Free Bible Commentary
“Genesis 46:28-34”
Categories: Genesis“Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out the way before him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. Then Israel said to Joseph, “’let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.’ Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, ‘I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, “My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me; and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.” When Pharaoh calls you and says, “What is your occupation?” you shall say, “Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,” that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.’”
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““Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out the way before him to Goshen…” (verse 28) As Judah had risen to the position of prominence in the family, he was the wisest and most logical choice to go ahead of the clan to meet Joseph and prepare the way for their father’s arrival in Egypt by informing him that Israel was in route. Judah had staked his own life on Benjamin’s security and his safe return increased his father’s trust in him. Since it was Judah’s moving testimonial and plea that softened Joseph’s heart and lead to his confession of his true identity to his brothers, he also had the best rapport with Joseph as well. Nahum Sarna also pointed out, “It is only fitting that Judah, who bore responsibility for separating Joseph from Jacob (37:26), should now be charged with arranging the reunion.” James Burton Coffman suggested that “Judah, in this ‘going before Israel’ is a type of Jesus Christ our ‘forerunner’ (Hebrews 6:20).”
“Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel…” (verse 29) Just as soon as Judah brought Joseph the good news of Israel’s imminent arrival, he hopped in his chariot and sped away to Goshen to see his father just as quickly as he possibly could. “As soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time.” It appears that Israel and his long lost son embraced in silent affection for a considerable time, just hugging and loving on one another. Sometimes words just cannot express the message that bursting hearts have to say, but an extended, intensely emotional hug declares the truest and deepest affections of the soul. It was Joseph’s aged father that finally broke the silence…
“Then Israel said to Joseph, ’let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.’” (verse 30) Maybe Israel was actually ready to depart from the earth at that point, but more likely, he was merely expressing that he could now go to his grave in peace and contentment since his greatest desire and most unlikely hope had finally been fulfilled. Either way, the gracious Lord granted Israel many more blessed years in the company of his most beloved son to see him prosper and flourish in an exalted position of leadership far beyond anything that he had hoped for.
“And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.” (verse 32) Joseph rehearsed his speech to Pharaoh out loud and prepared his brothers for an answer to a possible interview with the king of Egypt themselves. “It was not accidental that Israel came to Goshen; from the very first, Joseph had foreseen that Goshen was the correct place for his father's people. It was primarily pasture land with scant, if any population. And it provided exactly the isolation that the Hebrews needed if conflict with the populations of Egypt was to be avoided. Joseph had already cleared this with Pharaoh, even before he had finished testing his brothers, and Pharaoh had already confirmed the place as the location of Israel, but Joseph apparently feared that after Pharaoh's meeting with Joseph, Pharaoh might, as a special favor to Joseph's father, locate his posterity in what the Egyptians might consider a more favorable location. Joseph knew that if the matter of the occupation of his kindred was clearly understood by Pharaoh, such a change in the plans would not occur.” (James Burton Coffman)
“For every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.” (verse 34) Joseph didn’t want his brothers to hide the true nature of their occupation but to be completely up front and honest with Pharaoh, even though the Egyptians bore this tremendous prejudice against their profession. “The word ‘abomination,’ first of all, suggests a religious ground of difference; and not only did shepherds probably kill animals worshipped in different Egyptian districts, but their religion generally was diverse from that of the fixed population. But next, men who lead a settled life always dislike wandering clans, whose cattle are too likely to prey upon their enclosed land…and who, moving from place to place, are usually not very scrupulous as to the rights of property. Such nomades, too, are generally lower in civilisation, and more rude and rough, than men who have fixed homes.” (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers) The separation between Israel’s family and the bulk of the population of the Egyptians also served, whether intentionally by Joseph or not, to keep the national bloodlines pure. The Lord’s hand appears to be greatly at work in this arrangement.
Please read Genesis 47:1-6 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
-Louie Taylor
