Genesis 46:34
in Genesis 46you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that ye shall say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
KJV
That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
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This verse in Genesis 46
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThy servants trade hath been about cattle - “The land of Goshen, called also the land of Rameses, lay east of the Nile, by which it was never overflowed, and was bounded by the mountains of the Thebaid on the south, by the Nile and Mediterranean on the west and north, and by the Red Sea and desert of Arabia on the east. It was the Heliopolitan nome or district, and its capital was called On.
This site's exposition
What is your occupation
on Genesis 46:33-34
Joseph coaches them to answer with the plain fact, that they have raised livestock since their youth. Abraham and Isaac had each stood before a foreign king and shaded the truth about a wife, and each time the king rebuked him. Here the truth is told and the land is granted. Shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians, and that is what keeps the household on ground of its own.
This site's exposition
all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians
Detestable translates toevah, the word used at 43:32 for Egyptians eating with Hebrews. The same scorn kept Joseph's table apart from his brothers' table. Exodus 8:26 uses it again, when Moses says Israel's sacrifices would be detestable to the Egyptians.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Note the shrewdness with which Joseph advises them, not idly or to no purpose making these suggestions but anxious to put them in a more secure position and at the same time to ensure their assimilation among the Egyptians. You see, since they loathed and despised those who tended flocks for having no time for Egyptian wisdom, consequently he counsels them to make a pretense of their occupation so that he may plausibly apportion them the most attractive land and cause them to live in considerable prosperity.
Joseph went out to meet his father with chariots and with many people. [Joseph] got down [from his horse] and bowed down to his father, and they wept on each other's neck.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. The divine precept is, In all thy ways acknowledge God; and the promise annexed to it is, He shall direct thy paths.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:54w-of-76
That ye shall say, thy servants' trade hath been about cattle,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
I will go up, and show Pharaoh--It was a tribute of respect due to the king to inform him of their arrival. And the instructions which he gave them were worthy of his character alike as an affectionate brother and a religious man.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֗ם | vaamartem | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֨י | ʾanshei | men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| מִקְנֶ֜ה | mikneh | livestock | H4735 → | 76 times |
| הָי֤וּ | hayu | they have been | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾavadeikha | servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| מִנְּעוּרֵ֣ינוּ | mineureinu | since youth<s> our | H5271 → | |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| עַ֔תָּה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | both | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֲנַ֖חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | as well as | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ | ʾavoteinu | fathers our | H1 → | 1212 times |
| בַּעֲב֗וּר | baavur | inorder that | H5668 → | 49 times |
| תֵּשְׁבוּ֙ | teshevu | you may dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| גֹּ֔שֶׁן | goshen | Goshen | H1657 → | 15 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תוֹעֲבַ֥ת | toavat | [is] [the] abomination of | H8441 → | |
| מִצְרַ֖יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4713 → | 70 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| רֹ֥עֵה | roeh | shepherd of | H7462 → | 177 times |
| צֹֽאן׃ | tzon | sheep | H6629 → | 274 times |
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֗םand you will say
vaamartemH559 →5305 times
אַנְשֵׁ֨יmen of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
מִקְנֶ֜הlivestock
miknehH4735 →76 times
הָי֤וּthey have been
hayuH1961 →3559 times
עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙servants your
ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
מִנְּעוּרֵ֣ינוּsince youth<s> our
mineureinuH5271 →
וְעַד־and until
vead-H5704 →1261 times
עַ֔תָּהnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
גַּם־both
gam-H1571 →769 times
אֲנַ֖חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
גַּם־as well as
gam-H1571 →769 times
אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּfathers our
ʾavoteinuH1 →1212 times
בַּעֲב֗וּרinorder that
baavurH5668 →49 times
תֵּשְׁבוּ֙you may dwell
teshevuH3427 →1079 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
גֹּ֔שֶׁןGoshen
goshenH1657 →15 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
תוֹעֲבַ֥ת[is] [the] abomination of
toavatH8441 →
מִצְרַ֖יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4713 →70 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
רֹ֥עֵהshepherd of
roehH7462 →177 times
צֹֽאן׃sheep
tzonH6629 →274 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 43:32They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
it leads to
- Exodus 8:26
But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable…
- Exodus 8:26
Through
Exodus 8:26But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable…
it leads to
- Genesis 43:32
They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
- Genesis 43:32
Through
Genesis 45:10You 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.
it leads to
- Exodus 9:26
The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.
- Exodus 8:22
But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I,…
- Genesis 46:28–29
Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When Jacob’s family arrived in the land of Goshen,
- John 17:24
Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
- Exodus 9:26
Through
Genesis 46:32The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’
it leads to
- Genesis 47:3
“What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.”
- Genesis 47:3
Through
Genesis 37:12Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
it leads to
- Genesis 37:1
Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
- Genesis 37:1
About Genesis

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 40:6; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 65.9; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
