Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 47:4 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 4. 4They 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The brothers say they have come to reside as sojourners because severe famine has removed pasture in Canaan, and they ask permission to live in Goshen. Their request names both temporary outsider status and concrete need.
Read It With
- Genesis 46:28–47:12
Read verses 3–6 with 46:3–4. They are livestock keepers seeking pasture under royal authority, while God's prior promise explains the larger purpose of the descent beyond immediate famine relief.
Why This Verse Appears Here
After identifying their work, the brothers explain the severe famine need and make the concrete request to reside in Goshen.
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. 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. 2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
Verse 3. 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. 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. 5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
Verse 6. 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.
What Remains True
People seeking refuge can state urgent material needs without surrendering identity or pretending the receiving land is automatically their permanent homeland.
How It Can Shape Life
- When requesting assistance, name the actual danger, the specific resource needed, and the scope of the request rather than hiding need or demanding more than the situation supports.
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 GoshenSources used for this Verse Lens
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 ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Translation and idiom cross-checks with visible uncertainty.
Exact location: NET Genesis 46:28–47:12 translator notes, especially direction to Goshen, long weeping, shepherd occupation, sojourning, capable men, blessing/greeting, few and hard years, Rameses/Goshen, and provision according to dependents
Open NET Genesis 46 ↗