Genesis 50, Funeral for Israel

Jacob has just died.  After spending his final 17 years in Egypt, he blessed his sons and asked that his body be returned to Canaan. He then died quietly of old age.

Genesis 50: 1-3, Egyptians mourn for Jacob

Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him. Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

Joseph and the Egyptians follow Egyptian culture in the funeral services for Jacob.

Genesis 50: 4-9, Funeral caravan to Canaan
When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, "If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, `My father made me swear an oath and said, "I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'"

    

Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do."

    

So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied him--the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt-- besides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company.

We see here considerable prestige and honor given to Joseph's father.  Egyptians will accompany Joseph and his brothers to Canaan to intern the body of Jacob.

Genesis 50: 10-13, Burial near Mamre
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father.

    

When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning." That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim. 

    

So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them: They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field.

In verse 11, the Hebrew word ay'-bel (ebel) means "mourning" but abel means meadow.  "Mizraim" means "Egyptians" so Abel Mizraim either means "mourning of the Egyptians" or "meadow of the Egyptians."  (The ancient texts only gave consonants so we look to later texts, such as the Masoretic, to attempt to translate some words.)

Genesis 50: 14-18, The brothers worry
After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.

    

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: `This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." 

    

When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

    

His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said.

The brothers connive to protect themselves.  Do they have a good reason for this?  After all, Joseph did seem to enjoy testing (torturing?) them when they first arrived in Egypt.

Genesis 50: 19-21, Joseph forgives
 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Joseph emphasizes that they are forgiven -- that this is all for good.

Walton argues that verse 20 is the theme of Genesis -- that throughout the book, God had a good plan (a Covenant Plan) that took decades, indeed centuries in development.

Genesis 50: 22-26, Death of Joseph
Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees.

     

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place." 

    

So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Placing a child on one's knees was probably a ritualistic way of symbolizing adoption.

Joseph, like his fathers before him, look to the covenant promise of the land of Canaan.  He wishes that his body eventually be taken back to that land.

So ends the book of Genesis.  The book of Exodus will follow the descendants of Jacob, centuries later, as the tribe grows into a million or more.

Genesis 49, Twelve Blessings

Jacob is dying.  So he gathers his children for some final words. 

This chapter has the form of an ancient poem (says Alter) and some of the Hebrew words were probably antiquated even in the time of Moses. Both commentators, Alter and Walton, explain that some Hebrew words are unclear or unknown to modern translators.

Genesis 49: 1-2, Jacob calls his sons
Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

Jacob has some final words for each of his twelve sons. These will be blessings; these are the wishes and expectations of Jacob, some of which were apparently unfulfilled. (Just because Jacob claims to explain "what will happen ... in the days to come", we have no obligation to believe Jacob was correct.)

Genesis 49: 3-4, Jacob speaks to Reuben

"Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it.

Reuben slept with one of his father's concubines, with a member of Jacob's harem.  This is not forgotten. This violation is viewed as evidence of Reuben's chaotic, undisciplined power.

Genesis 49: 5-7, Jacob speaks to Simeon and Levi
"Simeon and Levi are brothers-- their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

In verse five, the meaning of the Hebrew translated "swords" is uncertain. As are the words translated here "hamstrung oxen". Alter suggests that this last phrase may allude to Simeon and Levi massacring the men of Shechem, after forcing them to be circumcised.

The words aimed at the three oldest sons are accusatory; they are curses, not blessings.

Genesis 49: 8-12, Jacob speaks to Judah
"Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse him?

    

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

After the criticisms of the oldest three sons, Jacob has praise for Judah. Judah will be a strong leader, a lion. Is a birthright passed on to Judah, after the criticisms of his older three brothers? 

(From the NIV footnotes: In verse 8 "Judah" sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew "for praise".)

In verse 10 the phrase translated "he comes to whom it belongs" is another questionable collection of words.  The NIV suggests it might be phrased as "until Shiloh comes" or "until he comes to whom tribute belongs."  Alter and Walton have similar suggestions on the translation. Alter says that the Masoretic text "seems to read 'until he comes to Shiloh,' a dark phrase that has inspired much messianic interpretations."  As Shiloh was occasionally viewed as a Messianic title, Christians might wonder if this is an allusion to the Messiah rising from the line of Judah. 

Genesis 49: 13, Jacob speaks to Zebulun
"Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.

The tribe of Zebulun will be along the sea? When Canaan is divided late in the book of Joshua, the region of Zebulun is not coastal.

Genesis 49: 14-15, Jacob speaks to Issachar
"Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.

NIV footnotes: "rawboned" might mean "strong", "saddlebags" might be "campfires".  Some suggest that the first sentence describes a valley between two hills.  (The only thing clear here is how little we know about these blessings of Jacob!)

Genesis 49: 16-18, Jacob speaks to Daniel
"Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backward.

    

"I look for your deliverance, O LORD.

(NIV footnote: Dan here means "he provides justice".  The tribe of Daniel is to emphasize justice. The image of a serpent need not be negative; a serpent is quick and aggressive.)

