Genesis 46:1

CHAPTER XLVI

Jacob begins his journey to Egypt, comes to Beer-sheba, and

offers sacrifices to God, 1.

God appears to him in a vision, gives him gracious promises,

and assures him of his protection, 2-4.

He proceeds, with his family and their cattle, on his journey

towards Egypt, 5-7.

A genealogical enumeration of the seventy persons who

went down to Egypt, 8, c.

The posterity of Jacob by LEAH. Reuben and his sons, 9.

Simeon and his sons, 10.

Levi and his sons, 11.

Judah and his sons, 12.

Issachar and his sons, 13.

And Zebulun and his sons, 14.

All the posterity of Jacob by LEAH, thirty and three, 15.

The posterity of Jacob by ZILPAH. Gad and his sons, 16.

Asher and his sons, 17.

All the posterity of Jacob by ZILPAH, sixteen, 18.

The posterity of Jacob by RACHEL. Joseph and his sons,

19, 20.

Benjamin and his sons, 21.

All the posterity of Jacob by RACHEL, fourteen, 22.

The posterity of Jacob by BILHAH. Dan and his sons, 23.

Naphtali and his sons, 24.

All the posterity of Jacob by BILHAH, seven, 25.

All the immediate descendants of Jacob by his four wives,

threescore and six, 26

and all the descendants of the house of Jacob, seventy souls, 27.

Judah is sent before to inform Joseph of his father's coming, 28.

Joseph goes to Goshen to meet Jacob, 29.

Their affecting interview, 30.

Joseph proposes to return to Pharaoh, and inform him of the

arrival of his family, 31,

and of their occupation, as keepers of cattle, 32.

Instructs them what to say when called before Pharaoh, and

questioned by him, that they might be permitted to dwell

unmolested in the land of Goshen, 33, 34.

NOTES ON CHAP. XLVI

Verse Genesis 46:1. And came to Beer-sheba] This place appears to be mentioned, not only because it was the way from Hebron, where Jacob resided, to Egypt, whither he was going, but because it was a consecrated place, a place where God had appeared to Abraham, Genesis 21:33, and to Isaac, Genesis 26:23, and where Jacob is encouraged to expect a manifestation of the same goodness: he chooses therefore to begin his journey with a visit to God's house; and as he was going into a strange land, he feels it right to renew his covenant with God by sacrifice. There is an old proverb which applies strongly to this case: "Prayers and provender never hinder any man's journey. He who would travel safely must take God with him.