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Selected Verse: Genesis 46:28 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ge 46:28	Strong Concordance	And he sent [07971] Judah [03063] before him [06440] unto Joseph [03130], to direct [03384] his face [06440] unto Goshen [01657]; and they came [0935] into the land [0776] of Goshen [01657].
	King James	And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
ARRIVAL IN EGYPT. (Gen 46:28-34) he sent Judah before him unto Joseph--This precautionary measure was obviously proper for apprising the king of the entrance of so large a company within his territories; moreover, it was necessary in order to receive instruction from Joseph as to the locale of their future settlement.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

ARRIVAL IN EGYPT. (Gen 46:28-34)

he sent Judah before him unto Joseph--This precautionary measure was obviously proper for apprising the king of the entrance of so large a company within his territories; moreover, it was necessary in order to receive instruction from Joseph as to the locale of their future settlement.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
This list of the house of Jacob is followed by an account of the arrival in Egypt. Gen 46:28 Jacob sent his son Judah before him to Joseph, "to show (להורת) before him to Goshen;" i.e., to obtain from Joseph the necessary instructions as to the place of their settlement, and then to act as guide to Goshen. Gen 46:29 As soon as they had arrived, Joseph had his chariot made ready to go up to Goshen and meet his father (ויּעל applied to a journey from the interior to the desert or Canaan), and "showed himself to him there (lit., he appeared to him; נראה, which is generally used only of the appearance of God, is selected here to indicate the glory in which Joseph came to meet his father); and fell upon his neck, continuing (עוד) upon his neck (i.e., in his embrace) weeping." Gen 46:30 Then Israel said to Joseph: "Now (הפּעם lit., this time) will I die, after I have seen thy face, that thou (art) still alive." Gen 46:31-32 But Joseph told his brethren and his father's house (his family) that he would to up to Pharaoh (עלה here used of going to the court, as an ideal ascent), to announce the arrival of his relations, who were מקנה אנשׁי "keepers of flocks," and had brought their sheep and oxen and all their possessions with them. Gen 46:33-34 At the same time Joseph gave these instructions to his brethren, in case Pharaoh should send for them and inquire about their occupation: "Say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, we like our fathers; that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination of the Egyptians." This last remark formed part of Joseph's words, and contained the reason why his brethren should describe themselves to Pharaoh as shepherds from of old, namely, that they might receive Goshen as their dwelling-place, and that their national and religion independence might not be endangered by too close an intercourse with the Egyptians. The dislike of the Egyptians to shepherds arose from the fact, that the more completely the foundations of the Egyptian state rested upon agriculture with its perfect organization, the more did the Egyptians associate the idea of rudeness and barbarism with the very name of a shepherd. This is not only attested in various ways by the monuments, on which shepherds are constantly depicted as lanky, withered, distorted, emaciated, and sometimes almost ghostly figures (Graul, Reise 2, p. 171), but is confirmed by ancient testimony. According to Herodotus (2, 47), the swine-herds were the most despised; but they were associated with the cow-herds (βουκόλοι) in the seven castes of the Egyptians (Herod. 2, 164), so that Diodorus Siculus (1, 74) includes all herdsmen in one caste; according to which the word βουκόλοι in Herodotus not only denotes cow-herds, but a potiori all herdsmen, just as we find in the herds depicted upon the monuments, sheep, goats, and rams introduced by thousands, along with asses and horned cattle.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

This list of the house of Jacob is followed by an account of the arrival in Egypt.

Gen 46:28

Jacob sent his son Judah before him to Joseph, "to show (להורת) before him to Goshen;" i.e., to obtain from Joseph the necessary instructions as to the place of their settlement, and then to act as guide to Goshen.

Gen 46:29

As soon as they had arrived, Joseph had his chariot made ready to go up to Goshen and meet his father (ויּעל applied to a journey from the interior to the desert or Canaan), and "showed himself to him there (lit., he appeared to him; נראה, which is generally used only of the appearance of God, is selected here to indicate the glory in which Joseph came to meet his father); and fell upon his neck, continuing (עוד) upon his neck (i.e., in his embrace) weeping."

Gen 46:30

Then Israel said to Joseph: "Now (הפּעם lit., this time) will I die, after I have seen thy face, that thou (art) still alive."

Gen 46:31-32

But Joseph told his brethren and his father's house (his family) that he would to up to Pharaoh (עלה here used of going to the court, as an ideal ascent), to announce the arrival of his relations, who were מקנה אנשׁי "keepers of flocks," and had brought their sheep and oxen and all their possessions with them.

