The big picture
Jacob pauses at Beersheba to worship before leaving the land. God assures him about the move to Egypt and the family's future return. A detailed list names the household, and father and son finally meet.
Scripture beside the summary
Genesis · King James Version · 34Genesis 46:1-7
Permission for the journey
God addresses Jacob in a night vision, tells him not to fear going to Egypt and promises to make a great nation there. Divine presence accompanies departure from Canaan. The promise of being brought up again looks beyond immediate comfort toward the family's continuing story.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his…” Naming Beer keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.” Naming Jacob keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great…” Naming Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Genesis 46:1-7
King James Version1And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
2And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
3And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
4I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
5And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
6And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
7His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
Genesis 46:8-27
People behind the promise
The list names sons, grandsons and family branches through Leah, Zilpah, Rachel and Bilhah. The text distinguishes counts that include or exclude certain relatives. Genealogical lists express household identity and descent, not merely a modern passenger manifest at one instant.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s…” Naming Jacob and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.” Naming Issachar and Job keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.” Naming Jacob and Laban keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the sons of Dan; Hushim.” Naming Dan and Hushim keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
The movement opens with “And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his…” By verse 11, the text has turned to “And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.” It lands on “And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 stated contrast. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.
Genesis 46:8-27
King James Version8And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
9And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.
10And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman.
11And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
13And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.
14And the sons of Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.
15These be the sons of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob in Padan-aram, with his daughter Dinah: all the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.
16And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.
17And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel.
18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.
19The sons of Rachel Jacob’s wife; Joseph, and Benjamin.
20And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him.
21And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.
22These are the sons of Rachel, which were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
23And the sons of Dan; Hushim.
24And the sons of Naphtali; Jahzeel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shillem.
25These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.
26All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were threescore and six;
27And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.
Genesis 46:28-34
The reunion and a place to live
Judah goes ahead, Joseph meets Jacob in Goshen, and they weep together. Joseph prepares the family to explain their work as shepherds to Pharaoh. Settlement will depend on truthful presentation of their livelihood within Egyptian social conditions.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.” Naming Goshen and Joseph keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him…” Naming Goshen and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.” Naming Israel and Joseph keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Genesis 46:28-34
King James Version28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
29And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
30And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
31And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
32And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
33And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
34That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Genesis 46:1 begins with “And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.”
Where the chapter turns
Genesis 46:33 forms a natural hinge: “And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?”
The final note
Genesis 46:34 leaves the reader with “That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words sons, Jacob, Egypt, Joseph, souls, Israel help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Why is the vision before departure significant?
Jacob receives reassurance that leaving the promised land does not mean leaving God's presence or purpose.
What does the long list contribute?
It gives names and relationships to the people who will become the nation in Exodus.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Genesis' household totals and the seventy-five in Acts 7:14 reflect a textual counting question discussed in relation to ancient Greek traditions. Do not conceal the difference or invent unnamed travelers as a certain solution.