Genesis 47:11
in Genesis 47So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
KJV
And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 47
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
gave them property
on Genesis 47:11-12
The Hebrew for this property is the word used of Machpelah at Genesis 23:20, the one field Abraham owned. The family's first secure holding is Egyptian ground, better land than anything their fathers held in Canaan. Jacob answers that by making Joseph swear to carry him back to Canaan.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And to that we also add that Joseph together with Benjamin was recognized by his brothers who had arrived, and he admitted them to his dining table, as I have just said. However, he did not give them any gift but ordered them to leave again in order that they bring to him the father, I mean, Jacob. After he came down and Joseph saw him there together with his children and family, he gave them the best parts of his land.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
It included a part of the district of Heliopolis, or "On," the capital, and on the east stretched out a considerable length into the desert.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
AND JOSEPH SETTLED HIS FATHER AND HIS BRETHREN AND GAVE THEM A POSSESSION, etc. The meaning thereof is that he settled them in the choicest land and with the possession which he gave them since he did not want them to be as strangers in the land.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיּוֹשֵׁ֣ב | vaiyoshev | and he caused to dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| יוֹסֵף֮ | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָבִ֣יו | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶחָיו֒ | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וַיִּתֵּ֨ן | vaiyiten | and he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶ֤ם | lahem | to them | ||
| אֲחֻזָּה֙ | ʾachuzah | a possession | H272 → | 66 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| בְּמֵיטַ֥ב | bemeitav | in [the] best of | H4315 → | |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| רַעְמְסֵ֑ס | ra'meses | Rameses | H7486 → | |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֥ה | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| פַרְעֹֽה׃ | faroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
וַיּוֹשֵׁ֣בand he caused to dwell
vaiyoshevH3427 →1079 times
יוֹסֵף֮Joseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָבִ֣יוfather his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אֶחָיו֒brothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
וַיִּתֵּ֨ןand he gave
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶ֤םto them
lahem
אֲחֻזָּה֙a possession
ʾachuzahH272 →66 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
בְּמֵיטַ֥בin [the] best of
bemeitavH4315 →
הָאָ֖רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
רַעְמְסֵ֑סRameses
ra'mesesH7486 →
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֥הhe had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
פַרְעֹֽה׃Pharaoh
farohH6547 →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
John 14:23Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
it leads to
- John 14:21
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
- John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
- Revelation 3:20–21
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.
- 1 John 4:15–16
If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
- 1 John 2:24
As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.
- John 14:21
Through
John 14:2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:1
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- John 13:36
“Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked. Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”
- Hebrews 13:14
For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Cyril of Alexandria, GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, 6; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.