Commentary
“Joseph took five of his brothers to present to Pharaoh and receive from him the grant of land for their future home. Gratitude to his prime minister would have led the monarch to honor them with appointments to offices of state; but Joseph, true to the worship of Jehovah, sought to save his brothers from the temptations to which they would be exposed at a heathen court; therefore he counseled them, when questioned by the king, to tell him frankly their occupation. The sons of Jacob followed this counsel, being careful also to state that they had come to sojourn in the land, not to become permanent dwellers there, thus reserving the right to depart if they chose. The king assigned them a home, as offered, in ‘the best of the land,’ the country of Goshen.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 233.
Joseph Speaks to Pharaoh
Joseph told Pharaoh that his father and brothers came from the land of Canaan, it was the fulfillment of both God’s plan and Joseph’s desire. Joseph was again with his father and brothers and all their families. Joseph had very high status in the government and affairs of Egypt; yet the family still needed permission to live in the land of Goshen.
Pharoah Gives the Best of Land
This blessing was all because of Joseph. God, through Joseph saved Egypt and much of the world from a terrible famine, and now the whole family of Israel (Jacob) was blessed.
Wisely, too, Pharaoh does not encourage these sojourners to become beggars, living off the largess of their host. He enquires about their “occupation” (v. 3) in order that they may adjust better in their new environment. He is also eager to use their expertise, and even suggests that they serve him as “chief herdsmen over [his] livestock” (v. 6).
Then, although Jacob, the foreigner, is the inferior, the stranger, he stands before the leader of the land, and, as the text says, “Jacob blessed Pharaoh” (v. 7). He, the lowly stranger, is the one who blesses Pharaoh, the ruler of mighty Egypt? Why should that be?
The verb ‘amad lifney, “set … before” (v. 7), is normally used in priestly contexts (Lev. 14:11). Considering that in ancient Egypt the pharaoh had the status of the highest priest, this means that, in a spiritual sense, Jacob stands higher than the highest priest of Egypt, higher even than Pharaoh himself.
Jacob Blesses Pharaoh
Jacob explained that his 130 years of life had been a pilgrimage. Another translation uses the word “sojourner” rather than pilgrimage. This terms implies someone who is wandering, traveling, or never fully settled in any one place (Heb. 11:13). He describes those years as “few and evil” and much shorter than the lives of his fathers. Jacob does not diminish his character that brought him much pain and sorrow.
Everything Jacob says is true, of course. He has lived on the road and on the run for most of his life. While clearly guilty of sins of his own (Gen. 25:31, 27:19), he has been cheated, mistreated, and betrayed by his own family (Gen. 29:25, 30:33-36). A daughter who was raped (Gen. 34L1-2)., a beloved wife who died (Gen. 35:19), and her son who was thought to have been killed by a wild animal (Gen. 37:31-33). He fells himself on the brink of death, some 50 years younger than when his own father died.
It almost seems like using the term “evil” to describe his years was a sentiment of regret. Our heart can feel heavy when we honestly evaluate our life and acknowledge our many shortcomings and failures, in light of the long-suffering love and blessing of our LORD. Jacob recognized he was greatly blessed by the LORD, he escaped the brother who wished to kill him (Gen. 33:4), he became enormously wealthy at the expense of a father-in-law who tried to cheat him (Gen. 30:43), he was given 12 sons (Gen. 35:23-26), his lost son (Joseph) was restored to him (Gen. 45:27:28), and his family was saved from starvation. Above all, he carried the powerful promises of the God of the universe, as his fathers had done before him (Gen. 35:9-12). He knew that his real home was somewhere else, just as was with his fathers (Heb. 11:10).
Pharaoh acknowledged Jacob was a man of God by accepting his blessing. In the Egyptian religion, Pharaoh himself was thought to be a god. They considered Pharaoh the human embodiment of the sun god. This means that it was remarkable that he allowed Israel (Jacob) to bestow a blessing on him.
Joseph Deals with the Famine
The famine went far beyond Egypt, and it was very severe, for there was no bread in all the land. Joseph was not only a hard worker and a brilliant administrator; he was also an honest worker. He did not cheat the Pharaoh; as a loyal employee he brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
In the later years of the famine, Joseph arranged ways for the people to purchase food with whatever they had to give. When the money failed in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan; food was available in Egypt, but at a price. Because the famine lasted so long, seven years in total, eventually people ran out of money to buy more grain. Joseph then received their livestock as payment. When the livestock was gone, then Joseph received their land as payment. In the process, the power and wealth of Pharaoh was multiplied greatly. Under Joseph’s administration, Pharaoh owned the land and the people worked it for the price of one-fifth of the produce of the land. Joseph wasn’t unfair. He fed the people when they would have starved, and in return asked for one-fifth (20%) annually from the produce of the land. Many people today would be happy with only 20% in total taxes.
Jacob Anticipates His Death
In the land of Goshen, they and their possessions grew and multiplied exceedingly. This was certainly true. In some 430 years in Egypt, they became a nation of some two million or more people.
Jacob (Israel) requires Joseph to vow to bury him in Canaan. Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years, so his life lasted 147 years. As he knew his death drew near, he made Joseph take a solemn oath after the patter of the oath Abraham made his servant make in Genesis 24:1-9.
This was the oath Jacob required from Joseph. Jacob knew Egypt was not his home. He belonged in the land promised to he and his descendants. He clearly believed and understood he was the inheritor of Abraham’s covenant.