Northern Kentucky's Evening Interdenominational Community Bible Study Text of Presentation, Lesson 24-25a, Gen 45:16-48:22 Click Here for Lesson 24-25a Photos Click Here to return to GENESIS Home Page

Genesis 45:16-48:22
Jacob in Egypt: God Preserves His People

Last week began “happily ever after” for the family of Israel. Joseph revealed his identity to his 11 brothers, and set their minds at ease by saying “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (45:5). Then there was kissing and weeping all around.

Recall Joseph had hastily sent everyone except his brothers out of the room when he was about to cry – but his servants lurked at the doorway, heard Joseph break down into loud weeping, and spread the word (45:2). As tonight’s lesson opens, this “news reached Pharaoh’s palace,” where “Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased” that “Joseph’s brothers had come” (45:16). Pharaoh invites Joseph to bring his father’s household to Egypt, where he promises “the best of the land” for them (45:18) . . . echoing Joseph’s earlier invitation (45:9-11) and implying that Joseph, a wise 2nd in command, already discussed and cleared everything with pharaoh. We’ve suggested pharaoh is Senusret III, and the famine hit just as he came to the throne. Senusret III would be in a heap of hurt except for Joseph’s ingenuity storing surplus grain during 7 years of plenty when his father was pharaoh; now, during 7 years of famine, pharaoh’s treasury gets bigger and bigger as Joseph sells grain at the super-high prices. Pharaoh is so thankful to have Joseph on his “team” that he’ll probably do whatever it takes – within reason – to make him happy . . . if that means bringing his family to Egypt to protect them from starvation . . . OK! There are only 66 men, plus wives (46:26) and servants. Pharaoh even suggests one of Joseph’s brothers might be put in charge of the royal livestock (47:6) – assuming that since Joseph is such a good manager, one of his brothers might have similar talents.

The red carpet is rolled out. Pharaoh sends carts from Egypt to load up family belongings – with the assurance they really don’t need to bring anything, because all their needs will be met in Egypt. Joseph gives his brothers food and clothing for the trip, and “tweaks” his older brothers twice more before they leave: he gives Benjamin five times as many clothes – along with some money – and he says to them: “Don’t quarrel on the way!” (45:24). Beginning in Genesis 34, the bible has given glimpses suggesting the 10 sons of Leah and Bilhah and Zilpah were a naturally quarrelsome lot.

The brothers reach Canaan and tell their father the story. Israel is in total disbelief – as would be expected. But when he sees the carts – and presumably their Egyptian drivers – he proclaims: “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die” (45:28). So they load up and away they go.

Israel probably leaves from Hebron. When he reaches Beersheba, he offers sacrifices to God. Both Abraham and Isaac had built altars in Beersheba (21:33, 26:35), and here God speaks to Israel again. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,” God says; “I will go down to Egypt with you” (46:3-4). These words from God may be bittersweet, because Israel is surely aware of God’s words to Abraham: that his offspring must undergo 400 years of slavery before emerging to conquer God’s promised land (15:13-16). God also promises Israel Joseph will be with him when he dies (46:4).

The middle of chapter 46 contains a listing of the family of Israel which “descended” into Egypt. Such lists are mainly a curiosity to us; we learn Israel already has great-grandchildren (46:12), and that Benjamin – with 10 sons (46:21) – is the most prolific, though he’s only about 26. Maybe this shows how Benjamin spent his time while Israel kept him close to home to protect him!

Nevertheless, such lists are very valuable for Jewish genealogy, and this “Descent into Egypt” is one of the seminal events in Jewish history: used as the starting point to calculate other dates in the bible. The bible tells us Israel was 130 years old when this occurred (47:9), and Joseph is 39 (41:46, 45:11). With this information, it’s possible to work back and estimate the times of Abraham and Isaac . . . and to work forward to the time of the Exodus (Ex 12:41) and the building of Solomon’s temple (1 Kn 6:1).

Returning to the story . . . Judah, now clearly leader of the 10 brothers (even though the 4th son), goes ahead to get directions, and leads the family to their homestead in Goshen. Joseph meets them there, and has a tearful reunion with his father; Israel says to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive” (46:30).

