Genesis 47:6
New International Version
and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

New Living Translation
choose any place in the entire land of Egypt for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. Let them live in the region of Goshen. And if any of them have special skills, put them in charge of my livestock, too.”

English Standard Version
The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Berean Standard Bible
the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.”

New American Standard Bible
The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”

NASB 1995
“The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”

NASB 1977
“The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”

Legacy Standard Bible
The land of Egypt is at your disposal; have your father and your brothers settle in the best of the land, let them settle in the land of Goshen; and if you know any excellent men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”

Amplified Bible
The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know of any men of ability among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Christian Standard Bible
the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

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

Contemporary English Version
I will let them live anywhere they choose in the land of Egypt, but I suggest that they settle in Goshen, the best part of our land. I would also like for your finest shepherds to watch after my own sheep and goats."

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
All of Egypt is available to you. Have your father and your brothers live in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. If they are qualified, put them in charge of my livestock."

Good News Translation
the land of Egypt is theirs. Let them settle in the region of Goshen, the best part of the land. And if there are any capable men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock."

International Standard Version
Egypt is at your disposal, so settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land! Let them live in the Goshen territory. If you learn that any of them are especially skilled, put them in charge of my livestock."

Majority Standard Bible
the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.?

NET Bible
The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."

New Heart English Bible
and the land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock."

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
the land of Egypt is before you; cause your father and your brothers to dwell in the best of the land—they dwell in the land of Goshen, and if you have known, and there are among them men of ability, then you have set them [as] heads over the livestock I have.”

Young's Literal Translation
the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land cause thy father and thy brethren to dwell -- they dwell in the land of Goshen, and if thou hast known, and there are among them men of ability, then thou hast set them heads over the cattle I have.'

Smith's Literal Translation
This land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land cause thy father and thy brethren to dwell; they shall dwell in the land of Goshen; and if thou knowest and there is among them men of strength, set them leaders of the cattle which are to me.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The land of Egypt is before thee: make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The land of Egypt is in your sight. Cause them to live in the best place, and deliver to them the land of Goshen. And if you know there to be industrious men among them, appoint these as foremen over my cattle.”

New American Bible
the land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and brothers in the pick of the land. Let them settle in the region of Goshen. And if you know of capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

New Revised Standard Version
The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land; let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know that there are capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The land of Egypt is before you settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen; and if you know of any able men among them make them overseers over all my cattle.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The land of Egypt is before you; settle in the best of the land; your father and your brothers will dwell in the land of Geshan, and if you know that there are capable men among them, make them Masters of cattle over all that I have.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell. And if thou knowest any able men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Behold, the land of Egypt is before thee; settle thy father and thy brethren in the best land.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Settles in Goshen
5Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you, 6the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.” 7Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.…

Cross References
Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Exodus 1:8-10
Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt. / “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. / Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

Exodus 12:37-38
The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children. / And a mixed multitude also went up with them, along with great droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.

Exodus 1:1-5
These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: / Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; / Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; ...

Acts 7:11-14
Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. / When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. / On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. ...

Acts 7:15-16
So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. / Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.

Acts 7:17-19
As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number. / Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. / He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.

Psalm 105:23
Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.

Psalm 105:24
And the LORD made His people very fruitful, more numerous than their foes,

Psalm 105:25
whose hearts He turned to hate His people, to conspire against His servants.

Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:22
By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.

Deuteronomy 26:5
and you are to declare before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty and numerous.

Deuteronomy 10:22
Your fathers went down to Egypt, seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Isaiah 52:4
For this is what the Lord GOD says: “At first My people went down to Egypt to live, then Assyria oppressed them without cause.


Treasury of Scripture

The land of Egypt is before you; in the best of the land make your father and brothers to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if you know any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

is.

Genesis 47:11
And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

Genesis 13:9
Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

Genesis 20:15
And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

Goshen.

Genesis 47:4,11
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…

men of activity.

rulers.

Exodus 18:21
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

1 Samuel 21:7
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.

1 Chronicles 27:29-31
And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai: …

Genesis 47:16
And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.

Exodus 9:3-6,10,21
Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain…

Jump to Previous
Able Activity Best Capable Charge Disposal Dwell Egypt Goshen Livestock Rulers
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Able Activity Best Capable Charge Disposal Dwell Egypt Goshen Livestock Rulers
Genesis 47
1. Joseph presents his father, and five of his brothers before Pharaoh.
11. He gives them habitation and maintenance.
13. He gets the Egyptian's money;
16. their cattle;
18. and their lands, except the priests', to Pharaoh.
23. He restores the land for a fifth.
28. Jacob's age.
29. He swears Joseph to bury him with his fathers.














