Why does God call Jacob by name twice?
Repeating a name is a biblical way of expressing closeness and urgency. God calls Jacob, and he answers. A similar pattern occurs when God calls Abraham in Genesis 22 and Moses in Exodus 3.
Genesis · chapter 46 of 50
Genesis 46: Summary, Key Verses and Study Questions
Updated on
What happens in Genesis 46?
Genesis 46 tells how Jacob sets out for Egypt, offers sacrifices at Beersheba and receives God's promise to go with him and make him a great nation there. The sons of Jacob who go down with him are listed, seventy in all. Joseph goes out to meet him, they embrace weeping, and the family settles in Goshen.
Genesis 45 ended with Jacob determined to see Joseph. Genesis 46 is a decisive moment: for the first time the family of the promise leaves the land of Canaan. God himself confirms the journey, and the list of names reminds us that Israel enters Egypt as a family, which God will grow into a nation.
Genesis 46 summary
Israel sets out with all he has and comes to Beersheba, where he offers sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. At night God speaks to him in visions and calls him twice by name. He identifies himself as the God of his father and tells him not to fear going down to Egypt, for there he will make him a great nation. God will go down with him, bring him up again, and Joseph's hand will close his eyes.
Jacob leaves Beersheba with his sons, grandsons, daughters and daughters-in-law in the wagons Pharaoh had sent, with their livestock and goods. The text lists the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt: the sons of Leah, of Zilpah, of Rachel and of Bilhah. Those who came with Jacob, not counting his sons' wives, number sixty-six; with Joseph and his two sons born in Egypt, the text gives the total for the house of Jacob as seventy.
Jacob sends Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way to Goshen. Joseph prepares his chariot and goes up to meet his father in Goshen. When he sees him, he falls on his neck and weeps for a long time. Jacob tells him that now he can die, since he has seen his face and he is still alive. Joseph tells his brothers that he will speak to Pharaoh. When Pharaoh asks their occupation, they are to say that they are shepherds, so that they may live in the land of Goshen, because the Egyptians detest shepherds.
Chapter outline
- vv. 1-4: God appears to Jacob at Beersheba and promises to be with him in Egypt.
- vv. 5-7: Jacob and his family set out for Egypt.
- vv. 8-27: The list of the sons of Jacob who went down to Egypt.
- vv. 28-30: Joseph goes to meet Jacob in Goshen.
- vv. 31-34: Joseph instructs his brothers how to speak to Pharaoh.
Key verses in Genesis 46
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Genesis 46:3
God tells Jacob not to be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there he will make him a great nation. Egypt would be a place of fear for a child of the promise, but God gets ahead of it and reassures him.
Genesis 46:4
God promises to go down with Jacob into Egypt and to bring him up again, and that Joseph will close his eyes. It is the promise of God's presence in a foreign country, and it points to a future return of his descendants to the promised land.
Genesis 46:29-30
Joseph presents himself to his father, falls on his neck and weeps for a long time. Jacob says that now he can die, since he has seen his face. After more than twenty years, father and son are reunited, and Jacob's sorrow turns to joy.
Genesis 46:34
Joseph tells his brothers to say they are shepherds, so that they may live in Goshen, since Egyptians detest shepherds. It is a practical decision that protects Israel from blending into Egypt and lets it grow as a distinct people.
Main themes
- God's promise in a foreign land
- Israel goes down to Egypt
- A family becoming a people
- The reunion of father and son
- Protecting identity
People and places
- Jacob (Israel)
- Joseph
- Judah
- The sons of Jacob
- Pharaoh
- Beersheba
- Goshen
Genesis 46 study questions and answers
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
1. Where did Jacob offer sacrifices before going down to Egypt?
Answer: At Beersheba, to the God of his father Isaac. — Genesis 46:1
2. What did God promise Jacob in the vision?
Answer: To make him a great nation in Egypt, go with him and bring him back. — Genesis 46:3-4
3. How many people of Jacob's house were in Egypt, counting Joseph and his sons?
Answer: Seventy persons. — Genesis 46:27
4. Whom did Jacob send ahead to Goshen?
Answer: Judah, to have Joseph show the way. — Genesis 46:28
5. What did Joseph do when he saw his father?
Answer: He fell on his neck and wept for a long time. — Genesis 46:29
6. What were the brothers to tell Pharaoh about their occupation?
Answer: That they were shepherds, as their fathers were. — Genesis 46:33-34
Application for today
Genesis 46 shows that God accompanies his people in the most uncertain transitions. Jacob was afraid to go down to Egypt, and God himself met him at Beersheba, where he had earlier met Isaac. In a small group, the chapter encourages those facing a life change: before taking the step, it is wise to offer sacrifices, that is, to seek God in prayer and worship.
It also reminds us that faith is lived in the family. Jacob takes all of his household. Ask how you care for the faith of those who depend on you, and how you can protect the spiritual identity of your family in an environment that does not share it.
Genesis 46 ends with Joseph instructing his brothers how to present themselves to Pharaoh. In Genesis 47 he will bring them before him, and Jacob will bless Pharaoh in one of the most remarkable scenes of the book.
Frequently asked questions about Genesis 46
Why does the text say sixty-six and then seventy?
Verse 26 counts the direct descendants who came with Jacob, not including his sons' wives, and they number sixty-six. Verse 27 adds Joseph and his two sons born in Egypt and gives the total for the house of Jacob as seventy; scholars count the names in slightly different ways.
Why did the Egyptians detest shepherds?
The text states it without giving the reason. It was probably due to cultural differences, since the Egyptians were farmers and nomadic shepherds were seen as outsiders. That separation helped Israel keep its identity.