Exodus Chapter One. Opening Genealogy

Transcription

1 Exodus Chapter One Opening Genealogy Exodus 1:1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. (NASB95) This opening paragraph in the book of Exodus serves as a connection to what Moses wrote in the final chapters of the book of Genesis. This is indicated by the fact that this paragraph summarizes the final chapters of the Genesis narrative. This provides the reader that which is essential to understand in what is presented in the book of Exodus. This paragraph anticipates the fulfillment of God s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to make them a great nation. These promises also state that the Savior of the world would be an Israelite. They serve as the framework for God s actions in history to glorify Himself. Douglas Stuart writes These opening verses provide an obvious connection to what Moses said in the latter chapters of Genesis, in that they contain a brief recapitulation of the story of how Jacob and his sons entered Egypt and were reunited with Joseph (esp. Gen 46) as well as the death of Joseph in the context of his association with his brothers (Gen 50:22 26; note how vv implicitly reflect the concept of all that generation in Exod 1:6). Thus there is a conscious concern here to be sure the reader understands that Exodus is not strictly a selfcontained narrative but a segment of a narrative on a grander scale, that is, the full Pentateuch. In other words, the story continues smoothly from Genesis into Exodus. 1 John Durham writes This opening passage of Exodus functions as a compact transitional unit that summarizes that part of the preceding Genesis narrative that is essential to what follows, states a new and discontinuous situation, and anticipates the progress of the family of Jacob/Israel toward their birth, in exodus and at Sinai, as the people of God. 2 1 Stuart, D. K.; Volume 2: Exodus (electronic ed.); page 56; Logos Library System; The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers 2 Durham, J. I. (2002). Vol. 3: Word Biblical Commentary: Exodus. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 Title of the Book of Exodus Now these are the names in Exodus 1:1 is the Hebrew expression wʾēl lě(h) š e môṯ ( א לּ ה שׁ מוֹת,(ו which is the title for the second book in the Pentateuch. The English title Exodus for the second book in the English Bible is not a translation of the title of the second book in the Hebrew Bible. This English title a departure, exit transliterates the title in the Septuagint, which named the book for its central focus, which was the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. The Septuagint title is the origin of the Latin Vulgate s term Exodus. In fact, the first six words in the Hebrew text of Exodus 1:1 wʾēl lě(h) a š e môṯ b e nê yiś rā ʾēl א לּ ה שׁ מוֹת בּ נ י י שׂ ר א ל),(ו Now these are the names of the sons of Israel are an exact quotation of the first six words of Genesis 46:8. This is a clear indication of the continuity intended for the narrative as well as to remind the reader that God is keeping His promises to the patriarchs and is control of their lives. So these six words tell the reader that the book of Exodus is a direct continuation of the book of Genesis. The Sons of Israel Israel is the proper noun yiś rā ʾēl ר א ל) (י שׂ (yis-raw-ale), which means, one who fights and overcomes with the power of God since the Lord states the reason for the name is that Jacob has fought with both God and men and has prevailed. This name was bestowed upon Jacob and constituted the essence of the blessing that he requested from the Lord recorded in Genesis 32:26. The expression sons of Israel was first used in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 32:32. In this passage, this was a designation for the nation of Israel in Moses day and is not simply a designation for Jacob s sons. Moses informs the reader that the Israelites in his day made it a rule not to eat the sciatic muscle of slaughtered animals as a reminder to them of this encounter that Jacob had with the Lord. Most of the time in the Old Testament, the designation the sons of Israel emphasizes the national identity of Israel/Jacob s sons and not their personal identity as Jacob s sons. However, in Exodus 1:1, the expression b e nê yiś rā ʾēl the sons of Israel refers to the individual sons of Israel, aka, Jacob,(בּ נ י י שׂ ר א ל) since they are named in verses 2-4. The name Jacob is the proper name yǎ ʿǎqōḇ ב) (י ע ק (yah-ak-obe), which means, heel catcher. This name implies someone who is a deceiver and a supplanter, which is a person who takes the place of another by force, scheming or strategy. Reuben was the first child that Leah bore to Jacob and his name means, behold or see, a son and his birth is recorded in Genesis 29:32. Simeon was 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 the second child that Leah bore to Jacob and his name means, the Lord has heard and his birth is recorded in Genesis 29:33. Levi was the third child that Leah bore to Jacob and his name means, My husband will be attached to me and his birth is recorded in Genesis 29:34. Judah was the fourth child that Leah bore to Jacob and his name means, I will praise the Lord and his birth is recorded in Genesis 29:35. Issachar was the fifth child that Leah bore Jacob and his name means, reward and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30: Zebulun was the sixth child that Leah bore Jacob and his name means, honor and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30: Gad was the first boy that Zilpah bore to Jacob, whose birth is recorded in Genesis 30:9-11 and his name comes from What good fortune indicating that Leah attributed this child to fortune or good luck rather than God and his birth. Asher is the second son that Zilpah bore to Jacob, whose birth is recorded in Genesis 