Israel Brings His Family to Egypt: Genesis 46.1-27
Israel heads with all his possessions to the sacred Beer-sheba, where he offers sacrifices “to the God of his father Isaac” (Gen. 46.1). This is the territory Jacob knew in the last days of his father, when he stole his brother’s blessing. It was where God commanded Isaac to settle. Now Israel receives a command from God to settle elsewhere: “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes” (Gen. 46.3-4). In addition to the patriarchal blessing of progeny and protection, God also offers a new blessing: that the man will live long enough that his favorite son will witness his death.
The sons of Israel carry their father, their children, and their wives to Egypt in Pharaoh’s wagons. What follows is a genealogy of the Israelites who came into Egypt.
Genealogy and Math
“All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own offspring, not including the wives of his sons, were sixty-six persons in all” (Gen. 46.26).
Children of Leah: 33 (34 according to the list of names)
Children of Zilpah: 16 (17 according to the list of names)
Children of Rachel: 14
Children of Bilhah: 7
Total Children = 70 (72 according to the list of names)
Leah’s total might be 33 because Shaul is the son of a Canaanite woman, and therefore may be subject to exclusion.
Zilpah’s total might be 16 because Serah is a girl. So it goes.
Since Joseph and his offspring did not come into Egypt, and Judah’s sons Er and Onan are dead, we can subtract 5, bringing us to 65. To bring the total to 66 we must include Joseph in the count, even though he is already there. Note also that this tally does not include the matriarchs: Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, and Bilhah.
“The children of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy” (Gen. 46.27).
Presumably, then, this includes the four matriarchs, as 66 + 4 = 70. It excludes Jacob because it is his house.
Why 70 children? Because 70 is a number that represents completeness. Israel’s family is whole (=70) when they enter Egypt. It is symbolic and literal: a name corresponds to every member of the family to add up to a number that itself represents completeness.
Jacob Settles in Goshen: Genesis 46.28-47.12
Remember how Jacob sent his servants ahead of him bearing gifts for Esau when he was afraid his brother would kill him? (Gen. 32) He does this again, sending Judah ahead of him to meet Joseph and lead the way into Goshen. In fact, the scene plays out in much the same way. Joseph meets his father in a chariot: “He presented himself to him, fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while” (Gen. 46.29). Compare to Genesis 33.4: “But Esau ran to meet him [Jacob], and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” Apparently this is how you are supposed to greet Jacob after not seeing him for a long time.
Israel declares that he can die happy, having seen his son is alive. That is a pretty touching sentiment.
Joseph tells his father’s household that he will go to Pharaoh and tell him that the family has come. He will say that the men are shepherds, and when Pharaoh asks their occupation, they should answer: “Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our ancestors” (Gen. 46.34). The brothers are not to say they are shepherds; apparently shepherds are abhorrent to the Egyptians.
Huh.
In any case, it reveals a bit of the family history and helps to characterize them: these are a people who tend flocks.
Joseph tells Pharaoh about his family settling in Goshen, and selects five of his brothers to present to him. They tell Pharaoh that indeed they are shepherds, just like their ancestors. They continue that they have come to reside as aliens, for the famine has destroyed the pastures of Canaan. Pharaoh apparently does not have a problem with shepherds after all. He tells Joseph:
Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land; let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know that there are capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.
(Gen. 47.5-6)
Joseph’s service to Pharaoh is rewarded with the best of the land of Egypt for his family. This band of aliens receives, through diplomacy, the best portion of Egypt.
Joseph then brings Jacob before Pharaoh. Jacob blesses Pharaoh, and Pharaoh asks his age. Jacob answers truthfully, if a bit cynically: “The years of my earthly sojourn are one hundred thirty; few and hard have been the years of my life. They do not compare with the years of the life of my ancestors during their long sojourn” (Gen. 47.9). Jacob blesses Pharaoh again and leaves. Two blessings? These display Jacob’s superiority over Pharaoh. Normally it would be Pharaoh who blesses others, but Jacob, father of Joseph, instead asserts his authority with blessings, which Pharaoh apparently accepts.
Joseph then settles his father and brothers in the land of Rameses, the P-source equivelant to Goshen.
Joseph is apparently not only benevolent towards his family, but a good administrator as well. He provides “his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents” (Gen. 47.12).
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