Catholic Commentary on Genesis 46

"I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." (Genesis 46:4)

Jacob Goes to Egypt

Israel takes his family and sets out for Egypt. He stops at Beersheba and offers sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God speaks to him in a vision at night: Jacob, Jacob. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes. The promise addresses Jacob's deepest fears: the fear of dying in a foreign land, the fear of losing the covenant land, the fear of dying without seeing Joseph again. God promises presence, return, and reunion. The going down to Egypt is not apostasy or defeat. It is part of the covenant plan, the darkness before the Exodus dawn.

The list of Jacob's family who go to Egypt numbers seventy, the fullness of the nations in biblical numerology. All Israel in its initial fullness enters Egypt. When Jacob and Joseph are reunited after more than twenty years, Joseph throws his arms around his father and weeps for a long time. Jacob says: now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive. The man who wept when he thought Joseph was dead and was inconsolable through all those years now has Joseph alive before him. The long grief is answered.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, I will go down to Egypt with you. The promise of divine accompaniment is given specifically for the frightening journey, the descent into the foreign place, the move that feels like exile. God does not say: do not go. He says: I am going with you. The courage to go is sustained by the promise of presence, not by the removal of the difficulty. Whatever Egypt you are entering, he is going down with you.

Prayer

Lord God, you went down to Egypt with Jacob and brought his family back. Go down with us into every Egypt: every frightening descent, every foreign land, every place that feels like the wrong direction. And bring us back in your time, your way. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

46
Jacob’s Journey to Egypt
1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said.
 
“Here I am,” replied Jacob.
 
3 “I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”
 
5 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him, along with their children and wives. 6 They also took the livestock and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt.
Those Who Went to Egypt
(Exodus 1:1–7)
 
7 Jacob took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring.
The Children of Leah
 
8 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
 
9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
 
10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel,* 46:10 Jemuel is another name for Nemuel; see Numbers 26:12. Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar,† 46:10 Zohar is a variant of Zerah; see Numbers 26:13 and 1 Chronicles 4:24. and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
 
11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
 
12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
 
The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
 
13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah,‡ 46:13 Hebrew; SP and Syriac Puah; see 1 Chronicles 7:1. Job,§ 46:13 Hebrew; SP and some LXX manuscripts Jashub; see Numbers 26:24 and 1 Chronicles 7:1. and Shimron.
 
14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
 
15 These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram,* 46:15 That is, northwest Mesopotamia in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three.
The Children of Zilpah
 
16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion,† 46:16 SP and LXX Zephon; see also Numbers 26:15. Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi,‡ 46:16 Arodi is a variant of Arod; see Numbers 26:17. and Areli.
 
17 The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.
 
The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.
 
18 These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.
The Children of Rachel
 
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
 
20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.§ 46:20 That is, Heliopolis, as in LXX
 
21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
 
22 These are the sons of Rachel born to Jacob—fourteen in all.
The Children of Bilhah
 
23 The son of Dan: Hushim.
 
24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
 
25 These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.
 
26 All those belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt—his direct descendants, besides the wives of Jacob’s sons—numbered sixty-six persons. 27 And with the two sons * 46:27 Hebrew; LXX the nine sons, probably including Joseph’s grandsons through Ephraim and Manasseh; see 1 Chronicles 7:14–29. who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt were seventy † 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5); LXX (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five in all.
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
 
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.”

*46:10 46:10 Jemuel is another name for Nemuel; see Numbers 26:12.

†46:10 46:10 Zohar is a variant of Zerah; see Numbers 26:13 and 1 Chronicles 4:24.

‡46:13 46:13 Hebrew; SP and Syriac Puah; see 1 Chronicles 7:1.

§46:13 46:13 Hebrew; SP and some LXX manuscripts Jashub; see Numbers 26:24 and 1 Chronicles 7:1.

*46:15 46:15 That is, northwest Mesopotamia

†46:16 46:16 SP and LXX Zephon; see also Numbers 26:15.

‡46:16 46:16 Arodi is a variant of Arod; see Numbers 26:17.

§46:20 46:20 That is, Heliopolis, as in LXX

*46:27 46:27 Hebrew; LXX the nine sons, probably including Joseph’s grandsons through Ephraim and Manasseh; see 1 Chronicles 7:14–29.

†46:27 46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5); LXX (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five

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