Topical Bible: Israel: Lived in Goshen

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The land of Goshen holds significant importance in the biblical narrative as the dwelling place of the Israelites during their sojourn in Egypt. This period is a pivotal chapter in the history of Israel, marking both a time of prosperity and the beginning of their eventual enslavement, which set the stage for the Exodus.

Biblical Background

The account of Israel's settlement in Goshen begins with Joseph, the son of Jacob (also called Israel), who had risen to a position of power in Egypt. During a severe famine, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt seeking food, and it was through this encounter that Joseph revealed his identity to them. He then invited his father Jacob and the entire family to come to Egypt to escape the famine.

In Genesis 45:10, Joseph instructs his brothers, "You shall settle in the land of Goshen and be near me—you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own." The land of Goshen was chosen for its fertile pastures, suitable for the Israelites' livestock, and its proximity to Joseph, who was then the governor of Egypt.

Settlement in Goshen

Jacob and his family, numbering seventy persons, moved to Egypt and settled in Goshen. Genesis 46:28-29 describes the reunion: "Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph prepared his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel."

Pharaoh himself approved of this arrangement, as seen in Genesis 47:5-6: "Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen.'"

Life in Goshen

The Israelites thrived in Goshen, multiplying greatly in number. This period of growth is noted in Exodus 1:7: "But the Israelites were fruitful and increased abundantly; they multiplied and became exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them." The prosperity and growth of the Israelites in Goshen set the stage for the subsequent events of their history.

Transition to Enslavement

Over time, a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph and perceived the growing number of Israelites as a threat. This led to their enslavement, as described in Exodus 1:8-11: "Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 'Look,' he said to his people, 'the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them, or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.' So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor."

Significance of Goshen

Goshen served as a place of refuge and growth for the Israelites, allowing them to develop into a great nation. It was in Goshen that the Israelites maintained their distinct identity, even as they lived among the Egyptians. This separation helped preserve their cultural and religious practices, which would later be crucial during the Exodus and their journey to the Promised Land.

The land of Goshen, therefore, represents both a time of blessing and the beginning of hardship for the Israelites, encapsulating the dual themes of provision and trial that are recurrent throughout their history.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 46:28-34
And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to direct his face to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 47:4-10,27,28
They said morever to Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for your servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray you, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Debt of Israel
... Meanwhile," she continued finally, "thy grandsire lived humbly in Goshen. ... Egyptians,
and wrested from them what they had saved in putting Israel to toil ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter x the debt of.htm

The Story of Moses, the Child who was Found in the River
... Then, too, the sons of Israel, before they came to Egypt, had begun to marry the
women in the land of Canaan who ... But in Goshen they lived alone and apart ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of moses the.htm

The Israelites
... They were all "Israelites" or "sons of Israel," and in an inscription of the Egyptian
king Meneptah they are accordingly ... They lived in Goshen, like the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

A Coffin in Egypt
... Joseph lay in its gilded and pictured case, somewhere in Goshen, and was ... the decaying
leaves that litter the roots of the long-lived oak ... Joseph dies; Israel grows ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/a coffin in egypt.htm

Egypt
... Yahveh of Israel would have no other god beside Himself. Moreover, the Israelites
saw but little of the better side of the Egyptians. They lived in Goshen, on ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

The Angel of Death
... throughout the length and breadth of Israel and found ... misty levels, meadows, fields
and gardens of northern Goshen. ... only Egyptian first-born that lived to see ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xli the angel of.htm

God's Patient Pleadings
... people had gone through since they had lived on the ... In all these days since Goshen
there has been ... and human indifference, God beseeching and Israel turning away ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/gods patient pleadings.htm

The Patriarchs.
... and fine horses, much as Ishmael himself must have lived. ... Then the whole family of
Israel, seventy in number ... came and settled in the land of Goshen, about the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson ii the patriarchs.htm

Chapter xlvii
... have just been told that the Israelites in Goshen had their ... And Jacob lived in the
land of Egypt seventeen years. ... And the days of Israel came near to the point ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlvii.htm

The Rod that Troubled Egypt.
... I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go ... was followed by swarms of flies
that settled upon all the land except Goshen where the Israelites lived. ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xi the rod that.htm