30:12-13 and his name means women will call me happy meaning that Leah thought she would be envied by other women because of this child. Benjamin was the last child that Rachel bore to Jacob and his name means, son of my right hand and his birth is recorded in Genesis 35: Dan was the first child that Bilhah bore Jacob and his name means, God has vindicated me and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30:5-6. Naphtali was the second child that Bilhah bore to Jacob and his name means, my wrestling reflecting Rachel s attitude in which she viewed her relationship with her sister Leah to be like a wrestling match and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30:7-8. The name Joseph literally means, He adds, which is a play on the verb yasaph, to add and is also a prayer for another child, foreshadowing the birth of Benjamin. He was the first son of Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 30:22-24). Jacob s Family Bilhah Zilpah Leah Rachel Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Benjamin Joseph Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun Dinah 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 Egypt Egypt is the proper noun miṣ rǎ yim צ ר י ם),(מ which means, double straits. Genesis 10:6 records that Mizraim was the second son of Ham and was the ancestor of the ancient Egyptians as indicated in that his name was the customary name for Egypt in the Bible. The Egyptians were not descendants of Ham s son, Canaan but rather of his son Mizraim and thus they were not Canaanites. Genesis 10:13-14 records the genealogy of the sons of Mizraim better known as Egypt. Genesis 10:13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim 14 and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from which came the Philistines and Caphtorim). (NASB95) Egypt is situated along the southeastern shores of the Mediterranean and is bordered by the Red Sea on the east and Lybia on the west. Its southern boundary changed in different periods. Ancient Egypt stretched a distance of about 550 miles from Aswan northward to the Mediterranean Sea, which would include the narrow Nile Valley, which was from Aswan to Memphis. It was divided into three geographical sections: (1) Upper Egypt in the south (2) Middle Egypt in the center (3) Lower Egypt or Delta in the north. Upper Egypt is very narrow and surrounded by mountains, which rarely take the form of peaks and the northern coast of Egypt is low and barren, and without good harbors. The New Bible Dictionary writes, Historically ancient Egypt consists of the long, narrow Nile Valley from the first cataract at Aswan (not from the second, as today) to the Memphis /Cairo district, plus the broad, flat triangle (hence its name) of the Delta from Cairo to the sea. The contrast of valley and delta enforce a dual nature upon Egypt. (i) Upper Egypt. Bounded on either side by cliffs (limestone to the N and sandstone to the S of Esna some 530 km S of Cairo), the valley is never more than c. 19 km wide and sometimes narrows to a few hundred metres (as at Gebel Silsileh). At its annual inundation the Nile deposited fresh silt upon the land beyond its banks each year until the Aswan barrages halted deposition in modern times. As far as the waters reach, green plants can grow; immediately beyond, all is desert up to the cliffs. (ii) Lower Egypt. Some 20 km N of Cairo, the Nile divides into two main branches. The N branch reaches the sea at Rosetta, and the E at Damietta about 145 km away; from Cairo to the sea is roughly 160 km. Between the two great arms of the Nile, and over a considerable area beyond them to the E and W, stretches the flat, swampy Delta-land, entirely composed of river-borne alluvium and intersected by canals and drainage channels. Lower Egypt has, from antiquity, always included the northernmost part of the Nile valley from just S of 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 Memphis/Cairo, in addition to the Delta proper. In ancient times tradition held that the Nile had seven mouths on the Delta coast (Herodotus), but only three are recognized as important in ancient Egyptian sources. c. The Egypt of antiquity To the W of the Nile valley stretches the Sahara, a flat, rocky desert of drifted sand, and parallel with the valley a series of oases great natural depressions, where cultivation and habitation are made possible by a supply of artesian water. Between the Nile valley and Red Sea on the E is the Arabian desert, a mountainous terrain with some mineral wealth: gold, ornamental stone, including alabaster, breccia and diorite. Across the Gulf of Suez is the rocky peninsula of Sinai. Egypt was thus sufficiently isolated between her deserts to develop her own individual culture; but, at the same time, access from the E by either the Sinai isthmus or Red Sea and Wadi Hammamat, and from the N and S by way of the Nile was direct enough for her to receive (and give) external stimulus. The ancient geography of pharaonic Egypt is a subject of considerable complexity. The historic nomes or provinces first clearly emerge in the Old Kingdom (4th Dynasty) in the 3rd millennium bc, but some probably originated earlier as territories of what were originally separate little communities in prehistory. There were reckoned 22 of these nomes for Upper Egypt and 20 for Lower Egypt in the enumeration that was traditional by Graeco- Roman times, when geographical records are fullest. 