What is the meaning of Genesis 47:10?

Setting the stage

• Joseph has already introduced five of his brothers (Genesis 47:2–6) and secured Goshen for the family, fulfilling the promise of Genesis 45:10.

• Pharaoh now meets the patriarch himself. Jacob Isaiah 130 years old (Genesis 47:9), physically frail yet spiritually resolute.

• The moment underscores God’s covenant faithfulness: the descendants of Abraham are literally preserved during famine, echoing Genesis 15:13–14 and Genesis 46:3–4.

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The blessing extended

• Scripture records simply, “Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh” (Genesis 47:10).

• Blessing is more than polite farewell; it invokes God’s favor. Compare Abraham blessing Melchizedek in Genesis 14:19–20 and Isaac conferring blessing in Genesis 27:27–29.

• Through the covenant, Jacob carries divine authority: “I will bless those who bless you” (Genesis 12:3). Pharaoh has blessed Jacob’s family with land and provision; Jacob now returns spiritual blessing.

• The scene illustrates Proverbs 11:25—“he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

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Pharaoh blessed by Jacob

• Though Pharaoh rules the greatest empire of the day, Jacob stands as the representative of the Most High. Hebrews 7:7 observes, “Without question, the lesser is blessed by the greater.”

• Pharaoh receives prayerful goodwill from the patriarch whose God controls the famine (Genesis 41:28, 32) and holds Egypt’s future.

• This confirms God’s purpose that Israel be a channel of blessing to the nations (Isaiah 49:6).

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Departure and significance

• “And [Jacob] departed from his presence.” Nothing more is demanded; the matter is settled.

• Jacob’s exit mirrors Abraham’s interaction with kings (Genesis 21:22–24), maintaining respectful distance while stressing God’s sufficiency.

• The patriarch leaves Pharaoh’s court with dignity, confident that the family’s needs are secure (Genesis 47:11–12) and God’s timeline is advancing toward the Exodus (Genesis 15:13–16).

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summary

Genesis 47:10 portrays a real historical moment where the aged Jacob, covenant bearer, publicly invokes God’s favor on the Egyptian monarch who has sheltered his family. The act fulfills the promise that Abraham’s seed would bless the nations, demonstrates that spiritual authority surpasses earthly power, and marks the peaceful close of a pivotal audience in God’s unfolding redemptive plan.