Now the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful and increased greatly in number.
Parallel translations
- WEB Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
- KJV And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
- NKJV So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly.
- NASB Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous.
- NLT Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt. There they acquired property, and they were fruitful, and their population grew rapidly.
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
Israel settles in Goshen, gains possessions, and multiplies greatly. God's promise of fruitfulness begins to be visibly fulfilled.
Overview
While Egypt was being reduced to servitude, God's covenant people prospered and grew exceedingly in Goshen. This fruitfulness directly echoes God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to multiply their seed. The verse marks the beginning of Israel's growth into the great nation that Exodus opens by describing, all under God's faithful hand.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Gen 46:3“I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
- Exod 1:7but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
- Acts 7:17As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number.
- Ps 107:38He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.
- Zech 10:8I will whistle for them to gather, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they once were.
- Deut 26:5and you are to declare before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty and numerous.
- Gen 26:4I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,
- Ps 105:24And the LORD made His people very fruitful, more numerous than their foes,
- Neh 9:23You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
- Gen 13:16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.
- Deut 10:22Your fathers went down to Egypt, seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
- Gen 17:6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.
- Gen 8:9But the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him in the ark, because the waters were still covering the surface of all the earth. So he reached out his hand and brought her back inside the ark.
- Gen 8:7and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth.
- Exod 1:12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.
- Gen 28:14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
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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 47:27 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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