Genesis 46:33
New International Version
When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’

New Living Translation
Then he said, “When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation,

English Standard Version
When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

Berean Standard Bible
When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’

King James Bible
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

New King James Version
So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

New American Standard Bible
When Pharaoh calls for you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

NASB 1995
“When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

NASB 1977
“And it shall come about when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

Legacy Standard Bible
And it will be when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

Amplified Bible
And it shall be that when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

Christian Standard Bible
When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, ‘What is your occupation? ’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’

American Standard Version
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

Contemporary English Version
The king will call you in and ask what you do for a living.

English Revised Version
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Now, when Pharaoh calls for you and asks, 'What kind of work do you do?'

Good News Translation
When the king calls for you and asks what your occupation is,

International Standard Version
When Pharaoh calls for you and asks you 'What's your occupation?'

Majority Standard Bible
When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ?What is your occupation??

NET Bible
Pharaoh will summon you and say, 'What is your occupation?'

New Heart English Bible
And it will come to pass, when Pharaoh summons you and says, 'What is your occupation?'

Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

World English Bible
It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, ‘What is your occupation?’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it has come to pass, when Pharaoh calls for you and has said, What [are] your works?

Young's Literal Translation
And it hath come to pass when Pharaoh calleth for you, and hath said, What are your works?

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be when Pharaoh shall call to you and say, What your work?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he shall call you, and shall say: What is your occupation?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when he will call you and will say, ‘What is your work?’

New American Bible
So when Pharaoh summons you and asks what your occupation is,

New Revised Standard Version
When Pharaoh calls you, and says, ‘What is your occupation?’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you and shall say to you. What is your occupation?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when Pharaoh will call you and he will say to you, ‘What is your work?.’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say: What is your occupation?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
If then Pharao call you, and say to you, What is you occupation?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
32The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”…

Cross References
Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Exodus 1:13-14
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly / and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

Exodus 3:18
The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’

Exodus 5:4-5
But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!” / Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”

Exodus 6:6-7
Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. / I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

Exodus 8:25-26
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” / But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?

Exodus 9:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

Exodus 10:24-26
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.” / But Moses replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. / Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.”

Exodus 12:31-32
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. / Take your flocks and herds as well, just as you have said, and depart! And bless me also.”

Exodus 14:5
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”

Exodus 14:11-12
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? / Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Exodus 15:9
The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’

Exodus 18:1
Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Exodus 19:4-6
‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. / Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. / And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Exodus 20:2
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.


Treasury of Scripture

And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

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Genesis 46
1. Jacob is comforted by God at Beersheba.
5. Thence he with his company goes into Egypt.
8. The number of his family that went into Egypt.
28. Joseph meets Jacob.
31. He instructs his brothers how to answer Pharaoh.














When Pharaoh summons you
This phrase sets the stage for a significant encounter between the patriarch Jacob's family and the ruler of Egypt. The Hebrew root for "summons" is קָרָא (qara), which means to call or to invite. This is not merely a casual meeting; it is a formal audience with the most powerful man in the known world at that time. Historically, Pharaohs were considered divine figures, and an audience with them was a matter of great importance. This moment underscores God's providence in elevating Joseph to a position where he could bring his family into the safety and provision of Egypt during a time of famine.

and asks
The act of asking here is not just a simple inquiry but a probing into the identity and purpose of Jacob's family. The Hebrew word שָׁאַל (sha'al) implies a seeking of information, often with an expectation of a detailed response. This reflects the cultural and political dynamics of the time, where Pharaoh would need to understand the intentions and background of those entering his land. It also highlights the importance of identity and occupation in ancient societies, where one's work was closely tied to their social status and role within the community.

‘What is your occupation?’
The question of occupation is central to this verse. The Hebrew word מַעֲשֶׂה (ma'aseh) refers to work or labor, indicating that Pharaoh is interested in the practical skills and contributions that Jacob's family can offer to Egypt. In the historical context, Egypt was a highly organized society with a strong emphasis on labor and productivity, especially in agriculture. This question also serves a narrative purpose, as it sets up the later settlement of Jacob's family in the land of Goshen, where they would be able to continue their work as shepherds. This occupation was looked down upon by Egyptians, which further highlights the distinct identity of the Israelites and God's plan to keep them separate and preserve their unique heritage.

Verses 33, 34. - And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? Pharaoh's inquiry was characteristically Egyptian, being rendered necessary by the strict distinction of castes that then prevailed. According to a law promulgated by Amasis, a monarch of the 26th dynasty, every Egyptian was obliged to give a yearly account to the monarch or State governor of how he lived, with the certification that if he failed to show that he possessed an honorable calling (δικαίην ζόην) he should be put to death (Herod., 2:177). That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle (literally, men of cattle arc thy servants) from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen. Joseph probably desired his brethren to settle in Goshen for three reasons.

(1) It was suitable for their flocks and herds;

(2) it would secure their isolation from the Egyptians; and

(3) it was contiguous to Canaan, and would be easier vacated when the time arrived for their return. For every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians. These are obviously the words not of Joseph, but of the historian, and their accuracy is strikingly corroborated by Herodotus (2. 47, 164), who affirms that the swine-herds, one of the seven castes, classes, or guilds into which the Egyptians were divided, were regarded with such abhorrence that they were not allowed to enter a temple or contract marriage with any others of their countrymen; and by existing monuments, which show that though the statement of Josephus ('Ant.,' 2:07, 5) is incorrect that "the Egyptians were prohibited from meddling with the keeping of sheep,' yet those, who tended cattle were greatly despised, Egyptian artists evincing the contempt in which they were held by frequently representing them as either lame or deformed, dirty and unshaven, and sometimes of a most ludicrous appearance (vide Wilkinson, 'Ancient Egyptians,' vol. 2. p. 444, ed. 1878). It has been thought that the disrepute in which the shepherd guild was held by the Egyptians was attributable partly to the nature of their occupation, and partly to the feeling excited against them by the domination of the shepherd kings (Wilkinson, Wordsworth, Murphy, and others); but . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Pharaoh
פַּרְעֹ֑ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

summons
יִקְרָ֥א (yiq·rā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

you
לָכֶ֖ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

and asks,
וְאָמַ֖ר (wə·’ā·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

is your occupation?’
מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶֽם׃ (ma·‘ă·śê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property


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OT Law: Genesis 46:33 It will happen when Pharaoh summons you (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 46:32
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