3 3 Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H.; 1996; New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land has the following comment on ancient Egypt, they write, The whole economy of the country depended on the Nile, which was the sole source of water for drinking and irrigation. Ancient Egyptian civilization was therefore confined to the Nile Valley. The river swells at the end of June, after the rainy seasons, in the lands where it rises and overflows and floods the valley in August and September. The annual floods bring much silt, replenishing the fertility of the soil. The water was distributed over the fields by an intricate system of dams and channels. The main crops were barley and spelt, from which the staple food and drink bread and beer were made, beans, lentils, cucumbers and onions. Among the fruits grown were grapes and figs; the names of others have not yet been deciphered. Clothing was made of flax and writing material of papyrus, of which Egypt had the monopoly. Pigs, lambs and cows were slaughtered for meat. Fowl, wild and domesticated, completed the diet. The most common beast of burden in Egypt was the ass, the camel being unknown until late; horses were used only to draw war chariots (Weapons and warfare). Egypt abounds in stone of different kinds and qualities for building. Copper (Metals) and turquoise were mined in Sinai, while gold was found in the hills in the east and southeast of the country, though both copper and gold had also to be imported from abroad. All timber, tin for the production of bronze, and iron had to be imported also. 4 The Holman Bible Atlas writes Egypt lies at the northeastern corner of Africa, separated from Palestine by the Sinai wilderness. In contrast to the modern nation, ancient Egypt was confined to the Nile River Valley, a long, narrow ribbon of fertile land (the black land ) surrounded by uninhabitable desert (the red land ). Egypt proper, from the first cataract of the Nile to the Mediterranean, is some 750 miles long. Classical historians remarked that Egypt was a gift of the Nile. The river s three tributaries converge in the Sudan. The White Nile, with its source in Lake Victoria, provides a fairly constant water flow. The seasonal flow of the Blue Nile and Atbara caused an annual inundation beginning in June and cresting in September. Not only did the inundation provide for irrigation, but also it replenished the soil with a new layer of fertile, black silt each year. The Nile also provided a vital communication link for the nation. While the river s flow carried boats northward, prevailing northerly winds allowed easy sailing upstream. Despite the unifying nature of the Nile, the Two Lands of Egypt were quite distinct. Upper Egypt is the arable Nile Valley from the First Cataract to just south of Memphis in the north. Lower Egypt refers to the broad Delta of the Nile in the north, formed from alluvial deposits. Egypt was relatively isolated by a series of six Nile cataracts on the south and protected on the east and west by the desert. The 4 Negev, A.; 1996; The Archaeological encyclopedia of the Holy Land (3rd ed.). New York: Prentice Hall Press 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 Delta was the entryway to Egypt for travelers coming from the Fertile Crescent across the Sinai. 5 Jacob s Migrated To Egypt from Canaan: Genealogy of Genesis 46:8-27 Exodus 1:5 All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt. (NASB95) This verse is alluding to Jacob s family migration to Egypt when Joseph was prime minister of Egypt. Genesis 46:8-27 contains the genealogy of the Israelites who migrated to Egypt from Canaan. There are ten points that we must note that are essential in order to understand the purpose for this genealogy: (1) This is a segmented genealogy meaning that it displays the existing relationships between the members of Jacob s family. (2) Numbers 26 and 1 Chronicles 2-8 contain genealogical lists, which parallel Genesis 46:8-27 and Exodus 6 partially parallels it. (3) The genealogical lists that parallel (1 Chronicles 2-8, Numbers 26 and Exodus 6) the genealogy of Genesis 46:8-27 contain slight differences but this is only to be expected and does not in any way affect the reliability of the accounts. (4) A comparison of these genealogical lists indicates that certain of the names found above were in circulation also in another form, usually pretty much like the ones above, sometimes radically different as to form but similar in meaning. (5) Women are not included in the genealogy of Genesis 46:8-27 because they are unimportant, but because it does not fit the purpose of the listing. The female children of a family were often not recorded since Jewish genealogies followed the male line of descent. There are exceptions to this rule as we noted earlier in that a woman would be mentioned in the genealogy if she played a significant part in the plan of God or Israel s history such as with Dinah (See Genesis 34). The mention of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, is an exception to this rule and does not imply that Jacob did not have other daughters by either of his wives or their handmaids. (6) The expression the sons of Israel (verse 8) must be taken in the broader sense of the descendants of Israel, for more than his sons are named, and thus some of those named may not have been born at the time Jacob and his descendants went down to Egypt. (7) The term sons refers to not only Jacob s sons and grandsons but also his great-grandsons since four great grandsons of Jacob were included in the list that appears in Genesis 46:6-27 of Jacob s direct descendants who left Canaan. (8) All the individuals named in Numbers 26 as heads of tribes or families are found in this listing of descendants in Genesis 46 because Moses did not intend to name every person who went into Egypt, but 5 Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary; 2003; C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, T. C. Butler & B. Latta, Ed.; Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 rather every leader of family or clan who would come forth from Egypt, therefore the purpose of Moses in this genealogy, therefore, is selective. (9) In the genealogy of Numbers 26, there are with slight deviations, all the