Genesis 46:34

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 46:31-34

"And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. And it shall come to pass when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? that ye shall say, Thy servants have been keepers of... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 46:34

Genesis 46:34. Every shepherd is an abomination, &c.— Various reasons have been assigned by the learned why shepherds were held in abomination by the AEgyptians. There are so many proofs that shepherds, in general, were not abominable to the AEgyptians, that the expression, it is thought by some, should be taken in a limited sense, and the words of Moses confined only to foreign shepherds. See ch. Genesis 47:6; Genesis 47:17. "The AEgyptians," Herodotus tells us, "were divided into seven... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 46:31-34

Egyptians loathed shepherds because agriculture was the basis of Egyptian society and the Nile River sustained it (Genesis 46:34). The Egyptians organized their fields carefully and controlled them relatively easily. The comparative difficulty of controlling sheep, goats, and cows led the Egyptians to think of those who cared for these animals as crude and barbaric. [Note: See Keil and Delitzsch, 1:374-75, and my note on 43:32.] Probably too the more civilized Egyptians distrusted any nomadic... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 46:1-34

The Descent of Jacob into Egypt. The Genealogical Table of the Israelites1-4. On reaching Beersheba, the southern boundary of the Promised Land, Jacob offers sacrifices to God. In return God assures him of His continued favour and of the fulfilment of the promises made to Abraham. 4. Put his hand upon thine eyes] i.e. close them in death. 5. Little ones] rather,’household servants and their families.’ 6-27. This passage is from the Priestly source, and shows its characteristic fondness for... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Genesis 46:34

(34) For every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.—This is probably a remark of the narrator, and it is confirmed by the monuments, which generally represent shepherds as unshaven and ill-dressed. Necessarily the Egyptians had sheep and cattle (Genesis 47:16-17), and even Pharaoh had herds (Genesis 47:6); but the care of them was probably left by the peasantry to the women and children, while the men busied themselves with the cultivation of their fields. We need not go far to seek... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Genesis 46:1-34

CHAPTER 46 Jacob Goes Down to Egypt 1. Israel’s departure and the vision (Genesis 46:1-4 ) 2. The journey and the arrival in Egypt (Genesis 46:5-7 ) 3. The offspring of the sons of Jacob (Genesis 46:8-27 ) 4. Israel meets Joseph (Genesis 46:28-30 ) 5. Joseph’s directions concerning Pharaoh (Genesis 46:31-34 The whole family of Jacob, consisting of seventy souls, exclusive of the wives and the servants, came to Egypt. Once more God appears to Israel, but addresses him as Jacob. He... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Genesis 46:34

46:34 That 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 {f} abomination unto the Egyptians.(f) God permits the world to hate his own, so they will forsake the filth of the world, and cling to him. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 46:1-34

JACOB AND HIS FAMILY MOVE TO EGYPT (vs.1-27) Nothing is said of the great amount of preparation they must make for their journey, but Jacob is said to take the journey with all that he had, which of course included all his family. On his way he stopped at Beersheba (the well of the oath), which indicates his remembrance of the promise of God on which he was dependent. It is good to see him offering sacrifices there. That night God spoke to him in a vision, a reminder of the dream God gave... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Genesis 46:1-34

JOSEPH ’S HISTORY DISPENSATIONAL ASPECT OF JACOB’S HISTORY Following F.W. Grant in the Numerical Bible, the life of Jacob gives as its lesson the story of that discipline by which the Spirit of God brings us from weakness to power, from nature’s strength to that wholesome weakness in which alone is strength. But for this, natural strength must be crippled, which is provided for in two ways: in allowing us to realize the power of another nature (Esau) and in the direct dealing of God with our... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Genesis 46:31-34

Spiritually considered, this teaches the separation of GOD'S people from the carnal world. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 . The abomination of the Hebrews. See Exodus 8:26 . read more