Genesis 49: 19-21, Jacob speaks to Gad, Asher, Naphtali
"Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.

     

"Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

     

"Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.

(From the NIV footnotes: In verse 19 Gad can mean "attack" and "band of raiders". In verse 21 the phrase "bears beautiful fawns" could be "utters beautiful words". Either translation describe some type of beauty.)

Genesis 49: 22-26, Jacob speaks to Joseph
"Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.

    

"Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

The blessing for Joseph continues to have strange archaic Hebrew words, say commentators.  The tribe of Joseph will be fruitful and steady, protected by YHWH, consistent with the integrity Joseph has demonstrated so far.  Success is identified with fruitful growth and many children. In this growth, the blessing "of the breast and womb" is certainly critical, offering a counter-balance to the patriarchal emphasis on fathers and sons!

Genesis 49: 27, Jacob speaks to Benjamin
"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder."

The final child is a wolf!?

Genesis 49: 28-33, Jacob dies
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. 

    

Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.  The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites."

    

When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

Jacob wants his body buried in the same region as his ancestors and Leah. He is only a sojourner, a pilgrim, in Egypt.  His body belongs in the Promised Land of Abraham and Isaac.

Jacob's words form an ancient piece of Hebrew poetry, criticizing the three oldest sons, blessing the rest, then finally seeking the return of his body to the Covenant Land.

Genesis 48, Blessing on Ephraim and Manasseh

Jacob and his clan have settled in Egypt.

Genesis 48: 1-7, Jacob is dying
Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

    

Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, `I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.' Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem).

Jacob briefly recounts his life, mentioning his grief for Rachel and her burial near Ephrath.  (The author apparently adds the note that this is Bethlehem.)  

Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own.  This will be important later when there are twelve tribes plus the tribe of priests, the descendants of Levi.  Moreover, he seems to treat them as his first- and second-born, replacing Reuben and Simeon in that order.  (Reuben, Simeon and Levi have all dishonored Jacob, Reuben by sleeping with Jacob's concubine and Simeon and Levi by their massacre of the men of Shechem)

Genesis 48: 8-10, Jacob looks on Joseph's sons
When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these?"

    

"They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them."

    

Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

At the beginning of the chapter, Jacob adopts Ephraim and Manasseh; here he seems to finally meet them.  Commentators suggest that the question, "Who are these?" could either follow from his failing eyesight or could be merely part of a ritual question in an adoption ceremony.

Genesis 48: 11-13, Praying over Ephraim and Manasseh
Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him.

     

Israel had given up hope of seeing Joseph in this life.  Yet he gets to see not only Joseph, but Joseph's "seed", Ephraim and Manasseh!

Genesis 48: 14-16, Praying over Ephraim and Manasseh

But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm --may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth."

The blessing, putting both men (grown young men here) at his knees is apparently traditional.  Switching hands is not.  The one blessed by the right hand receives a superior blessing, a higher ranking.  Crafty Jacob continues to focus on the second born, giving him status over the first born, as he had in taking Esau's birthright and in seeking to marry Rachel.

Genesis 48: 17-22, Ephraim over Manasseh
When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.  Joseph said to him, "No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

    

But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations."

    

He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: `May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.'" So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

    

Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you, as one who is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow."

The Hebrew word shek-em' , literally "shoulder", translated here "ridge of land" is unclear and is debated by commentators. The NIV footnotes give an alternative translation, suggesting the place Shechem. Alter suggests that the term means "with single intent", that is, with purpose. Others suggest that this implies an extra portion of inheritance for Joseph.

Jacob was the second born, following Esau out of the womb in Genesis 25.  Here Jacob makes sure to give the superior blessing to Joseph's second-born son, Ephraim.

Jacob looks forward to a day when his descendants will return to the land of Canaan.

Genesis 47, Shepherds in Egypt

Jacob's tribe has arrived in Egypt.

Genesis 47: 1-10, Jacob meets Pharaoh
Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen." He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

    

Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" 

    

"Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen."

    

Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock."

    

Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?"

    

And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

Following the lead of Joseph, Jacob and his family explain that they are herders and are given area in Goshen to take their herds. Goshen (see this Wikipedia entry) is likely to have been a fertile part of the Nile delta. Pharaoh seems to have some of his own livestock in the region.

The Pharaoh welcomes and rewards Jacob's clan.  But looking back at the covenant, YHWH has promised to use the descendants of Abraham to bless all people groups and, through Joseph, the Egyptian people have avoided starvation and even prospered.

Jacob has been a wanderer (Hebrew maw-goor'), on a "pilgrimage" for 130 years.  The terms "wanderer", "sojourner", "pilgrim", easily apply to the life of this crafty fox, now the mature leader of a large and prosperous clan.

Genesis 47: 11-12, Joseph settle Jacob and family
So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children.

Jacob and his family are welcomed as prominent citizens.

The Pharaohs Rameses I and Rameses II lived in the 13th Century BC, much later than the time of Joseph.  It is likely that our narrator is using the term "district of Rameses" from his own time.

Genesis 47: 13-19, Joseph grows in power as the famine persists
There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace.         

