Genesis 47

We shall consider this chapter as embracing ten paragraphs, as follows:

1. Joseph presents five of his brothers before Pharaoh (Genesis 47:1-4).
   
2. Pharaoh confirms the settlement of Israel in Goshen.
   
3. Jacob himself had an audience with Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7-10).
4. Israel's settlement in Goshen was accomplished (Genesis 47:11-12).
   
5. Money in Egypt became exhausted (Genesis 47:13-14).
   
6. Cattle and herds traded for food (Genesis 47:15-17).
   
7. Their lands and their persons bartered for food (Genesis 47:18-20).
   
8. All land becomes property of the king, and the people become serfs (Genesis 47:21-26).
   
9. The Jews own their land, prospering and multiplying exceedingly (Genesis 47:27-28).
   
10. Jacob, approaching death, requires of Joseph that he will be buried in Machpelah (Genesis 47:29-31).
    

In this chapter, it is currently the style of commentators to express preference for the Septuagint (LXX) version, basing their claim upon the allegation that the errors of the Septuagint (LXX) were smoothed over and harmonized in the Hebrew text of the O.T. upon which our version is based! To paraphrase that opinion, "We prefer the erroneous text, because it is the original!" As Peake put it, "The Septuagint (LXX) has here a more original text, whose discrepancies are smoothed out in the Masoretic Text."[1] Such notions, of course, are merely the result of scholars blindly following one of their self-serving "laws" which critics have imposed upon interpreters. It is the "Lectio Difficilior," the Latin name they have given the silly rule to the effect that the "more difficult readings are to be preferred as original!" Nothing that the schools of criticism have ever done is more fraudulent than this. "More difficult readings possibly result from scribal errors and have little meaning."[2] The application of such rules has butchered some of the passages in this chapter.

Our text makes excellent sense as it stands. "The Septuagint (LXX) flounders helplessly, `He enslaved them into being slaves' (Genesis 47:25) could hardly be called an improvement."[3] Keil also referred to the rendition of the Septuagint (LXX) in Genesis 47:31 as a "false reading,"[4] Keil also added that the quotation (obviously from the LXX) of Genesis 47:31, in Hebrews 11:21 is no proof whatever of the correctness of the LXX.[5] Over and beyond all this, the excellent sense, unity, and design of every word in this chapter are such that all efforts to change any of it must be held suspect.

This chapter is so obviously related to the migration to Egypt that we shall consider it merely as an extension of the theme in the last chapter.