The only thing left to do is to receive pharaoh’s blessing on this settlement – and for this, Joseph carefully briefs his family what they are to say – presumably to match up with what he has told pharaoh. When pharaoh asks about their occupation, they are to say: “Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did” (46:34). This, of course, is true – Joseph is only making certain his brothers don’t say something stupid to mess up his carefully laid plans . . . including his plan that the family will live away from the main Egyptian settlements, because “shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians” (46:34). This will allow them to worship God in a separate community away from pagan influences. Joseph sends 5 brothers to be interviewed by pharaoh, and they respond as Joseph programmed them. It’s interesting they do not request permanent settlement . . . they say “We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture” (47:4). Pharaoh responds: “settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen” (47:6). (This dialog is another indicator Joseph’s pharaoh is not Hyksos; the Hyksos would have cared little for the feelings of native Egyptians).

Joseph then presents his father to pharaoh. Israel greets pharaoh with a blessing – presumably thanking him for saving the lives of his family. Pharaoh only asks Israel’s age – which is 130 (47:9). The bible says Israel “blessed Pharaoh” as he departed (47:10) – which seems unusual, since the greater person normally blesses the lesser, but presumably this is in deference to Israel’s age and pharaoh’s respect for Joseph.

The bible says “Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the . . . district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed” (47:11). The use of the name “Rameses” causes problems with the dating suggested here, because Ramesses II was 600 years later than Senusret III. However, since the name Rameses is related to the sun god Ra, it’s possible the city name has no relation to the Rameside dynasty – and/or that this name was added to the text later to pinpoint the location for later readers. As far as the land of “Goshen” . . . there is no extra-biblical reference to this name, but it is presumed to be the Wadi Tumilat district on the eastern edge of the Nile delta, which is favorable to herdsmen; on at least one recorded occasion, Egyptians allowed tribesmen to settle there temporarily to keep their herds alive. Ancient Ramses is there, at a site known as Tell el-Dab'a, about 62 miles northeast of Cairo.

Tell el-Dab'a contains evidence of Semitic peoples in an unfortified rural settlement in the mid-19th century BC. The living quarters consisted of rectangular huts built of sand bricks, with many enclosure walls, most likely for keeping animals. A large part of the pottery found in the debris was of Palestinian Middle Bronze Age type. And although the cemetery was thoroughly plundered, 50% of the male burials had weapons of Palestinian type in them. In other words, this is the right culture in the right place at the right time to be the Israelite settlement organized by Joseph.

Furthermore, a small villa has been excavated in Tell el-Dab’a, presumably occupied by an important official. The bible does not say where Joseph lived while serving pharaoh, but it seems logical he would have a home in Rameses to be near his father and brothers – even if only after he discharged his duties overseeing famine relief.

The villa is 1300 sq ft – a respectable small house by modern standards – and consists of six rooms laid out in horseshoe fashion around an open courtyard, in a floor plan identical to the Israelite “four-room house” of a later period. Several two-roomed homes, about 500 sq ft, are in a semi-circle around the villa. If the villa was the home of Joseph, the surrounding huts might have been those of his father and brothers. And a tomb in the cemetery offers even more remarkable evidence pointing to the presence of Joseph here, as we’ll discuss next week.

Chapter 47 includes details about the impact of Joseph’s economic policies on Egypt. Because the famine was so long and so severe, grain prices went sky-high. Our experience with oil prices shows how commodities cost less when they are plentiful and more when they are scarce – like the 50c/gal increase when Katrina knocked out gulf coast refineries. To buy high-priced grain to keep themselves alive, the people had to give pharaoh all their money . . . then all their livestock . . . then their land and their persons (47:13-20). In this way, Joseph acquired all the land for pharaoh, and the people became share croppers, receiving 80% of the produce. This is actually quite generous compared with other serfs and share croppers; the people praised Joseph and pharaoh: “You have saved our lives,” they said. “We will be in bondage to Pharaoh” (47:25). Nevertheless, the bible says “the land of the priests . . . did not become Pharaoh’s” because pharaoh provided them a grain allotment (47:22, 26).

This is all consistent with the historical period of the 12th dynasty. Senusret II allowed the provincial governors – the nomarchs – to gain substantial power, but Senusret III re-established the power of pharaoh. Since the nomarchs held pharaoh in contempt, this must have provided great satisfaction to Senusret III – rubbing the nomarchs’ noses in their subjugation. Nevertheless, the priests were able to retain much of their power and their land – just as the bible says.

Another group which escapes ill effects from the famine is the family of Israel, which “acquired property (in Egypt) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number” (47:27)

The balance of chapter 47 deals with an oath Israel requires Joseph to take. Israel lives 17 years in Egypt, and dies at the age of 147 (47:28). When he feels death is near, he calls in Joseph and asks him to place his hand under his genitals and swear not to bury him in Egypt, but to take him back to Hebron (47:29). This recalls a similar oath Abraham required from his chief servant with regard to a wife for Isaac. The exact significance of this oath is unclear, but it seems to be an oath extending to posterity, beyond the lifetime of Israel – which is especially significant in this case! In any case, Israel wants to be buried with his wife Leah (49:31) and his forefathers in the Cave of Machpelah (47:30) – as God had promised him (46:4). He knows Canaan is the land God has promised to Abraham’s offspring, to which his family will return; in effect he will be going ahead of them. And Joseph says “I will do as you say” (47:30).