Gen 46:33-34

At the same time Joseph gave these instructions to his brethren, in case Pharaoh should send for them and inquire about their occupation: "Say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, we like our fathers; that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination of the Egyptians." This last remark formed part of Joseph's words, and contained the reason why his brethren should describe themselves to Pharaoh as shepherds from of old, namely, that they might receive Goshen as their dwelling-place, and that their national and religion independence might not be endangered by too close an intercourse with the Egyptians. The dislike of the Egyptians to shepherds arose from the fact, that the more completely the foundations of the Egyptian state rested upon agriculture with its perfect organization, the more did the Egyptians associate the idea of rudeness and barbarism with the very name of a shepherd. This is not only attested in various ways by the monuments, on which shepherds are constantly depicted as lanky, withered, distorted, emaciated, and sometimes almost ghostly figures (Graul, Reise 2, p. 171), but is confirmed by ancient testimony. According to Herodotus (2, 47), the swine-herds were the most despised; but they were associated with the cow-herds (βουκόλοι) in the seven castes of the Egyptians (Herod. 2, 164), so that Diodorus Siculus (1, 74) includes all herdsmen in one caste; according to which the word βουκόλοι in Herodotus not only denotes cow-herds, but a potiori all herdsmen, just as we find in the herds depicted upon the monuments, sheep, goats, and rams introduced by thousands, along with asses and horned cattle.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
He sent Judah before him unto Joseph - Judah was certainly a man of sense, and also an eloquent man; and of him Joseph must have had a very favorable opinion from the speech he delivered before him, Gen 44:18, etc.; he was therefore chosen as the most proper person to go before and announce Jacob's arrival to his son Joseph. To direct his face unto Goshen - The land of Goshen is the same, according to the Septuagint, as the land of Rameses, and Goshen itself the same as Heroopolis, 'Ἡρωων πολις Heroonpolis, the city of heroes, a name by which it went in the days of the Septuagint, and which it still retained in the time of Josephus, for he makes use of the same term in speaking of this place. See Clarke on Gen 46:34 (note).

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²⁸ And he sent [07971] Judah [03063] before him [06440] unto Joseph [03130], to direct [03384] his face [06440] unto Goshen [01657]; and they came [0935] into the land [0776] of Goshen [01657].
²⁹ And Joseph [03130] made ready [0631] his chariot [04818], and went up [05927] to meet [07125] Israel [03478] his father [01], to Goshen [01657], and presented [07200] himself unto him; and he fell [05307] on his neck [06677], and wept [01058] on his neck [06677] a good while [05750].
³⁰ And Israel [03478] said [0559] unto Joseph [03130], Now [06471] let me die [04191], since [0310] I have seen [07200] thy face [06440], because thou art yet [05750] alive [02416].
³¹ And Joseph [03130] said [0559] unto his brethren [0251], and unto his father's [01] house [01004], I will go up [05927], and shew [05046] Pharaoh [06547], and say [0559] unto him, My brethren [0251], and my father's [01] house [01004], which were in the land [0776] of Canaan [03667], are come [0935] unto me;
³² And the men [0582] are shepherds [07462] [06629], for their trade hath been to feed cattle [04735]; and they have brought [0935] their flocks [06629], and their herds [01241], and all that they have.
³³ And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh [06547] shall call [07121] you, and shall say [0559], What is your occupation [04639]?
³⁴ That ye shall say [0559], Thy servants [05650]' trade [0582] hath been about cattle [04735] from our youth [05271] even until now, both we, and also our fathers [01]: that ye may dwell [03427] in the land [0776] of Goshen [01657]; for every shepherd [07462] [06629] is an abomination [08441] unto the Egyptians [04714].

³³ And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh [06547] shall call [07121] you, and shall say [0559], What is your occupation [04639]?
³⁴ That ye shall say [0559], Thy servants [05650]' trade [0582] hath been about cattle [04735] from our youth [05271] even until now, both we, and also our fathers [01]: that ye may dwell [03427] in the land [0776] of Goshen [01657]; for every shepherd [07462] [06629] is an abomination [08441] unto the Egyptians [04714].

³¹ And Joseph [03130] said [0559] unto his brethren [0251], and unto his father's [01] house [01004], I will go up [05927], and shew [05046] Pharaoh [06547], and say [0559] unto him, My brethren [0251], and my father's [01] house [01004], which were in the land [0776] of Canaan [03667], are come [0935] unto me;
³² And the men [0582] are shepherds [07462] [06629], for their trade hath been to feed cattle [04735]; and they have brought [0935] their flocks [06629], and their herds [01241], and all that they have.

³⁰ And Israel [03478] said [0559] unto Joseph [03130], Now [06471] let me die [04191], since [0310] I have seen [07200] thy face [06440], because thou art yet [05750] alive [02416].

²⁹ And Joseph [03130] made ready [0631] his chariot [04818], and went up [05927] to meet [07125] Israel [03478] his father [01], to Goshen [01657], and presented [07200] himself unto him; and he fell [05307] on his neck [06677], and wept [01058] on his neck [06677] a good while [05750].

²⁸ And he sent [07971] Judah [03063] before him [06440] unto Joseph [03130], to direct [03384] his face [06440] unto Goshen [01657]; and they came [0935] into the land [0776] of Goshen [01657].

³⁴ That ye shall say [0559], Thy servants [05650]' trade [0582] hath been about cattle [04735] from our youth [05271] even until now, both we, and also our fathers [01]: that ye may dwell [03427] in the land [0776] of Goshen [01657]; for every shepherd [07462] [06629] is an abomination [08441] unto the Egyptians [04714].

¹⁸ Then Judah [03063] came near [05066] unto him, and said [0559], Oh [0994] my lord [0113], let thy servant [05650], I pray thee, speak [01696] a word [01697] in my lord's [0113] ears [0241], and let not thine anger [0639] burn [02734] against thy servant [05650]: for thou art even as Pharaoh [06547].