grandsons and greatgrandsons of Jacob whose names occur in Genesis 46:8-27, mentioned as the founders of the families, into which the twelve tribes of Israel were subdivided in Moses days. (10) Acts 7:14 records that seventy-five people went to Egypt since this passage omits Jacob, Joseph and Joseph s two sons but includes the nine wives of Jacob s twelve sons, Judah and Simeon s wives had died and Joseph s wife was in Egypt (See Genesis 38; 46:10). Genesis 46:8 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn. (NASB95) The context indicates that the designation the sons of Israel refers to the descendants of Jacob since the genealogy to follow lists the names of Jacob s sons, grandsons and great grandsons who migrated from Canaan to Egypt with him. In the Hebrew and Aramaic languages there is no specific word for grandson so that the word son can refer to any descendant down the line. Genesis 46:9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch and Pallu and Hezron and Carmi. (NASB95) The four sons of Reuben that are listed here in Genesis 46:9 are identical to the lists recorded in Exodus 6:14, Numbers 26:5-6 and 1 Chronicles 5:3. Genesis 46:10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. (NASB95) Jemuel appears in the genealogy of Exodus 6:14 but appears as Nemuel in the parallel genealogies of 1 Chronicles 4:24 and Numbers 26:12 due to a difference in dialect. Ohad appears in the parallel genealogy of Exodus 6:15 but does not appear in the lists found in 1 Chronicles 4:24 and Numbers 26:12 indicating that he had no descendants or that they died out. Zohar appears in the genealogy of Exodus 6:15 but appears as Zerah in Numbers 26:13 and 1 Chronicles 4:24 and Shaul appears in Exodus 6:15 but does not appear in 1 Chronicles 4:24 and Numbers 26:13. The fact that Shaul is mentioned as being the son of a Canaanite woman reflects the Holy Spirit s dissatisfaction with the intermarriage between the covenant family of God and the Canaanites (See Genesis 9:24-27). Genesis 46:11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (NASB95) Kohath became the ancestor of the three great Levite families. Genesis 46:12 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelah and Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan (NASB95) The sons of Perez are listed and not his twin brother since the ancestral lines of both King David are traced back through Perez according to Ruth 4:18-22 as well 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 as the human nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Matthew 1:3 and Luke 3:33. Genesis 46:13 The sons of Issachar: Tola and Puvvah and Iob and Shimron. (NASB95) Puvvah appears in Numbers 26:23 as Puvah and in 1 Chronicles 7:1 as Puah and Iob appears in 1 Chronicles 7:1 and Numbers 26:24 as Jashub. Genesis 46:14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered and Elon and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; all his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three. (NASB95) Paddan Aram is another name for Aram Naharaim, which means, Aram of the Two Rivers and is synonymous with the name Mesopotamia and refers to the city of Nahor, which was founded by Abraham s brother and named after him and was the place in which Laban resided. The name Dinah means, judgment since the name is the feminine form of the word din meaning judgment. Notice that Genesis 46:15 records the number of Leah s sons who were born in Paddan Aram and their sons for a total of thirty-three and does not state that these all migrated to Egypt since Er and Onan died in Canaan. Also, the final number of thirty-three does not include any women and includes those who were born in Paddan Aram and their children. The thirty-three individuals include Leah s six sons, Reuben s four sons, Simeon s six sons, Levi s three sons, Judah s five sons (including Er and Onan), Judah s two grandsons, Issachar s four sons and Zebulun s three sons. Genesis 46:16 The sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi and Areli. (NASB95) Ziphion appears in Numbers 26:15 as Zephon and Ezbon appears in Numbers 26:15 as Ozni and Arodi appears in Numbers 26:17 as Arod. Genesis 46:17 The sons of Asher: Imnah and Ishvah and Ishvi and Beriah and their sister Serah. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. (NASB95) Serah appears in Numbers 26:46 and 1 Chronicles 7:30 and it is unknown as to why her name is included in this list, which is unusual since women were only included in these lists if they played a significant role in Israel s history. Heber and Malchiel are two of Jacob s four great grandchildren that appear in the genealogy of Genesis 46:8-27. Genesis 46:18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons. (NASB95) The name Laban means, white and the accounts of him appear in Genesis 24 and and whose grandfather was Nahor, Abraham s brother, and of course his sister was Rebekah and his daughter was Rachel, the wife of Jacob William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 The sixteen people would include Zilpah s two sons, Gad s seven sons, Asher s four sons and Asher s two grandsons and Asher s daughter. Genesis 46:19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. (NASB95) Rachel means, ewe, the female of the sheep, especially of the mature and she was Jacob s favorite wife. Genesis 46:20 Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. (NASB95) Joseph s firstborn was Manasseh whose name means, He who causes to forget as indicated by Joseph s statement For God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father s household. The second son that Asenath bore to Joseph was named Ephraim whose name means, He has made me fruitful, as indicated by Joseph s statement For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. The name Asenath means, the servant of the goddess Neith and her father s name was Potiphera, which is the proper noun poti phera, and means, he whom Ra (the sun-god) has given. On was situated seven miles northwest of modern Cairo and was a famous place for the worship of the sun-god Ra, thus it was called by the Greeks, Heliopolis, meaning, sun-city. Genesis 46:21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and Ard. (NASB95) Becher does not appear in the list of Benjamin s sons in Numbers 26:38 or 1 Chronicles 8:1 since he probably died childless or did not have enough children to form an independent family. Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, and Ard do not appear in the list of Benjamin s sons in Numbers 26 or 1 Chronicles 8:1-5 since they too died childless or didn t have enough children to form an independent family. Huppim appears in Numbers 26:39 as Hupham. Genesis 46:22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; there were fourteen persons in all. (NASB95) The fourteen individuals would include Rachel s two sons and Benjamin s ten sons and Joseph two sons. Genesis 46:23 The sons of Dan: Hushim. (NASB95) Hushim appears in Numbers 26:42 as Shuham. Genesis 46:24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and Guni and Jezer and Shillem. (NASB95) Jahzeel appears in 1 Chronicles 7:13 as Jahziel Shillem appears in 1 Chronicles 7:13 as Shallum William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 Genesis 46:25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore these to Jacob; there were seven persons in all. (NASB95) Bilhah whose name means, carefree was a concubine given to Jacob by Rachel. The seven individuals would include Bilhah s two sons, Dan s one son and Naphtali s four sons. Genesis 46:26 All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob's sons, were sixty-six persons in all, 27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy. (NASB95) The number sixty-six would include Jacob s eleven sons, Reuben s four sons, Simeon s six sons, Levi s three sons, Judah s three sons, Judah s two grandsons, Issachar s four sons, Zebulun s three sons, Gad s seven sons, Asher s four sons, Asher s two grandsons, Benjamin s ten sons, Dan s one son, Naphtali s four sons, Asher s daughter and Jacob s daughter Dinah. The number seventy is arrived at by adding Jacob and his son Joseph and his two sons. Reasons for Moving Jacob s Family to Egypt from Canaan There are several reasons why the Lord moved the Israelites to Egypt from Canaan. First of all, it was to discipline them. Jacob s sons abused the sign of circumcision to murder the citizens of Shechem in retaliation for the rape of Dinah (Genesis 34). Secondly, the Lord moved Jacob s family to Egypt from Canaan to preserve them physically and deliver them from the famine in Canaan. Since the Savior would be an Israelite and would come from the tribe of Judah, it was imperative to preserve Jacob s family. Thirdly, the Lord moved Jacob s family to Egypt from Canaan to maintain their identity and spiritual heritage. In Genesis 38, the story of Judah and Tamar emphasizes the need for God to temporarily relocate Jacob s family to Egypt since spiritual purity was essential for the purposes of God to be realized. Judah, the son through whom the Messiah would be born (Genesis 49:8-12), was so cosmic and immoral that he was willing to marry a Canaanite woman, to have a Canaanite as his best friend and to become involved with prostitutes, leading to idolatry. The Lord had to do something drastic and the exile in Egypt was God s remedy since the Egyptians detested Hebrew shepherds (See Genesis 43:32; 46:34), even if 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 the Hebrews were to become involved with these people, the Egyptians would not even consider such a thing. The racial bigotry of the Egyptians towards Hebrew shepherds would serve to maintain the Israelites as a separate people. Even though the Israelites exile in Egypt was in many respects a bitter experience for them, it was a gracious act on the part of God. Unlike the Canaanites, the Egyptians would be unwilling to integrate with the Israelites and absorb them into their culture since they considered their worship of God repulsive as well as the profession of shepherding. The segregated culture of the Egyptians guaranteed that the embryonic nation of Israel could develop into a great nation within the Egyptian borders. The reason why the Egyptians held shepherds in such contempt is that the Egyptians who were mainly urban city dwellers distrusted and feared nomadic peoples much like the modern attitude towards gypsies. The Egyptian monuments portray shepherds as distorted, dirty, emaciated figures. Although the racial bigotry of the Egyptians was evil, God was able to use it to preserve the purity of the Israelite race and protect it from the corrupting Canaanite influence. Herodotus and Strabo all attest to the fact that the Egyptians held all foreigners in contempt. The fourth reason why the Lord brought Jacob s family to Israel was to develop them spiritually as they went through adversity in Egypt. The fifth reason was that the Lord could glorify Himself by demonstrating His omnipotence through destroying the might of Egypt. The sixth reason was to expose them to the organization and administration of the nation of Egypt. In Canaan, the Israelites would have seen nothing like Egypt. In Egypt, the Israelites came in contact with a highly developed civilization with an established government and the administration of law. Lastly, the Lord wanted to glorify Himself by fulfilling the prophecy He made to Abraham that his descendants would be oppressed by another nation for 430 years but that He would deliver them by His great power. Jacob s Family Lived in Goshen So Jacob and his family migrated to Egypt and settled in the land of Goshen in accordance with Joseph s instructions. After revealing