Genesis 46:27
And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt were seventy in all.
And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt,

Manasseh and Ephraim were born during Joseph’s exaltation in Egypt through his wife Asenath. Though born outside Canaan and within an Egyptian household, they belonged fully to the covenant family. God preserved Joseph’s line in a foreign land and later gave Ephraim and Manasseh an inheritance among Israel as Jacob’s own sons.

Gen 41:50-52 Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born…
Gen 48:5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt…

the members of Jacob’s family who went to Egypt

Jacob’s household entered Egypt because God had used Joseph’s suffering and elevation to provide deliverance during the famine. Their migration fulfilled the Lord’s earlier word to Abraham that his descendants would live as foreigners in a land not their own before returning to the land of promise.

Act 7:14 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob…
Psa 105:23 Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.

were seventy in all.

The family was still a small clan, yet God would multiply them into a great nation during their years in Egypt. The number presents the whole covenant household that entered Egypt under God’s care, preserving the line through which He would bring Israel’s deliverance and, ultimately, the promised Messiah.

Deu 10:22 Your fathers went down to Egypt, seventy in all,…
Exo 1:5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Joseph
The son of Jacob who was sold into slavery by his brothers and rose to become a powerful leader in Egypt. His presence in Egypt is pivotal for the survival of his family during the famine.

2. Jacob
Also known as Israel, he is the patriarch of the Israelite tribes. His journey to Egypt marks a significant moment in the history of the Israelites.

3. Joseph’s Two Sons
Manasseh and Ephraim, born to Joseph in Egypt, are included in the count of Jacob's household. They play a crucial role in the future tribal divisions of Israel.

4. Egypt
The land where Joseph rose to power and where Jacob's family sought refuge during the famine. It becomes a place of both refuge and eventual bondage for the Israelites.

5. Seventy Members
The total number of Jacob's family members who went to Egypt, symbolizing completeness and the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham about his descendants.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Family and Nation Building
The migration of Jacob's family to Egypt was part of God's divine plan to preserve and grow the nation of Israel. Trust in God's sovereignty in your own family and life circumstances.

The Importance of Family Legacy
The inclusion of Joseph's sons in the count of Jacob's household underscores the importance of family legacy and the role of each generation in God's plan. Consider how you are contributing to your family's spiritual legacy.

Faithfulness in Adversity
Despite the trials Joseph faced, his faithfulness led to the preservation of his family. Reflect on how you can remain faithful to God in challenging times.

God's Promises Fulfilled
The number seventy symbolizes completeness and the fulfillment of God's promises. Trust that God will fulfill His promises in your life, even if the path is unexpected.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the inclusion of Joseph's sons in the count of Jacob's household reflect the importance of family in God's plan?

2. In what ways can we see God's sovereignty at work in the migration of Jacob's family to Egypt?

3. How does the growth of Jacob's family from seventy to a multitude encourage us about God's promises in our own lives?

4. What lessons can we learn from Joseph's faithfulness and how it impacted his family's future?

5. How can we contribute to our family's spiritual legacy, ensuring that future generations continue to walk in faith?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 1:5
This verse reiterates the number of Jacob's family members who went to Egypt, emphasizing the growth of the Israelites from this small group.

Deuteronomy 10:22
Reflects on the growth of the Israelites from seventy persons to a multitude, showcasing God's faithfulness in multiplying His people.

Acts 7:14
Stephen's speech before the Sanhedrin references the seventy-five members of Jacob's family, highlighting the importance of this migration in the history of Israel.
The Beginning of the NationR.A. Redford Genesis 46:8-27
The Catalogue of the Children of IsraelT. H. Leale.Genesis 46:8-27
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
Born, Egypt, Family, Jacob, Jacob's, Joseph, Members, Persons, Seventy, Sons, Souls, Ten, Threescore
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 46:27

     1654   numbers, 11-99
     5681   family, nature of

Genesis 46:8-27

     7230   genealogies

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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