The brothers frame their request to Pharaoh not just as a need for pasture, but as a desire to "sojourn," emphasizing their intent to stay only temporarily. This careful wording hints at a deeper understanding of their covenantal promise to Canaan, subtly distinguishing their temporary presence from permanent settlement.
They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joseph's family has arrived in Egypt seeking refuge from a devastating famine in Canaan. They are brought before Pharaoh, and in this moment, they explain their situation, emphasizing their need for pasture for their livestock and requesting permission to settle in the region of Goshen. This request sets the stage for their eventual integration into Egypt, a move that will have profound consequences for their descendants.
Imagine facing a devastating famine, your homeland barren, and your only hope lying in seeking refuge in a foreign country. What does it mean to be a 'sojourner' in such a situation?
When Joseph's brothers approach Pharaoh, they use the word 'sojourn' to describe their presence in Egypt. This wasn't just a casual term; it carried significant weight.
A Temporary Status
This careful wording protected their identity and future inheritance, a testament to their faith even in a desperate situation.
The famine is severe, leaving their homeland barren. Yet, they specifically mention needing 'pasture for their flocks.' What does this tell us about their immediate needs and the condition of Egypt?
The brothers' plea highlights a crucial detail: the famine affected Canaan differently than Egypt, particularly concerning livestock.
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Differing Famine's Grip
Understand the original words
gur · Hebrew Verb
A person who lives temporarily in a foreign land without the rights of citizenship. In a biblical context, it often highlights the believer’s status as a stranger or alien in the world, living under God's guidance while awaiting their ultimate inheritance.
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
A pervasive, extreme shortage of food, often used in Scripture as a tool of divine judgment, a test of faith, or a catalyst for God’s people to relocate or seek His intervention. It serves as a reminder of humanity's total dependence on God for daily provision.
This interaction highlights the desperate plight of Jacob's family due to the famine and their strategic request to settle in Goshen, a move that would later profoundly impact their destiny.
c. 1800 BC
Joseph's Rise to Power
Joseph, after being sold into slavery and imprisoned, interprets Pharaoh's dreams and is elevated to a position of immense authority over all of Egypt.
c. 1800 BC
Seven Years of Famine Begin
Following seven years of abundant harvests, a severe famine grips the land of Egypt and surrounding regions, including Canaan.
c. 1800 BC
Jacob's Family Travels to Egypt
Due to the severe famine in Canaan, Jacob (Israel) instructs his sons to travel to Egypt to buy grain, where they encounter Joseph.
c. 1800 BC— this verse
Request to Settle in Goshen
Joseph's family, identifying themselves as shepherds with no pasture for their flocks due to the famine in Canaan, requests permission from Pharaoh to settle in the land of Goshen.
c. 1800 BC
Israelites Settle in Goshen
Pharaoh grants permission, and Jacob and his entire family settle in Goshen, a fertile region of Egypt, where they are provided for by Joseph.
c. 1783 BC
Jacob's Death in Egypt
Jacob lives in Egypt for 17 years after settling in Goshen and eventually dies there, having made Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan.
This passage directly foreshadows the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt, highlighting God's foreknowledge and plan for their eventual affliction and deliverance, making the request to dwell in Goshen a fulfillment of prophecy.
Deuteronomy 26:5Jacob's descendants are described here as 'a wandering Aramean' and 'few in number,' directly echoing the humble status and migratory nature of the family when they first came to Egypt as sojourners, as stated in Genesis 47:4.
Exodus 1:8-9This passage describes the Israelites' rapid multiplication in Egypt, which ironically leads to their oppression. It shows how the 'sojourning' in Goshen, initially a refuge, becomes the birthplace of a mighty nation, though later viewed as a threat by the Egyptians.
Hebrews 11:9The author of Hebrews highlights Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's faith by stating they lived as foreigners in the promised land, dwelling in tents, which parallels the Israelites' status as sojourners in Goshen, awaiting their true inheritance.
calvinGenesis 47:1-31: "Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen."
- Et dixerunt ad Pharaonem, Ut peregrinaremur in hac terra, venimus, quia non est pascuum pecudibus, quae sunt servis tuis: gravis enim fames est in terra Chenaan: nunc igitur habitent quaeso servi tui in terra Gosen.
5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy fat…
pooleGenesis 47:4: "They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen."
To sojourn in the land are we come; not to defraud thy people of their lands and habitations, but only to be here for a season, as strangers and sojourners, till we can conveniently return to our own land. Canaan being a higher ground tha…
The brothers frame their request to Pharaoh not just as a need for pasture, but as a desire to "sojourn," emphasizing their intent to stay only temporarily. This careful wording hints at a deeper understanding of their covenantal promise to Canaan, subtly distinguishing their temporary presence from permanent settlement.
Joseph's family has arrived in Egypt seeking refuge from a devastating famine in Canaan. They are brought before Pharaoh, and in this moment, they explain their situation, emphasizing their need for pasture for their livestock and requesting permission to settle in the region of Goshen. This request sets the stage for their eventual integration into Egypt, a move that will have profound consequences for their descendants.
Joseph's family has arrived in Egypt seeking refuge from a devastating famine in Canaan. They are brought before Pharaoh, and in this moment, they explain their situation, emphasizing their need for pasture for their livestock and requesting permission to settle in the region of Goshen. This request sets the stage for their eventual integration into Egypt, a move that will have profound consequences for their descendants.
"They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”" — The brothers frame their request to Pharaoh not just as a need for pasture, but as a desire to "sojourn," emphasizing their intent to stay only temporarily. This careful wording hints at a deeper und…
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Last reviewed October 2026
