Genesis 47:5-6
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Pharaoh's question, "Your father and your brothers have come to you," isn't just an observation; it's an invitation. By acknowledging their arrival, he's subtly signaling his willingness to engage with Joseph's family directly, setting the stage for them to seek a place in Egypt under his authority.
Then Pharaoh said to 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 of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pharaoh, recognizing the arrival of Joseph's family, addresses Joseph directly, acknowledging their presence and the potential for them to settle in Egypt. This sets the stage for Joseph to officially present his father, Jacob, to Pharaoh, leading to Jacob's blessing of the king and a conversation about his age and life as a sojourner. The narrative then shifts to Joseph arranging for his family to live in Goshen, the most fertile region, and continues to detail how Joseph manages Egypt through the famine, ultimately purchasing all the land for Pharaoh except for the priests'.
Pharaoh's response to Jacob's arrival isn't just about Joseph's family. It's about how this new group can benefit his kingdom.
When Pharaoh says, "Your father and your brothers have come to you," he's not just acknowledging a family reunion. He's seeing an opportunity for his kingdom.
Strategic Welcome
Pharaoh immediately recognizes the potential value of this large, skilled group. He doesn't just offer them a place to live; he offers them the best of the land. Why?
Pharaoh's gracious welcome to Jacob and his family stands in stark contrast to how many rulers treated foreigners. What can we learn from this intentional hospitality?
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Pharaoh's treatment of Jacob's family, despite them being foreigners and shepherds (a profession not highly regarded in Egypt), reveals a significant act of kingdom hospitality.
Welcoming the Outsider
Understand the original words
'erets · Hebrew Noun
A term often used in Scripture for the territory or country occupied by a particular people or group, frequently associated with divine promise or inheritance. In this context, it represents a place of residence granted by the Egyptian state.
Par‘oh · Egyptian (transliterated into Hebrew) Noun
The title given to the supreme ruler of Egypt. In the biblical narrative, Pharaoh often functions as the symbol of earthly power and the sovereignty of the nations with which the people of God interact.
This interaction occurs at a pivotal moment where Joseph's family, seeking refuge from famine, transitions from sojourners to integrated residents in Egypt, establishing a long-term presence that would eventually lead to their enslavement.
c. 1800s BC
Famine grips Canaan and Egypt
A severe, multi-year famine devastates the land, causing widespread suffering and forcing people to seek sustenance elsewhere.
c. 1800s BC— this verse
Jacob and his family migrate to Egypt
Driven by famine, Jacob and his entire household, along with their livestock, leave Canaan to settle in Egypt.
c. 1800s BC
Joseph presents his family to Pharaoh
Joseph formally introduces his father and brothers to Pharaoh, who grants them permission to settle in the fertile land of Goshen.
c. 1800s BC
Egyptians sell lands and livestock to Pharaoh
As the famine continues, Egyptians gradually sell their land, livestock, and eventually themselves into servitude to Pharaoh in exchange for food, orchestrated by Joseph.
c. 1800s BC
Israelites settle in Goshen and prosper
The family of Jacob, now called Israel, lives in Goshen, increases greatly in number, and becomes prosperous, while the rest of Egypt falls under Pharaoh's direct control.
This verse directly echoes the beginning of the Israelites' time in Egypt, showing how they multiplied and filled the land, highlighting the significance of their settlement that began with this interaction.
Joshua 24:4This passage recounts God's instruction to Abraham to settle in the land of Canaan, drawing a parallel to Pharaoh's offer to Joseph's family to settle in Egypt, contrasting the divine promise with a temporary provision.
Psalm 105:22This psalm celebrates God's sovereign hand in Joseph's life, noting that He 'set him as ruler over his officials and as instructor of all his elders,' underscoring the divine orchestration behind this moment of Pharaoh acknowledging Joseph's family.
Acts 7:14Stephen recounts this very event, emphasizing that Joseph 'sent and invited his father Jacob and all his company, numbering seventy-five persons,' providing a New Testament perspective on the importance of this gathering.
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…
gillGenesis 47:5: "And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:"
And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph,.... Who was present at the conversation that passed between him and his brethren: saying, thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee; which is observed, not for Joseph's information, but to lead on to what he had to say further.
Pharaoh's question, "Your father and your brothers have come to you," isn't just an observation; it's an invitation. By acknowledging their arrival, he's subtly signaling his willingness to engage with Joseph's family directly, setting the stage for them to seek a place in Egypt under his authority.
Pharaoh, recognizing the arrival of Joseph's family, addresses Joseph directly, acknowledging their presence and the potential for them to settle in Egypt. This sets the stage for Joseph to officially present his father, Jacob, to Pharaoh, leading to Jacob's blessing of the king and a conversation about his age and life as a sojourner. The narrative then shifts to Joseph arranging for his family to live in Goshen, the most fertile region, and continues to detail how Joseph manages Egypt through the famine, ultimately purchasing all the land for Pharaoh except for the priests'.
Pharaoh, recognizing the arrival of Joseph's family, addresses Joseph directly, acknowledging their presence and the potential for them to settle in Egypt. This sets the stage for Joseph to officially present his father, Jacob, to Pharaoh, leading to Jacob's blessing of the king and a conversation about his age and life as a sojourner. The narrative then shifts to Joseph arranging for his family to live in Goshen, the most fertile region, and continues to detail how Joseph manages Egypt through the famine, ultimately purchasing all the land for Pharaoh except for the priests'.
"Then Pharaoh said to 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 of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able me…" — Pharaoh's question, "Your father and your brothers have come to you," isn't just an observation; it's an invitation. By acknowledging their arrival, he's subtly signaling his willingness to engage wi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