When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up."

    

"Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone." So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock. 

    

When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.  Why should we perish before your eyes--we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate."

By careful administration during the famine, Joseph provides power and wealth to the Pharaoh.

Genesis 47: 20-26, Joseph develops a fifth
So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

    

Joseph said to the people, "Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children." 

    

"You have saved our lives," they said. "May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh."

   

So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt--still in force today--that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh's.

(NIV footnotes: The phrase "Joseph reduced the people to servitude" in verse 21 follows the Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (also the Vulgate.)  The Masoretic text translates as "he moved the people into cities.")

Joseph seems pretty oppressive?  Is the point that he is a capable administrator for the Pharaoh?

Note the phrase "still in force today" in verse 26.  Presumable "today" refers to the time of the writing about this passage, presumably some centuries later.

Genesis 47: 27-31, Jacob's last request
Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.

    

Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." 

    "

I will do as you say," he said.

    

"Swear to me," he said. 

Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

In verse 31, "leaned on the top of his staff" could be translated "bowed down at the head of his bed."  In the ancient near east it was apparently customary to have one's idols at the head of the bed and to bow down at the head of the bed was to worship.

By putting his hand under his father's thigh, Joseph is indicating the strength of the promise he is about to make.  A similar oath was made by a servant of Abraham (see Genesis 24:9) two generations back.

Jacob is dying.  His final wishes and blessings are the subject of the next two chapters, as we close out the book of Genesis.

Genesis 46, A Caravan to Egypt

The sons of Jacob have returned to him, telling him the good news of Joseph's survival and of his invitation.

Genesis 46: 1-4, God speaks to Jacob

So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 

And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" 

    

"Here I am," he replied.

    

"I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.  I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes."

God reassures Jacob.  This has all been planned from the days of the visions of the teenage Joseph.

Genesis 46: 5-7, Immigration
Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. He took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters--all his offspring.

All of Jacob's possessions go with him to Egypt.  Nothing is left behind.

Genesis 46: 8-15, Descendants of Jacob through Leah
These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.

The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

    

The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

    

The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

    

The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

    

The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron.

     

The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel.

    

These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.

    

As in many of these major transitions, the author takes a moment to record the genealogies.

In the caravan are 33 descendants of Jacob and Leah (if we count Perez and Zerah but not Er and Onan.) We include the woman, Dinah in the count, but no other women.

Genesis 46: 16-18, Descendants of Jacob through Zilpah

The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.

    

The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel.

     

These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah--sixteen in all.

    

In the caravan are also 16 descendants of Jacob and Zilpah, including one woman, Serah.

There are some discrepancies between different ancient manuscripts in some of these names.

(From the NIV footnotes: In verse 13 "Puah" follows the Samaritan Pentateuch and some Syriac manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); the  Masoretic Text has "Puvah".  Similarly for "Jashub" (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1; this is"Iob" in the Masoretic text) and "Zephon" (see also Num. 26:15; in the Masoretic Text this is "Ziphion".))

Genesis 46: 19-22, Descendants of Jacob through Rachel

The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

    

The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

    

These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob--fourteen in all.

    

We record fourteen descendants of Jacob and Rachel.  This includes Joseph and his two sons, who were already in Egypt.

Genesis 46: 23-25, Descendants of Jacob through Bilhah

The son of Dan: Hushim.

    

The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.

     

These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel--seven in all.

    

And finally, seven descendants of Jacob and Bilhah.

Genesis 46: 26-27, Those traveling to Egypt

All those who went to Egypt with Jacob--those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives--numbered sixty-six persons. With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all.

The number 70 is significant in Hebrew culture as it represents an expansion of the number 7, the number of Days of Creation. We see 7, 70, 70 plus 7 and 70 times 7 at various times in the Old or New Testament. For example, in Genesis 10, the number of people/people groups in the Table of Nations totals to 70.  Here the descendants of Jacob in the caravan from Canaan to Egypt total 70, if we count Joseph's sons and count two women.  However, even this number here has some difficulties: the Septuagint has nine children of Joseph, not two sons and then totals the number to 75.  This is repeated in  Acts 7:14 when Philip, on trial before the Sanhedrin, quotes from the Septuagint. This discrepancy between ancient manuscripts also occurs in Exodus 1:15.  (As a mathematician, I find this play on numbers interesting ... but, like most discrepancies in the ancient manuscripts, it is irrelevant to the main point of the text.)

Genesis 46: 28-30, Joseph greets his father
Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.

    

Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive."

Judah is leading the caravan to Egypt.  Joseph welcomes his father and his father weeps in joy.  His life has turned from one of disappointment to a mature one of success and family unity.

Genesis 46: 31-34, Joseph plans a conversation with Pharaoh
Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, `My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, `What is your occupation?' you should answer, `Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."

Joseph prepares a place for Jacob's tribe in Egypt.  He tells the family how they are to respond to the king.  Once again we see a certain attitude some Egyptians have about the Hebrews; commentators find this confusing as in the next chapter Pharaoh seems to view Goshen as a reward for them.