Genesis 46

Israel traveled with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac.

God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.”

He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation.

I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”

Jacob rose up from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

They took their livestock, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt—Jacob, and all his offspring with him,

his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and he brought all his offspring with him into Egypt.

These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.

The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three.

The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob, even sixteen souls.

The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.

The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.

The son of Dan: Hushim.

The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls were seven.

All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, in addition to Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were sixty-six.

The sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, who came into Egypt, were seventy.

Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen.

Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.”

Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father’s house, “I will go up, and speak with Pharaoh, and will tell him, ‘My brothers, and my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’

It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, ‘What is your occupation?’

that you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers:’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter records Jacob’s divinely confirmed journey from Canaan to Egypt, marking a pivotal transition in the story of God’s chosen family. It details Jacob’s worship at Beersheba, God’s reassuring promise in a night vision, and the physical relocation of the entire household to Goshen, culminating in the emotional reunion between Jacob and Joseph. The chapter emphasizes God’s sovereignty in preserving His people and fulfilling earlier promises, while also laying the foundation for Israel’s national development in a foreign land.

Flow.

Jacob’s journey begins with worship and divine encounter: he offers sacrifices and receives a word from God, confirming that the move is according to divine purpose.
The narrative shifts to the logistics of the migration, listing the seventy members of Jacob’s household who entered Egypt—establishing the identity and number of the covenant family.
Joseph reunites with Jacob, whose response—“Now let me die”—reflects fulfilled longing and divine faithfulness.
Joseph instructs his brothers on how to present themselves to Pharaoh, using their occupation as shepherds to secure Goshen as their dwelling, ensuring separation from Egyptian society.

Connections. Following chapter 45, where Joseph reveals his identity and urges his family to come to Egypt, chapter 46 shows the fulfillment of that summons under divine oversight. The journey to Egypt is not a mere relocation but part of the unfolding promise first made to Abraham (cf. ), which chapter 47 begins to unfold further as Jacob’s family settles in Goshen and Joseph manages the broader implications of the famine. Thus, this chapter forms a hinge between promise and presence: the family enters the land of provision, setting the stage for both blessing and bondage.

What it teaches. God’s covenant faithfulness is evident in His personal reaffirmation to Jacob, promising both presence and return (WCF 7.3). The number seventy signifies the fullness of nations descending from one man, reflecting God’s purpose to bless the families of the earth through Abraham’s offspring (Gen. 12:3; cf. HC LD 9). The holiness of the chosen line is maintained through separation—Joseph’s instruction to claim a shepherding occupation preserves their distinctness in Egypt, foreshadowing their role as a set-apart people. The divine command and care in migration underscore that God governs the movements of nations for redemptive ends (CD I.10).

Apply. The same God who guided Jacob’s steps into exile preserves His people today in every trial and transition.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.