himself to his brothers, Joseph sends for his father Jacob and the entire family to migrate to Egypt and settle in the land of Goshen in order to escape the terrible famine in Canaan. Genesis 45:5, Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10 You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11 There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished. (NASB95) Goshen is the proper noun Goshen, which was located in the eastern part of the Nile Delta, northeast of the Egyptian capital, Memphis and approximately 900 hundred square miles, well suited for grazing and for certain types of agriculture and sparsely occupied allowing room for Hebrew expansion. This area was also called the land of Rameses in Genesis 47:11 and according to the Exodus narrative, which records that the Israelites left Goshen under Moses and went from Rameses through the Wadi Tumilat (a valley connecting the Nile and the Bitter Lakes region, now a part of the Suez Canal system) to Succoth (Compare Exodus 8:18; 12:37; 13:17f). Rameses was probably a later name of an urban complex including Avaris and was built to the north of Avaris, adjoined to it. Genesis 45:16-20 records Joseph s brothers receiving a gracious invitation from Pharaoh to live in Egypt. Genesis 46:5-7 records Israel s family migrating to Egypt (46:5-7). Genesis 46:1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac 2, God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here I am. 3 He said, I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes. 5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: 7 his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 Genesis 47:11-12 records Joseph settling his family in Goshen. Genesis 47:11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. (NASB95) A comparison of Pharaoh s statement recorded in Genesis 47:6 with the statement in Genesis 47:11 indicates that the land of Goshen and the land of Rameses refer to the same location in Egypt. Settled is the verb yashav, which means, to live in a place for a period of time and does not mean to live in a place permanently. In the hiphil (causative) stem, the verb indicates that Joseph caused his father and his brothers to live in the land of Rameses, which is Goshen for an unspecified period of time. According to the prophecy given to Abraham in Genesis 15:12-16, this period was four hundred years. Although this would be a long term migration from the human perspective, from the divine perspective it would not be permanent. Possession is the noun `achuzzah, which refers to an inalienable possession received from one with the authority to give it (cf. 17:8; 23:4, 9, 20) (Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis, page 587, Zondervan) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 The prepositional phrase in the best part of the land describes Goshen as the best land for agriculture (Compare Isaiah 1:19) and this can be inferred by Israel s later references to it (See Numbers 20:5; Psalm 78:47) (Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis, A Commentary, page 571, Zondervan). Death of Joseph Exodus 1:6 Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. (NASB95) This verse is inserted for rhetorical effect. Namely, in spite of the death of Joseph and his brothers, their descendants grew numerically. Genesis 50:22-26 presents the last words of Joseph and his death. Genesis 50:22 Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father's household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. (NASB95) Jacob died when Joseph was fifty-six years of age according to a comparison of Genesis 41:46, 53; 45:6 and 47:28 and Joseph lived for another fifty-four years after that and died at the age of 110. Genesis 50:23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim's sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph's knees. (NASB95) This passage reveals that Joseph lived to see some of his great grandchildren. His oldest son Manasseh had two sons whose names were Machir and Asriel according to Genesis 50:23, Numbers 26:29-31 and 1 Chronicles 7:14. Joseph possibly had others whose names were not recorded and it appears that the children of Machir were born while Joseph was still alive and the most famous of these was Gilead, the ancestor of the Gileadites according to Numbers 26:29. Genesis 50:24 Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. (NASB95) Brothers is the noun `ach, which does not refer to his half-brothers, the sons of Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah and nor does it refer to his full brother Benjamin since that would indicate that Joseph died before his brothers, many of whom were much older than him, which seems highly unlikely. Rather, the term `ach, brothers refers to the Israelite people as a whole, which is confirmed in Genesis 50:25 by the expression, sons of Israel. Joseph s statement I am about to die links him with the death of the other patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac. Like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph s last concern was concerning the fulfillment of the promises of God (See Genesis 24:1-7; 28:1-4; 47:29-31). Joseph s statement God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which he promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 Jacob is a reference to the Exodus from Egypt, which would fulfill the prophecy given to Abraham, recorded in Genesis 15: Joseph is also referring to the Palestinian covenant, which the Lord established with Abraham and confirmed to both Isaac and Jacob and was a confirmation and enlargement of the original Abrahamic covenant and amplified the land features of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 13:14-15; 15:18). Genesis 50:25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here. (NASB95) The designation the sons of