Genesis 46:14














The souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt were threescore and ten. The number seventy became afterwards a symbolic number among the Israelites- as in the seventy elders of Moses, the seventy of the Sanhedrim, the seventy of the Alexandrian version of the Scriptures, the seventy disciples of the Lord, the seventy heathen nations of the world according to the Jews. There may be something in the combination of numbers. Seventy is 7 × 10. Ten is the symbol of the complete development of humanity. Seven of perfection. Therefore seventy may symbolize the elect people of God as the hope of humanity - Israel in Egypt. In the twelve patriarchs and seventy souls we certainly see the foreshadowing of the Savior's appointments in the beginning of the Christian Church. The small number of Israel in the midst of the great multitude of Egypt is a great encouragement to faith. "Who hath despised the day of small things?" - R.

And Israel took his Journey with all that he had.
I. A JOURNEY WHICH THE PATRIARCH HAD NEVER EXPECTED TO TAKE, AND WHICH WAS FRAUGHT WITH CONSEQUENCES WHICH HE HAD NEVER HOPED TO SEE.

II. THE RELIGIOUS SPIRIT IN WHICH THE PATRIARCH ENTERED UPON THIS JOURNEY.

III. WHEN THE PATRIARCH SOUGHT THE LORD AT BEER-SHEBA, HE APPEARED TO HIM AND BLESSED HIM.

1. The Lord appeared to His servant, when he had offered up his sacrifices to Him.

2. The very gracious manner in which the Lord addressed His servant in this vision.

3. The Lord gave to His servant words of wise and kindly counsel, just what was suitable in the circumstances in which he was placed.

IV. THE FULFILMENT OF THE PROMISE WHICH THE LORD GAVE TO ISRAEL IN THIS VISION CONCERNING HIS JOURNEY INTO EGYPT.

(H. T. Holmes.)

I. IT WAS THE SECOND STAGE IN THE COVENANT HISTORY.

II. IT WAS THE FULFILMENT OF THE DIVINE PLAN.

III. IT WAS ENTERED UPON WITH DUE SOLEMNITY.

IV. IT HAD THE APPROVAL OF GOD. God has always appeared in some special act or word in every great crisis of His people's history. As to Jacob —

1. He found God as he had sought Him. "I am God, the God of thy father." The Name used reveals the Omnipotent God, the Mighty One who is able to fulfil His covenant engagements, and who could bring Jacob safely through all his difficulties, present and future. Israel had found his God faithful in all His gracious dealings, and he believed that he should still see the same loving kindness and truth for the time to come.

2. The will of God is clearly made known. "Fear not to go down to Egypt." He was distinctly assured that it was God's will that he should go there.

3. The protection of God is promised. "Fear not — I will go down with thee into Egypt."

4. The purpose of God is declared. "I will there make of thee a great nation." "I will surely bring thee up again."

(T. H. Leale.)

I. THE DEPARTURE FROM CANAAN.

1. Jacob offers sacrifice.

2. God renews the promise.

II. THE REUNION IN EGYPT.

III. THE ABODE IN GOSHEN. Why was Joseph so anxious to establish his father's family in Goshen? Joseph felt that there were many dangers incident to the sojourn of the "Hebrews," his kinsfolk, in Egypt.

1. The danger of quarrels. The Egyptians might become jealous of the foreigners in their land. The Hebrews might, perhaps, presume too much on the favour shown by Pharaoh to Joseph and Jacob.

2. The danger from heathenism. There was much idolatry and animal worship in Egypt. The " magicians" and their arts might corrupt the minds of the children of Israel, and prevent them from the worship of the one true God.

3. The danger of his kin kinsmen forgetting Canaan as the land where their lot as a nation was fixed by God. He did not want them to be Egyptianized. They must, as far as possible, be kept a "separate" people.

(W. S. Smith, B. D.)

History repeats itself, and this old story fits into multitudinous modern instances. But not always is sufficient heed given to the sacrificing at Beer-sheba; and the point I make now is, that in all such changes we should seek, above all things else, the companionship of God. Nothing will harm us anywhere if God is with us, and we cannot have the highest good if we go even into the fairest Goshen on the continent without Him. Horace Greely, long ago, set the fashion of saying, "Go West, young man, go West"; and there is wisdom in the advice, provided it be conjoined with the admonition, "But don't go without your God." Perhaps some here are meditating on the propriety of their pushing away into the places where the labour market is not overstocked, and the opportunities are far better than they are in a comparatively crowded city such as this. Nor do we say a word against the project. Go, by all means, if you are not afraid to work; but remember the sacrifice at Beer-sheba, and don't go without your God. Too many have done that, and have gone to ruin. But take Him with you, and He will be "your shield and your exceeding great reward."

(W. M. Taylor, D. D.)

People
Aram, Ard, Areli, Arodi, Asenath, Ashbel, Asher, Becher, Bela, Belah, Benjamin, Beriah, Bilhah, Canaanitish, Carmi, Dan, Dinah, Egyptians, Ehi, Elon, Enoch, Er, Eri, Ezbon, Gad, Gera, Gershon, Guni, Haggai, Haggi, Hamul, Hanoch, Heber, Hezron, Huppim, Hushim, Imnah, Isaac, Ishuah, Issachar, Isui, Jachin, Jacob, Jahleel, Jahzeel, Jahziel, Jamin, Jashub, Jemuel, Jezer, Jimnah, Job, Joseph, Kohath, Laban, Leah, Levi, Malchiel, Manasseh, Merari, Muppim, Naaman, Naphtali, Ohad, Onan, Pallu, Perez, Phallu, Pharaoh, Pharez, Phuvah, Potipherah, Puah, Rachel, Reuben, Rosh, Sarah, Saul, Serah, Sered, Shaul, Shelah, Shillem, Shimron, Shuni, Simeon, Tola, Zarah, Zebulun, Zephon, Zerah, Zilpah, Ziphion, Zohar
Places
Beersheba, Canaan, Egypt, Goshen, On, Paddan-aram
Topics
Elon, Jahleel, Jah'leel, Sered, Sons, Zebulun, Zeb'ulun
Outline
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.

Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 46:8-27

     7230   genealogies

Genesis 46:13-14

     7266   tribes of Israel

Library
Estimate of the Scope and Value of Jerome's Writings.
General. The writings of Jerome must be estimated not merely by their intrinsic merits, but by his historical position and influence. It has already been pointed out that he stands at the close of the old Græco-Roman civilisation: the last Roman poet of any repute, Claudian, and the last Roman historian, Ammianus Marcellinus, died before him. Augustin survived him, but the other great Fathers, both in the East and in the West, had passed away before him. The sack of Rome by Alaric (410) and
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome

Four Shaping Centuries
'Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt: every man and his household came with Jacob. 2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3. Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4. Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already. 6. And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. 7, And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Faith of Moses.
"By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a goodly child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to be evil entreated with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked unto the recompense of reward. By faith he forsook
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6

But in Order that we Fall not Away from Continence...
10. But in order that we fall not away from Continence, we ought to watch specially against those snares of the suggestions of the devil, that we presume not of our own strength. For, "Cursed is every one that setteth his hope in man." [1838] And who is he, but man? We cannot therefore truly say that he setteth not his hope in man, who setteth it in himself. For this also, to "live after man," what is it but to "live after the flesh?" Whoso therefore is tempted by such a suggestion, let him hear,
St. Augustine—On Continence

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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