Genesis 47:27-31·~1 min

The Israelites Prosper in Goshen

The Israelites settle in Goshen, acquire property, and increase greatly there. Jacob lives seventeen more years in Egypt, reaching 147 years of age.

N²⁷ow the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful and increased greatly in number. ²⁸And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the length of his life was 147 years.

As death draws near, Jacob calls Joseph to swear faithful kindness by burying him with his fathers rather than in Egypt. Joseph agrees, and Jacob bows in worship at the bedside.

²⁹When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” ³¹“Swear to me,” Jacob said.

Section summaryWhile Egypt lives under famine’s pressure, the Israelites settle securely in Goshen, gain property, and multiply. As Jacob nears death, he makes Joseph swear not to bury him in Egypt but with his fathers.

Role in the chapterThis closing section contrasts Israel’s growth with Egypt’s hardship and turns the chapter toward Genesis’ ending. It also keeps the family’s future tied to its ancestral place, not to Egypt alone.