The land of Egypt is before you;
This phrase indicates Pharaoh's generosity and openness to Joseph's family. Egypt, a powerful and fertile nation, was a place of refuge during times of famine. The phrase echoes God's promise to Abraham about his descendants being blessed and having a place to dwell. It also reflects the providence of God in providing for His people through Joseph's position in Egypt.

settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land.
Pharaoh's offer to settle Joseph's family in the best part of the land demonstrates favor and respect towards Joseph. The "best part" likely refers to the fertile region of Goshen, which was ideal for agriculture and livestock. This act of kindness fulfills God's promise to care for Jacob's family and foreshadows Israel's future prosperity in Egypt before the Exodus.

They may dwell in the land of Goshen.
Goshen was located in the eastern part of the Nile Delta, known for its rich soil and suitability for grazing. This location allowed the Israelites to maintain their distinct identity and practices, separate from the Egyptians. The choice of Goshen also aligns with God's plan to grow the Israelites into a great nation in a foreign land, as foretold to Abraham.

And if you know of any talented men among them,
Pharaoh's request for skilled men among Joseph's family highlights the value placed on talent and ability. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God using individuals' skills and gifts for His purposes. It also suggests that the Israelites were known for their abilities, which would later be seen in their contributions to Egyptian society and their own community.

put them in charge of my own livestock.”
This directive shows Pharaoh's trust in Joseph's family and their expertise in livestock management. It also indicates the importance of livestock in Egypt's economy and daily life. This responsibility given to the Israelites foreshadows their future role as shepherds and leaders, and it parallels the way God entrusts His people with responsibilities to fulfill His plans.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Pharaoh
The ruler of Egypt who grants Joseph's family the best part of the land to settle in.

2. Joseph
The son of Jacob who has risen to a position of power in Egypt and is responsible for bringing his family to Egypt during the famine.

3. Jacob (Israel)
The patriarch of the Israelites, father of Joseph, and his family is seeking refuge in Egypt due to famine.

4. Goshen
The fertile region in Egypt where Pharaoh allows Joseph's family to settle.

5. Joseph's Brothers
The sons of Jacob who come to Egypt with their families and are given the opportunity to settle in Goshen.
Teaching Points
God's Provision and Sovereignty
God's hand is evident in providing for Jacob's family through Joseph's position in Egypt. This reminds us of God's sovereignty and provision in our lives, even in difficult circumstances.

Faithfulness in Leadership
Joseph's integrity and wisdom in leadership are recognized by Pharaoh, who entrusts him with significant responsibility. As believers, we are called to be faithful stewards of the roles and responsibilities God gives us.

Community and Family Support
The importance of family support and community is highlighted as Joseph ensures his family's well-being. We are encouraged to care for and support our families and communities, especially in times of need.

Utilizing God-Given Abilities
Pharaoh's instruction to put those with special abilities in charge of livestock emphasizes the value of using our God-given talents for His glory and the benefit of others.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
the land
אֶ֤רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Egypt
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ (miṣ·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

is before you;
לְפָנֶ֣יךָ (lə·p̄ā·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

settle
הוֹשֵׁ֥ב (hō·wō·šêḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

your father
אָבִ֖יךָ (’ā·ḇî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

and brothers
אַחֶ֑יךָ (’a·ḥe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

in the best
בְּמֵיטַ֣ב (bə·mê·ṭaḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4315: The best part

part of the land.
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

They may dwell
יֵשְׁבוּ֙ (yê·šə·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

in the land
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ (bə·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Goshen.
גֹּ֔שֶׁן (gō·šen)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1657: Goshen -- a district in Egypt, also a city in southern Judah

And if
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you know of
יָדַ֗עְתָּ (yā·ḏa‘·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

any talented
חַ֔יִל (ḥa·yil)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2428: A force, an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength

men among them,
אַנְשֵׁי־ (’an·šê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

put
וְשַׂמְתָּ֛ם (wə·śam·tām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

them in charge of
שָׂרֵ֥י (śā·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

my own livestock.”
מִקְנֶ֖ה (miq·neh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4735: Something bought, property, livestock, acquisition


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OT Law: Genesis 47:6 The land of Egypt is before you (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 47:5
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