And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
Parallel translations
- WEB These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’
- BSB The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’
- NKJV And the men are shepherds, for their occupation has been to feed livestock; and they have brought their flocks, their herds, and all that they have.’
- NASB and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’
- NLT These men are shepherds, and they raise livestock. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Joseph notes that his family are shepherds who have brought their flocks and herds. He prepares Pharaoh for their occupation.
Overview
By identifying his kin as keepers of livestock, Joseph sets the stage for them to be granted Goshen, a region suited to grazing and somewhat apart from the Egyptians. His honesty and foresight show wise planning under God's providence. The pastoral identity of Israel is preserved even amid the sophistication of Egypt.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Gen 47:3And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
- 1 Sam 17:15But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
- Zech 13:5But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
- Gen 37:2These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
- Isa 40:11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
- Gen 4:2And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
- Gen 9:20And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
- 1 Kgs 9:27And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
- 1 Kgs 18:5–6And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
- Gen 45:10And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
- Gen 31:18And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
- Ps 78:70–72He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
- Gen 46:34That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
- Exod 3:1Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
- 1 Sam 16:11And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 46:32 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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