Genesis Chapter 47 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Genesis 47:1–4
Yosef went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks, herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Kena'an; now they are in the land of Goshen." Then he took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" They answered Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, as were our ancestors." They said to Pharaoh, "We have come to live in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks; the famine is severe in the land of Kena'an. Therefore, please, let your servants live in the land of Goshen."
Yosef presents five of his brothers to Pharaoh and they identify themselves as shepherds. Their occupation explains why they need pasture in Goshen, and it helps establish a place for the family to live during the famine.
Genesis 47:5–10
Pharaoh said to Yosef, "Your father and brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you; have your father and brothers live in the best part of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know that some of them are competent, put them in charge of my livestock too." Yosef brought in Ya'akov his father and presented him to Pharaoh, and Ya'akov blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked Ya'akov, "How old are you?" Ya'akov answered Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage have been one hundred thirty. The years of my life have been few and hard; they have not attained the years of my ancestors' lives in their pilgrimage." Then Ya'akov blessed Pharaoh and left Pharaoh's presence.
Pharaoh gives Yosef's family the best part of the land and allows capable men to care for his livestock. Ya'akov blesses Pharaoh, even though Pharaoh is ruler over Egypt. Ya'akov describes his life as a pilgrimage and recognizes that his years have been difficult.
Genesis 47:11 & 12
Yosef settled his father and brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in the best part of the land, in the land of Ra'amses, as Pharaoh had ordered. Yosef provided food for his father, brothers and all his father's household, according to how many children they had.
Yosef settles his family in the best part of Egypt and provides food for every household. While the famine is severe in the surrounding lands, the family of Isra'el is cared for because of Yosef's position and provision.
Genesis 47:13–17
There was no food anywhere, for the famine was very severe, so that both Egypt and Kena'an grew weak from hunger. Yosef collected all the money there was in Egypt and Kena'an in exchange for the grain they bought, and put the money in Pharaoh's treasury. When all the money in Egypt had been spent, and likewise in Kena'an, all the Egyptians approached Yosef and said, "Give us something to eat, even though we have no money; why should we die before your eyes?" Yosef replied, "Give me your livestock. If you don't have money, I will give you food in exchange for your livestock." So they brought Yosef their livestock; and Yosef gave them food in exchange for the horses, flocks, cattle and donkeys - all that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
The Hebrew word that is translated here as "collected" actually is the word for gleaning and it speaks of a blessing. In this passage, we see that, because of his obedience to God, Yosef is in a position where he can be blessed by God as he receives all of the money and livestock from the land in exchange for food. In the fact that the money is put into Pharaoh's treasury, we see that Yosef is fulfilling the purpose of Israel in being a blessing. This is what I like to call "collateral blessing" which is where those that are not in Christ receive blessing from Christians that are around them as God blesses His people.
Genesis 47:18–22
When that year was over, they approached Yosef again and said to him, "We won't hide from my lord that all our money is spent, and the herds of livestock belong to my lord. We have nothing left, as my lord can see, but our bodies and our land. Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be enslaved to Pharaoh. But also give us seed to plant, so that we can stay alive and not die, and so that the land won't become barren." So Yosef acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, as one by one the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine weighed on them so severely. Thus the land became the property of Pharaoh. As for the people, he reduced them to serfdom city by city, from one end of Egypt's territory to the other. Only the priests' land did he not acquire, because the priests were entitled to provisions from Pharaoh, and they ate from what Pharaoh provided them; therefore they did not sell their land.
Here, we see that the famine is fading but the people are still suffering and have no seed to plant a crop. Therefore, they all sold themselves to be slaves and sold their land for food except for the Egyptian religious leaders who received food from Pharaoh by law. We see that the people were put into cities and given seed to plant the land for Pharaoh.
Genesis 47:23–26
Then Yosef said to the people, "As of today I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you to sow the land. When harvest time comes, you are to give twenty percent to Pharaoh; eighty percent will be yours to keep for seed to plant in the fields, as well as for your food and for that of your households and your little ones." They replied, "You have saved our lives! So if it pleases my lord, we will be Pharaoh's slaves." Yosef made it a law for the country of Egypt, valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have twenty percent. Only the property belonging to the priests did not become Pharaoh's.
The law was that everyone except for the priests was required to give Pharaoh one fifth of the crop each year.
Genesis 47:27–31
Isra'el lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. They acquired possessions in it and were productive, and their numbers multiplied greatly. Ya'akov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; thus Ya'akov lived to be 147 years old. The time came when Isra'el was approaching death; so he called for his son Yosef and said to him, "If you truly love me, please put your hand under my thigh and pledge that, out of consideration for me, you will not bury me in Egypt. Rather, when I sleep with my fathers, you are to carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." He replied, "I will do as you have said." He said, "Swear it to me," and he swore to him. Then Isra'el bowed down at the head of his bed.
Here, we see that God made a distinction between where His people lived and the rest of the land. While the rest of the land was selling everything to survive, His people were growing and thriving. We see that Isra'el lived there for seventeen years and those years were being a blessing to the nations as it was God's will. As he was ready to die, he asked Yosef to swear to him that he would be taken back and buried at the tomb in Hevron. When Yosef agreed, Ya'akov worshipped God as he still had faith in the promises that God had made to Avraham.