Verse Lens · Context pointer

Genesis 47:1 Explained in Context

Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.

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Verse 1. 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.

King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions

Role in This Section

Joseph formally reports to Pharaoh that his father, brothers, livestock, and possessions have arrived from Canaan and are already in Goshen.

Read It With

  • Genesis 46:28–47:12

Read verses 1–6. This report begins the royal audience; five brothers then explain their occupation and need, and Pharaoh authorizes the settlement.

Why It Needs Context

The verse establishes the family's presence and resources but does not by itself record Pharaoh's permission, which follows after the brothers speak.

Read Genesis 47:1–6 together

Why these verses belong together: Joseph reports the arrival, five brothers present occupation and famine need, and Pharaoh grants suitable land and possible livestock responsibility.

Verse 1. 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.

Verse 2. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.

Verse 3. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

Verse 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.

Verse 5. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:

Verse 6. The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

Continue in Context

The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.

Read Genesis 46:28–47:12 — Jacob's Family Settles in Goshen
Sources used for this context pointer

How certain is this explanation? very strong

These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Displayed text, Judah and reunion context, patriarchal blessing and lifespan comparisons, settlement, famine provision, burial, multiplication, and later oppression.

Exact location: Genesis 46:28–47:12 with 12:1–3; 15:13–16; 25:7; 35:28; 46:1–27; 47:13–31; 49:28–50:14; and Exodus 1:1–14 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV

Open source ↗

hebrew text morphology and lemma data

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project

Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026

Supports: Exact Hebrew direction, occupation, aversion, sojourning, competence, blessing, lifespan, holding, toponym, and dependent language.

Exact location: WLC Genesis 46:28–47:12, especially lehorot in 46:28; shepherd and abomination wording in 46:32–34; lagur and anshei-hayil in 47:4–6; vayevarekh and megurai in 47:7–10; ahuzzah, Ra'meses, and lefi hattaf in 47:11–12

Open source ↗
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