Chapter Summary
Chapter 46 of Genesis describes Jacob (also known as Israel) and his entire family's journey from the land of Canaan to Egypt. Before leaving Canaan, Jacob stops at Beersheba to worship God, where God speaks to him in a dream, confirming His presence and promising to make Jacob's descendants a great nation in Egypt, eventually bringing them back to their own land. The chapter then provides a detailed list of all the family members—Jacob's sons, grandsons, and a daughter—who accompanied him, totaling seventy people. The journey culminates in their arrival in Goshen, Egypt, where Jacob is joyfully reunited with his son Joseph after many years. Joseph then prepares his family to meet Pharaoh, instructing them on how to present themselves as shepherds, a profession that would allow them to settle in the fertile land of Goshen, separate from the main Egyptian population.