Israel emphasizes the national identity of Israel/Jacob s sons and not their personal identity as Jacob s sons. The brothers entered Egypt as a nation in its infancy whereas their descendants will leave four hundred years later as a powerful nation. By making the Israelites swear to him that they would bury his bones in Canaan, Joseph was expressing his confidence and faith in God s promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give them the land of Canaan and looks forward in faith to the Exodus, which was prophesied to Abraham in Genesis 15: Exodus 13:19 records that Moses fulfilled this oath and buried Joseph s remains at Shechem in the land Jacob had given him as a gift (See Genesis 48:21-22; Joshua 24:32). Genesis 50:26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. (NASB95) Joseph s body was embalmed and placed in a coffin, which would serve as a perpetual reminder to the Israelites of God s promise to them that God would bring them back to Canaan. Notice that unlike his father Jacob, there is no record of Joseph receiving a massive state funeral indicating that the situation in Egypt had already begun to worsen for the Israelites anticipating the cruel treatment the Israelites experienced four hundred years later recorded in the book of Exodus. Therefore, we see the book of Genesis closing setting the stage for the events that would take place four hundred years later when God would use Moses to deliver the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt. Four Hundred Thirty Years in Egypt Exodus 1:7 But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. (NASB95) This verse speaks of the rapid growth and blessing upon the nation of Israel during the four hundred thirty years in Egypt. This verse is a reminder to the reader 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 that God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would make a great nation from them. This verse fills in a nearly 400-year gap covering the period from the death of Joseph to the time of the Exodus. Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you. 2 And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing. 3 And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. (NASB95) I will make you into a great nation refers to the nation of Israel. Genesis 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly. 3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. (NASB95) The promise to make Abraham a father of many nations was fulfilled in a biological sense through Hagar and the Ishmaelites (Gen. 17:20; 21:13; 25:12-18); through Keturah and the Midianites and others (Gen. 25:1-4); through Isaac and Rebekah, the Edomites (Gen. 25:23; 36:1-43); through Isaac and Rebekah, the Israelites (Gen. 12:2; 18:18). Genesis 35:11 God also said to him, I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you. (NASB95) The promise a nation shall come from you in a near sense refers to the nation of Israel (saved and unsaved) and in a far sense it refers to saved Israel during the millennial reign of Christ. By means of His Word, the Lord would fulfill His third promise to Jacob that he would be the progenitor of a nation, and endue Jacob with power to be the progenitor of the nation of Israel (See Genesis 35:11). Genesis 46:1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here I am. 3 He said, I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. (NASB95) The explanatory clause for I will make you a great nation there gives the reason why Israel should not be afraid and would give him assurance that it was according to the will of God that he and his family migrate to Egypt William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 This statement I will make you a great nation there is a reference to the Abrahamic covenant since it reconfirms the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2 and 18:17-18 that God would make Abraham s descendants into a great nation. Nation is the noun goy, which is in the singular referring to Abraham s national posterity (Gen. 18:18), the nation of Israel that would originate from Abraham and Sarah s son Isaac and Isaac s son Jacob. Great is the adjective gadhol, which refers both to numbers and to significance or impact the nation of Israel would have on both human and angelic history. Therefore, the national posterity of Abraham, the nation of Israel has been a great nation in history during the reigns of David and Solomon and will be significant according to prophecy since she will be the head of the nations during the millennial reign of Christ (See Isaiah 2:1-4). Israel has had a huge impact upon human history in that she was the custodian of the Old Testament Scriptures, the recipients of the covenants of promise, the Law (Rm. 9:1-5) and the nation from which the Savior, Jesus Christ would originate (Jn. 4:22). Prophetically, the promise a great nation in a near sense refers to the nation of Israel (saved and unsaved) and in a far sense it refers to saved Israel during the millennial reign of Christ. John Hannah commenting on Exodus 1:7 writes, Jacob s descendants increased: The Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous (cf. Acts 7:17). Several generations separated Levi from Moses (cf. comments on Num. 26:58-59) so that the time from Joseph s death (Gen. 50:26) to the growth of the nation as described in Exodus 1:7 was probably little more than 100 years. The adult males in the Exodus totaled 600,000, not counting women and children (12:37), so the total Israelite population at that time may have been about 2 million. No wonder the land (i.e., Goshen, Gen. 45:10, in the southeast Delta) was filled with them. According to God s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) a large nation had emerged. They had yet to receive a land (Gen. 15:18-21) and a constitution (the Mosaic Law). 6 Pharaoh Persecutes the Israelites Exodus 1:8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. 10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who 6 Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament; Walvoord, J.F. and R.B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary; Wheaton, IL, Victor Books 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18

