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“Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all…” Naming Canaan and Goshen keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.” The number five makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their…” Naming Canaan and Goshen keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:” Naming Joseph and Pharaoh keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen…” Naming Egypt and Goshen keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.” Naming Jacob and Pharaoh keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have…” The number hundred makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.” Naming Pharaoh and Jacob keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their…” Naming Joseph keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of…” Naming Canaan and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn…” Naming Joseph and Canaan keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.” Naming Give and Joseph keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and…” Naming Joseph keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how…” The line’s distinctive content terms include lord, year, bodies. Its relationship to verses 17 and 19 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine…” Naming Pharaoh and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their…” Naming Pharaoh and Only keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the…” Naming Pharaoh and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and…” Naming Egypt and Goshen keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.” The number hundred makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their buryingplace. And he said…” Naming Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he said, Swear unto me. And he sware unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed’s head.” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.