Bible Commentaries
Genesis 46

Verse 1

offered sacrifices. Hebrew. zabach. App-43 .

Verse 2

Israel. See note on Genesis 32:28 ; Genesis 43:8 ; Genesis 45:26 , Genesis 45:28 .

Jacob, Jacob. Figure of speech Epizeuxis, App-6 , for emphasis. To remind him of what he was and had been, in contrast to what God would make him.

Verse 3

fear not, &c. Though Isaac forbidden to go (Genesis 26:2 ), and Abraham warned (Genesis 15:13 , Genesis 15:14 ), no need to fear where God goes with Jacob and us.

Verse 4

surely bring thee up. Figure of speech Polyptoton. Compare Genesis 15:14 .

put his hand, &c. i.e. shall close thine eyes in peace.

Verse 5

sons of Israel carried Jacob. They now take the ground of faith.

wagons. See note on Genesis 45:19 .

Verse 7

daughters. Compare Genesis 31:55 with Genesis 46:15 , Genesis 46:17 .

Verse 8

the names. Compare the above order with that of Genesis 49:3-27 , and see App-45 .

Verse 11

Merari. Jochebed is to be added, for she "came into" Egypt in her mother (Numbers 26:59 ).

Verse 12

but Er and Onan. These are not to be reckoned.

Hezron and Hamul. These grandsons take their place.

Verse 15

souls of his sons. Hebrew. nephesh. Souls put by Synecdoche (of the Part) for the persons ( App-6 ). And "of" = the Genitive of Apposition: i.e. "the souls, that is to say, his sons, "&c. ( App-17 ).

Verse 22

were born. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Targum of Onkelos, Septuagint, and Syriac, read "whom she bare".

Verse 23

sons. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species). Only one mentioned; some codices read "son".

Verse 26

out of his loins. This is said in order to distinguish the numbers sixtysix and seventy from Stephen's seventy-five, in Acts 7:14 , which includes Jacob as well as "all his kindred " (which are not included in the direct descendants of this verse). These extra nine are made up in part by the five in 1 Chronicles 7:14-20 (Machir, Gilead, Shuthelah, Tahath, Eden, as in Septuagint: also here).

threescore and six. See note on Genesis 46:8 .

Verse 27

threescore and ten. 7 x 10. See App-10 . These seventy (Exodus 1:5 .Ruth 4:11; Ruth 4:11 ) are in contrast with the seventy nations of Genesis 10:0 , and in correspondence with the seventy elders (Exodus 24:1 .Numbers 11:16; Numbers 11:16 ).

Verse 28

Judah. See Genesis 44:18 and Compare Genesis 37:26 .

Goshen. The land east of Memphis, suitable for grazing, called "the field of Zoan". Zoan (or Tanis) mentioned in the Inscriptions as containing non- Egyptian inhabitants and Semites.

Verse 32

shepherds. See on Genesis 46:34 .

Verse 34

abomination. Metonymy (of Adjunct). = an abominable person. Apepi, the Pharaoh of Joseph, was one of the Hyksos, or shepherd kings. Joseph's advice would commend his brethren to Pharaoh (Genesis 47:6 ), and keep them separate from the Egyptians, It was a race prejudice, not a class prejudice.