Genesis 47:3
New International Version
Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.”

New Living Translation
And Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” They replied, “We, your servants, are shepherds, just like our ancestors.

English Standard Version
Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.”

Berean Standard Bible
“What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.”

King James Bible
And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

New King James Version
Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”

NASB 1995
Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”

NASB 1977
Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”

Amplified Bible
And Pharaoh said to his brothers [as Joseph expected], “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers [before us].”

Christian Standard Bible
And Pharaoh asked his brothers, “What is your occupation? ” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants, both we and our ancestors, are shepherds.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Pharaoh asked his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants, both we and our fathers, are shepherds.”

American Standard Version
And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Pharaoh said to the brothers of Yoseph, “What is your work?”, and they said to Pharaoh: “Your Servants are Shepherds of sheep, even we and also our fathers from our youth.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Pharao said to the brethren of Joseph, What is your occupation? and they said to Pharao, Thy servants are shepherds, both we and our father.

Contemporary English Version
who asked them, "What do you do for a living?" "Sir, we are shepherds," was their answer. "Our families have always raised sheep.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: Re thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

English Revised Version
And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What kind of work do you do?" They answered Pharaoh, "We are shepherds, as were our ancestors.

Good News Translation
The king asked them, "What is your occupation?" "We are shepherds, sir, just as our ancestors were," they answered.

International Standard Version
Pharaoh asked his brothers, "What are your occupations?" "Your servants are shepherds," they replied, "both we and our ancestors.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Pharaoh said unto his brethren: 'What is your occupation?' And they said unto Pharaoh: 'Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.'

Literal Standard Version
and Pharaoh says to his brothers, “What [are] your works?” And they say to Pharaoh, “Your servants [are] feeders of a flock, both we and our fathers”;

Majority Standard Bible
“What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.”

New American Bible
When Pharaoh asked them, “What is your occupation?” they answered, “We, your servants, like our ancestors, are shepherds.

NET Bible
Pharaoh said to Joseph's brothers, "What is your occupation?" They said to Pharaoh, "Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did."

New Revised Standard Version
Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our ancestors were.”

New Heart English Bible
Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Pharaoh said to his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said to Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

World English Bible
Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.”

Young's Literal Translation
and Pharaoh saith unto his brethren, 'What are your works?' and they say unto Pharaoh, 'Thy servants are feeders of a flock, both we and our fathers;'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Settles in Goshen
2And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. 3“What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.” 4Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.”…

Cross References
Genesis 4:2
Later she gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.

Genesis 46:33
When Pharaoh summons you and asks, 'What is your occupation?'

Genesis 46:34
you 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."

Jonah 1:8
"Tell us now," they demanded, "who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?"


Treasury of Scripture

And Pharaoh said to his brothers, What is your occupation? And they said to Pharaoh, Your servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

What is.

Genesis 46:33,34
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? …

Amos 7:14,15
Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: …

Jonah 1:8
Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

shepherds.

Genesis 4:2
And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

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Business Fathers Feeders Flock Keepers Occupation Pharaoh Servants Sheep Shepherds Works
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Business Fathers Feeders Flock Keepers Occupation Pharaoh Servants Sheep Shepherds Works
Genesis 47
1. Joseph presents his father, and five of his brothers before Pharaoh.
11. He gives them habitation and maintenance.
13. He gets the Egyptian's money;
16. their cattle;
18. and their lands, except the priests', to Pharaoh.
23. He restores the land for a fifth.
28. Jacob's age.
29. He swears Joseph to bury him with his fathers.














(3) Also our fathers.--Joseph had instructed them to add this (Genesis 46:34), because occupations were hereditary among the Egyptians, and thus Pharaoh would conclude that in their case also no change was possible in their mode of life.

Verse 3. - And Pharaoh said unto his (i.e. Joseph's) brethren, What is your occupation? (vide Genesis 46:33). And they said unto Pharaoh, - as directed (Genesis 46:34) - Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

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

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

asked
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

[Joseph’s] brothers.
אֶחָ֖יו (’e·ḥāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

“Your servants
עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ (‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

are shepherds,”
רֹעֵ֥ה (rō·‘êh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7462: To tend a, flock, pasture it, in, to graze, to rule, to associate with

they replied,
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“both
גַּם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

we
אֲנַ֖חְנוּ (’ă·naḥ·nū)
Pronoun - first person common plural
Strong's 587: We

and
גַּם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

our fathers.”
אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃ (’ă·ḇō·w·ṯê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 1: Father


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OT Law: Genesis 47:3 Pharaoh said to his brothers What (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 47:2
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