What is the meaning of Genesis 47:28? And Jacob lived - The verse begins by emphasizing Jacob’s continued life—God was not finished with him. Earlier, the patriarch had feared death before seeing Joseph again (Genesis 42:36), yet the Lord extended his days. - This living is more than breathing; it is purposeful. God had pledged, “I Myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back again” (Genesis 46:4). Jacob’s survival verifies that promise. - Similar patterns: • Abraham “died at a good old age, an old man and full of years” (Genesis 25:8). • Isaac likewise “breathed his last and died” after long life (Genesis 35:29). • Hebrews 11:21 cites Jacob’s faith in blessing Joseph’s sons, confirming that his extended life served covenant purposes. in the land of Egypt - Egypt, once the backdrop of Abraham’s stumble (Genesis 12:10–20), now hosts Jacob’s family as a place of refuge. What seemed foreign becomes God’s provision. - Joseph had urged, “You shall dwell in the land of Goshen and be near me” (Genesis 45:10). Jacob obeyed, demonstrating trust in God’s guidance through his son. - The placement in Egypt sets the stage for Exodus. Genesis 47:11 notes Pharaoh granting “the best part of the land.” God positions His people so that, even in a pagan nation, they multiply under His protective hand. seventeen years - The same length of time Joseph lived under Jacob’s roof before being sold (Genesis 37:2). A poignant restoration: the years the locust had eaten are repaid (cf. Joel 2:25). - These added years allow: • Family reconciliation to deepen (Genesis 50:15–21). • Instruction of descendants in covenant hope (Genesis 48–49). • Fulfillment of Jacob’s desire to be buried in Canaan, plans made during this period (Genesis 47:29–31). - The exact number underscores Scripture’s precision; God counts our days (Psalm 139:16). and the length of his life was 147 years - Jacob’s lifespan, though shorter than those before the Flood, still reflects divine blessing. Comparisons: Abraham 175 (Genesis 25:7), Isaac 180 (Genesis 35:28), Moses 120 (Deuteronomy 34:7). - The figure highlights God’s sovereign control over life and death: “The years of my sojourning are 130… few and hard” Jacob had told Pharaoh (Genesis 47:9). Now God adds seventeen, showing that hard years can finish sweetly. - The number also closes Genesis’s patriarchal era. After Jacob, Israel’s story shifts from individual fathers to a nation (Exodus 1:7). summary Genesis 47:28 testifies that God preserves His servant, fulfills His promises in unlikely places, restores lost years, and sovereignly numbers our days. Jacob’s final season in Egypt models trustful living, confident that every moment—whether in Canaan or a foreign land—advances the covenant purposes of the unchanging Lord. |
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