s remaining descendants—Shelah, Perez, and Zerah—continued the lineage, and Perez’s own sons, Hezron and Hamul, are named. This line is of extraordinary importance, for from Perez and Hezron would come the Messianic descent: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez, and Hezron (Luke 3:33–34). This is the royal bloodline through which the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would one day come.
Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, bore Gad and Asher and their children, totaling sixteen people. Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife, bore Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph, already in Egypt, had two sons—Manasseh and Ephraim—born to him by Asenath, daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On. These two sons would later receive a double portion of inheritance, as Jacob would adopt them as his own, saying in Genesis 48:5, “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.” Benjamin’s descendants, numbering ten, completed Rachel’s line, making fourteen in total.
Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, bore Dan and Naphtali, whose children made up seven individuals. This completed the tally of Jacob’s direct descendants who came to Egypt, totaling sixty-six, excluding the wives of his sons. When adding Jacob himself, Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons, the complete household numbered seventy.
This number is significant in Scripture. Seventy represents completeness and national fullness. It echoes the seventy nations listed in Genesis 10, symbolizing that through Israel, God would one day bless all nations of the earth. What began as a small family unit was now a foundational nation in seed form.
Like many works of God, this nation’s growth began slowly but steadily. It took twenty-five years after God’s promise for Abraham to have Isaac. Isaac waited sixty years before Jacob was born. Jacob then took several decades to have twelve sons and a daughter. Yet by the time of the Exodus, over four hundred years later, the descendants of Jacob would number around two million. The slow beginnings of God’s work are not signs of delay but of preparation.
Stephen, in Acts 7:14, stated that seventy-five persons went into Egypt. This difference arises because Stephen quoted from the Septuagint—the Greek translation of the Old Testament—which includes five additional descendants of Joseph born in Egypt. Both accounts are correct; they simply calculate from different perspectives. The Hebrew text counts those who journeyed from Canaan, while the Septuagint includes those later born in Egypt.
Through this passage, we see the faithfulness of God in preserving the covenant line. The promise given to Abraham that his seed would become a great nation was beginning to take visible form. What entered Egypt as seventy souls would emerge as a vast, distinct people prepared for deliverance. Egypt, the place of testing and bondage, would become the womb of national birth.
The Family of Jacob Comes to Egypt
C. The Family Settles in the Land of Goshen
(Genesis 46:28–30)
“Then he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.’”
Before entering Egypt fully, Jacob sent Judah ahead to guide the way to Goshen, the fertile region east of the Nile Delta that would become Israel’s home for over four centuries. It is significant that Judah, from the Messianic line, was chosen for this responsibility. This act symbolized leadership, restoration, and divine purpose. The one through whom the Messiah would come now led the way for the covenant family to settle safely under Joseph’s care. Judah had once participated in Joseph’s betrayal, but now he served as the bridge for reconciliation and direction. His transformation from deceiver to servant-leader demonstrates true repentance and spiritual maturity, traits later reflected in the royal lineage that would bring forth Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
When Joseph heard his family had arrived, he immediately prepared his royal chariot and traveled to Goshen to meet his father. The moment was deeply emotional. The Scripture says, “He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.” Joseph, once a teenager sold into slavery, now stood before his aged father as a ruler of Egypt, clothed in authority yet still tender in heart. The long years of separation and sorrow were swallowed up in tears of joy. This embrace captures the heart of reconciliation—years of pain dissolved in the moment of restored relationship.
Israel’s words, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive,” express both relief and fulfillment. Jacob had once lamented, “All these things are against me” (Genesis 42:36), when Joseph was presumed dead and famine gripped the land. But now, standing in the presence of his son, he saw that all those trials were in fact instruments of God’s providence. His despair had turned to worship, his mourning to joy. He could die in peace, having seen that God’s promises had not failed. This reunion illustrates the redemptive nature of God’s plans—what was once broken, God restores in His perfect timing.
(Genesis 46:31–34)
“Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and say to him, “My brothers and those of my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.” So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, “What is your occupation?” that you shall say, “Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,” that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.’”
Joseph, ever wise and diplomatic, prepared his family for their formal introduction to Pharaoh. As their advocate and representative, he would present their case before the king, just as Christ represents believers before the Father. Israel’s household was coming into Egypt not on their own merit, but through the favor and intercession of one man—Joseph. This stands as a vivid foreshadowing of the believer’s relationship to Jesus Christ. We approach God’s throne not because of our own worthiness, but because of the righteousness and standing of our Advocate. Scripture declares, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Joseph’s instructions to his family reveal both his discernment and his trust in God’s plan. He told them to be honest about their occupation, declaring themselves shepherds, even though that profession was despised in Egyptian society. The Egyptians were primarily agricultural, devoted to farming the rich soil along the Nile. They viewed shepherds as unclean and inferior, often associating them with the nomadic tribes to their east. To the Egyptian mind, a shepherd’s work was beneath the dignity of civilized life.
Yet, in God’s wisdom, this cultural division served His purpose. By making His people distinct and even somewhat despised, God preserved them from assimilation into Egyptian life. Goshen, though geographically close to Egypt’s heartland, was socially and religiously separate, allowing Israel to remain pure and unique. What the Egyptians considered an abomination, God used as a safeguard for His covenant people.
Joseph’s preparation of Goshen as their dwelling place was more than practical—it was providential. God had already orchestrated the plan to bring Israel into a secure and fertile region where they could grow into a mighty nation. Just as Joseph prepared a physical dwelling for his family, so Jesus Christ prepares a heavenly dwelling for His followers. The Lord said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2–3).
Thus, the story of Goshen is not merely a relocation of a family but a revelation of God’s sovereign design. The despised place became the place of divine protection. The foreign land became the womb of a nation. Through Joseph’s advocacy, God’s people found not only provision but also separation, growth, and identity.
