Gen 47 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 47:1-6: 47:1-6 Pharaoh responded as Joseph hoped by giving Jacob’s family the best part of the land; he even gave some of the brothers oversight of his own livestock (47:6 ). 47:1 Goshen (see study note on 45:10) is not referred to in ancient Egyptian texts; the name it bore in later Egyptian writings was “the region of Rameses” (47:11 ; see Exod 1:11 ). It was fertile and near to Joseph at court, which suggests that it was on the eastern side of the Nile delta.

Summary for Gen 47:1-6: 47:1-6 ^a Pharaoh responded as Joseph hoped by giving Jacob’s family the best part of the land; he even gave some of the brothers oversight of his own livestock (47:6 ^b). 47:1 ^c Goshen (see study note on 45:10) is not referred to in ancient Egyptian texts; the name it bore in later Egyptian writings was “the region of Rameses” (47:11 ^d; see Exod 1:11 ^e). It was fertile and near to Joseph at court, which suggests that it was on the eastern side of the Nile delta.
Summary for Gen 47:7-10: 47:7-10 ^f When Jacob entered Pharaoh’s court and when he left, he blessed Pharaoh, an indication of Jacob’s position as God’s representative (see Heb 7:7 ^g). God had promised that he would bless those who blessed Abraham’s family (Gen 12:2-3 ^h), so he now blessed Pharaoh and Egypt.
Summary for Gen 47:13-26: 47:13-26 ⁱ The Lord blessed Pharaoh because Pharaoh was blessing Abraham’s descendants (12:3 ^j). Through Joseph’s wise administration in Egypt, the Lord saved the people from starvation and prospered Pharaoh. In selling food to the Egyptians during the years of famine, Joseph accepted money, livestock, and finally land as payment, until almost all of Egypt belonged to Pharaoh. Meanwhile, God provided Israel with some of the best land in Egypt where they could live, work, and multiply.
47:21 ^k he made them all slaves: In Hebrew script, the difference is very slight between slaves (Hebrew ‘abadim) and towns (Hebrew ‘arim). Moving the people into the towns doesn’t fit the context very well, so most translations select slaves as the reading that makes the most sense (cp. 47:20 ^l).
47:27 ^m God blessed his people according to his promise to Abraham that his descendants would be innumerable (15:5 ⁿ; 22:17 ^o). They had to wait for the fulfillment of the second promise, that they would own the land of Canaan (17:8 ^p).
Summary for Gen 47:29-31: 47:29-31 ^q bury me with my ancestors: Cp. 49:29-33 ^r. Jacob wanted to be buried with Abraham and Isaac in the cave of Machpelah (see study note on 49:29-33; see 23:1-20 ^s; 25:7-10 ^t; 35:27-29 ^u).

• Put your hand under my thigh: This custom (cp. 24:1-9 ^v and study note on 24:2) was a serious oath to carry on the covenant, which had as its main promise innumerable descendants in the Promised Land.
47:31 ^w When the oath was taken, Jacob bowed humbly in worship and thanked the Lord for ensuring that he would be buried with his ancestors in the land of promise (cp. 1 Kgs 1:47 ^x).