Focused Passage

Genesis 46:28-34

God Reassures Israel on the Way to Egypt, the Family Descends in Promise, and Joseph Meets His Father Again

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen,

29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went there to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, embraced him, and wept profusely.

30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Finally I can die, now that I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!”

31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh: ‘My brothers and my father’s household from the land of Canaan have come to me.

32 The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’

33 When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’

34 you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 28

Original words

- וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker Now Jacob had sent שָׁלַ֤ח H7971 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Judah יְהוּדָ֞ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular ahead of him לְפָנָיו֙ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Joseph יוֹסֵ֔ף H3130 Noun - proper - masculine singular to get directions לְהוֹרֹ֥ת H3384 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct . . . לְפָנָ֖יו H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular to Goshen גֹּ֑שְׁנָה H1657 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular When [Jacob’s family] arrived וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural in the land אַ֥רְצָה H776 Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular of Goshen גֹּֽשֶׁן׃ H1657 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 29

Original words

Joseph יוֹסֵף֙ H3130 Noun - proper - masculine singular prepared וַיֶּאְסֹ֤ר H631 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular his chariot מֶרְכַּבְתּ֔וֹ H4818 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular and went וַיַּ֛עַל H5927 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular [there] גֹּ֑שְׁנָה H1657 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular to meet לִקְרַֽאת־ H7122 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct his father אָבִ֖יו H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular Joseph presented himself וַיֵּרָ֣א H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to him אֵלָ֗יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular embraced וַיִּפֹּל֙ H5307 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . עַל־ H5921 Preposition him צַוָּארָ֔יו H6677 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular and wept וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ H1058 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . צַוָּארָ֖יו H6677 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular profusely עֽוֹד׃ H5750 Adverb
Verse 30

Original words

Then Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֧אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Joseph יוֹסֵ֖ף H3130 Noun - proper - masculine singular Finally I can die אָמ֣וּתָה H4191 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular now הַפָּ֑עַם H6471 Article | Noun - feminine singular . . . אַחֲרֵי֙ H310 Preposition that I have seen רְאוֹתִ֣י H7200 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker your face פָּנֶ֔יךָ H6440 Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular [and know] that כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction you are still עוֹדְךָ֖ H5750 Adverb | second person masculine singular alive חָֽי׃ H2416 Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 31

Original words

Joseph יוֹסֵ֤ף H3130 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֨אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his brothers אֶחָיו֙ H251 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular and to וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition his father’s אָבִ֔יו H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular household בֵּ֣ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct I will go up אֶעֱלֶ֖ה H5927 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular and inform וְאַגִּ֣ידָה H5046 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular Pharaoh לְפַרְעֹ֑ה H6547 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular - וְאֹֽמְרָ֣ה H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular אֵלָ֔יו אֵלָ֔יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular My brothers אַחַ֧י H251 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular and my father’s אָבִ֛י H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular household וּבֵית־ H1004 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative from the land בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of Canaan כְּנַ֖עַן H3667 Noun - proper - masculine singular have come בָּ֥אוּ H935 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural to me אֵלָֽי׃ H413 Preposition | first person common singular
Verse 32

Original words

The men וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֙ H582 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural are shepherds רֹ֣עֵי H7462 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct . . . צֹ֔אן H6629 Noun - common singular - כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction - אַנְשֵׁ֥י H582 Noun - masculine plural construct they raise livestock מִקְנֶ֖ה H4735 Noun - masculine singular . . . הָי֑וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural and they have brought הֵבִֽיאוּ׃ H935 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural their flocks וְצֹאנָ֧ם H6629 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural and herds וּבְקָרָ֛ם H1241 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural and all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct that אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative they own לָהֶ֖ם Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 33

Original words

- וְהָיָ֕ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular When כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction Pharaoh פַּרְעֹ֑ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular summons יִקְרָ֥א H7121 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular you לָכֶ֖ם Preposition | second person masculine plural and asks וְאָמַ֖ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular What מַה־ H4100 Interrogative is your occupation מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶֽם׃ H4639 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 34

Original words

you are to say וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֗ם H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural Your servants עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ H5650 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular . . . אַנְשֵׁ֨י H582 Noun - masculine plural construct have raised livestock מִקְנֶ֜ה H4735 Noun - masculine singular . . . הָי֤וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural ever since our youth מִנְּעוּרֵ֣ינוּ H5271 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural . . . וְעַד־ H5704 Conjunctive waw | Preposition . . . עַ֔תָּה H6258 Adverb both גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction we אֲנַ֖חְנוּ H587 Pronoun - first person common plural and גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction our fathers אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural Then בַּעֲב֗וּר H5668 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular you will be allowed to settle תֵּשְׁבוּ֙ H3427 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural in the land בְּאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of Goshen גֹּ֔שֶׁן H1657 Noun - proper - feminine singular since כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct shepherds רֹ֥עֵה H7462 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct . . . צֹֽאן׃ H6629 Noun - common singular are detestable תוֹעֲבַ֥ת H8441 Noun - feminine singular construct to the Egyptians מִצְרַ֖יִם H4713 Noun - proper - feminine singular

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