The sons of Jacob have returned to him in Canaan, telling him the good news of Joseph's survival and of his invitation to join him in Egypt.
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."
Jacob passed through Beersheba in Genesis 28:10-11, on his way north to see Laban, many many decades before. It was near there that he first encountered God, in a dream of a staircase to heaven. A great deal has happened since then and God reassures Jacob that His plan to bless Jacob is still in effect. As is the plan for Jacob's descendants to inhabit Canaan.
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 but old graves and memories are 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 in Genesis, the author takes a moment to record the important 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 daughter, 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 on some of the names in verses 8 to 16, and some differences between other genealogical lists (say the NIV footnotes.) In verse 13 the name "Puah" follows the Samaritan Pentateuch and some Syriac manuscripts as does 1 Chronicles 7:1 but the Masoretic Text has "Puvah." Similarly "Jashub" follows the Samaritan and Syriac manuscripts and and also Numbers 26:24 and 1 Chronicles 7:1 but is apparently "Iob" in the Masoretic text. There are similar issues with "Zephon" (see Numbers 26:15); in the Masoretic Text this is "Ziphion". There are additional discrepancies between this chapter and lists given in Numbers 26. Notable are descendants of Simeon, Asher, and Benjamin. Walton, on p. 685 of his Genesis commentary, provides additional details.
Genesis 46:19-22, Descendants of Jacob through Rachel
The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
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. We now have a count of 63 names....
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 number is repeated in Acts 7:14 when Philip, on trial before the Sanhedrin, quotes from the Septuagint. This discrepancy between the 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. Jacob's life has turned from one of strife and 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 that 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.
Some Hebrew vocabulary
Our Hebrew word for the day ra'ah
רָעָה
a verb meaning "to shepherd" or "to tend" (flocks.) This is the profession that Jacob claims.
Some Random Thoughts
The long arc of Genesis, emphasizing the promised land of Canaan, ends with a caravan to Egypt, welcomed by a powerful king.
First published Feb 23, 2023; updated Feb 23, 2026
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