Burying father is normally the role of the firstborn son, so Israel’s request of Joseph in this case foreshadows what happens “some time later” in chapter 48, when Israel formally designates Joseph to receive the rights of primogeniture. This occurs in the context of blessing Joseph’s children, Manesseh and Ephraim when Israel is near death. When we discussed Isaac’s blessing and Esau’s birthright – both of which were stolen by Jacob (Israel) – we asked how much latitude a father had designating his heirs. Here the answer seems to be “a lot.”

The inheritance thing has been overhanging the family of Israel for almost 40 years, ever since Reuben the firstborn arguably tried to seize power from Israel before he settled in Hebron (35:22). Joseph has always been his father’s favorite, and is the obvious choice to be designated heir and head of household when he dies. It was apparently the custom that, whenever someone other than the firstborn was to be so designated, the process began with a private meeting between father and favored son. We saw that in the movie Gladiator; and that seems to be what’s happening here. Israel is ill, and he calls in Joseph – accompanied by his sons – for a private meeting.

Israel’s speech rambles. He recalls his first encounter with God in Bethel – though he uses the older name of Luz (48:3). Israel then proclaims that Joseph’s two sons will be considered as his own sons in dividing his inheritance. This may be the first example of generation-skipping estate planning, and establishes for Joseph the firstborn’s “double portion” of his father’s inheritance. Joseph is split in two for inheritance purposes: if he has any more children, they will be considered offspring of Manesseh and Ephraim. At the Exodus and later, there is no tribe of Joseph – but separate tribes of Manesseh and Ephraim.

Israel continues to ramble into reminiscences about Rachel, his favorite wife and Joseph’s mother. Then he blesses Manesseh and Ephraim. Recall . . . Israel took advantage of his father’s near-blindness to steal his brother’s blessing; now that he is nearly blind himself (48:10), he’s not going be tricked in the same way. So he asks Joseph to bring his children close, and to identify them prior to the blessing; we’ll see he has something up his sleeve!

Joseph takes the two young men out “from between (Israel’s) knees” (48:12 JPS) for the blessing. Joseph bows before his father, while his sons stand – or kneel – beside him: Manesseh the older on Israel’s right, and Ephraim on his left (48:13). Israel reaches out to bless them, but crosses over his arms: putting his right hand on Ephraim, and his left on Manesseh. This distresses Joseph. He attempts to shift Israel’s hands – presumably thinking he’s old and confused. But Israel will have nothing of it; this meeting is being held to declare Joseph heir over 10 older brothers, and if Israel wishes to make a similar declaration with regard to Joseph’s sons, he’s going to do it! The “younger brother will be greater,” declares Israel, “and his descendants will become a group of nations” (48:19). In fact, the two dominant tribes of Israel in later years are Judah and Ephraim, with Manesseh playing a strong supporting role for Ephraim. But I am not aware that his prophesy that Ephraim “will become a group of nations” ever came true – unless this happened after the tribe of Ephraim was taken in captivity by Assyria in 722BC; a Moslem friend from Kashmir once told me his family tradition is that they are descended from the tribe of Ephraim!

The final verse in chapter 48 is the one toward which everything else in the chapter seems to point. Israel proclaims Joseph “is over (his) brothers” (48:22), making him head of household upon his death, and confirming a situation which has existed in fact ever since the family came to Egypt. Israel also bequeaths Joseph “the ridge of land I took from the Amorites” (48:22); it’s not clear what Israel is referring to here, but some commentators speculate it is the property near Shechem he purchased when he first arrived in Canaan (33:19), and which became Joseph’s final resting place (Jos 24:32). Shechem was the focus of a campaign of retribution by Senusret III, as we discussed earlier, and it became headquarters for the tribe of Ephraim after the Exodus.

Next week we’ll conclude this study of Genesis with chapters 49-50 – lessons 25b-26. We’ll discuss Israel’s blessing of his 12 sons – then his death and burial. We’ll find Joseph’s 10 half-brothers claim they had their own private meeting with Israel, and we’ll discuss the implications of that. Finally we’ll discuss Joseph’s death and burial – and a remarkable tomb found in Tell el-Dab’a that may be Joseph’s.