19 hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land. 11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them. (NASB95) These seven verses are a unity because they deal with a common subject, namely a new, adverse set of circumstances in Egypt for the descendants of the patriarchs that stands in direct contrast to the situation when Joseph was alive and those who were sympathetic to Joseph s family in subsequent years after his death. These verses summarize the Israelites falling from favor to disgrace in Egypt. It summarizes how they went from a people respected and protected the Egyptian government to a nation that was persecuted at the highest levels of this new administration. The motivation for the persecution of Israel was their numerical growth, which was the direct result of God blessing the descendants of the patriarchs in fulfillment of the promises He gave them to make them a great nation. Exodus 1:8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. (NASB95) The term king is synonymous with the designation Pharaoh which in the Hebrew means, great house and was the title of the kings of Egypt until 323 B.C. and meant something like his honor, his majesty. The eighteenth dynasty of Egypt was the setting for the Exodus of Israel from Egypt and was founded by Amosis or Ahmose ( ) who expelled the Hyksos from the land of Egypt. The Hyksos were ethnically akin to the Israelites thus it is no wonder that he feared them making an alliance with Egypt s enemies like the Hyksos. Amosis or his successor, Amenhotep I ( ) was responsible for the repressive policies which followed against the Israelites mentioned in Exodus 1:8-11). Amenhotep I was succeeded by Thutmose I ( ) who was a commoner who married the king s sister. He was more than likely the author of the decree of infanticide because though Moses was in imminent danger of death, his brother Aaron, who was born three years earlier (Exodus 7:7) appears to not been in danger of death. Therefore, the Scriptures and history teaches us that Thutmose I was responsible for the decree to kill the Hebrew infant boys. Now Thutmose II ( ) married his older half-sister Hatshepsut but died young under mysterious circumstances. However, he named a successor to be his coregent and heir, namely his son Thutmose III ( ), who was the most distinguished ruler during the New Kingdom period. He was the son of a 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19

20 concubine and married his half-sister, the daughter of Hatshepsut and Thutmose II. He achieved great military victories including 16 campaigns in Palestine alone. The first twenty years of his reign were dominated by his powerful mother-in-law, Hatshepsut. She herself was forbidden by custom to be Pharaoh but nonetheless function in this role. She pulled the strings in the early years of Thutmose III, which he detested but was powerless to oppose. He demonstrated his contempt for her after she died by removing every inscriptional and monumental reference to her and her reign. This woman was the daughter of Pharaoh who rescued Moses. Only she of all known women of this period could have boldness and courage to violate an ordinance of the king. Hatsheput s birth date is unknown but she was probably several years older than her husband, Thutmose II, who died in 1504 while in his late twenties. She could have been in her early teens by 1526 when Moses was born and was thus able to effect his deliverance. Thutmose III was a minor when he came to power in 1504 and was younger than Moses. Thus, Thutmose III and Moses were surely rivals. This is demonstrated by the fact that Thutmose III was quick to try to kill Moses when he killed an Egyptian. Moses exile took place in 1486 when he was forty years old (Acts 7:23). He spent forty years among the Midianites of the Sinai and Arabia. Only after the death of Thutmose III, did Moses return to Egypt (Exodus 2:23; 4:19). Thutmose III died in 1450 and was succeeded by his son Amenhotep II ( ). It was this Pharaoh who was the Pharaoh of the exodus. Further support of this is that the kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty made their principle residence at Thebes, which was far to the south of the Israelites in the Delta. Amenhotep made his home at Memphis and reigned there for much of the time. This would place him in close proximity to the land of Goshen, where the Israelites resided and which would make him accessible to Moses and Aaron. So the Exodus according to the biblical chronological data took place in 1446 B.C., which took place during the reign of Amenhotep II of the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. Exodus 7:7 tells us that Moses was 80 just prior to the Exodus and 120 at His death according to Deuteronomy 34:7. Since Moses death was at the very close of the wilderness period, it occurred in Simple calculation yields a birth date of 1526 B.C. for Moses, thus he was born in the very year of the death of Amenhotep I. Exodus 1:8 reveals that Thutmose I did not know Joseph, which means that this new king was not personally acquainted with Joseph s accomplishments in Egypt. In other words, he did not know his Egyptian history, which would reveal that Joseph saved Egypt from a world-wide famine and actually enslaved the entire Egyptian population to the Pharaohs! Remember, four hundred years have passed since the death of Joseph. The implication of Thutmose not being acquainted with 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 20