Genesis 47:4

They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

BSB

Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.”

KJV

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.

ASV

And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants’ 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.

BBE

And they said to Pharaoh, We have come to make a living in this land, because we have no grass for our flocks in the land of Canaan; so now let your servants make a place for themselves in the land of Goshen.

Original Hebrew

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וַיֹּאמְרוּ vai·yo·me·ru and they said H559 אֶל־ 'el- to H413 פַּרְעֹה par·'oh Pharaoh H6547 לָגוּר la·gur to sojourn H1481 בָּאָרֶץ ba·'a·retz in the land H776 בָּאנוּ ba·nu we have come H935 כִּי־ ki- for H3588 אֵין 'ein there not H369 מִרְעֶה mir·'eh [is] pasture H4829 לַצֹּאן la·tzon for the sheep H6629 אֲשֶׁר 'a·sher which H834 לַעֲבָדֶיךָ la·'a·va·dei·kha [belongs] to servants your H5650 כִּי־ ki- for H3588 כָבֵד kha·ved [was] heavy H3515 הָרָעָב ha·ra·'av the famine H7458 בְּאֶרֶץ be·'e·retz in [the] land of H776 כְּנָעַן ke·na·'an Canaan H3667 וְעַתָּה ve·'a·tah and therefore H6258 יֵשְׁבוּ־ ye·she·vu- let them dwell H3427 נָא na' please H4994 עֲבָדֶיךָ 'a·va·dei·kha servants your H5650 בְּאֶרֶץ be·'e·retz in [the] land of H776 גֹּשֶׁן go·shen Goshen H1657

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–6

Though Joseph was a great man, especially in Egypt, yet he owned his brethren. Let the rich and great in the world not overlook or despise poor relations. Our Lord Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren. In answer to Pharaoh's inquiry, What is your calling? they told him that they were shepherds, adding that they were come to sojourn in the land for a time, while the famine prevailed in Canaan. Pharaoh offered to employ them as shepherds, provided they were active men. Whatever our business or employment is, we should aim to excel in it, and to prove ourselves clever and industrious.

Read Matthew Henry on Genesis 47 →

Cross-references

10

People & places

PharaohCanaan CanaanGoshen

Topics

Israel

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.