They willingly left their homeland, trusting God’s plan to prosper them in a new place.
Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him (v.5). This verse begins by telling us that Jacob, one of the key patriarchs of the Israelite people (born around 2006 BC and died around 1859 BC), departs from Beersheba. Beersheba was located in the southernmost portion of the land of Canaan and served as an important hub for pastoral life and trade routes in that region. Jacob had been seeking confirmation from God about his journey to Egypt, and once he received it, he and his entire family prepared for the move. The verse emphasizes that they take their father Jacob, the younger members of the family, and their wives in wagons sent by Pharaoh.
Then...the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob...in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him (v.5). The fact that Pharaoh himself provided wagons reflects the high regard Pharaoh had for Jacob’s son Joseph, who had risen to power in Egypt (Genesis 41:41). It also indicates the Lord’s providential hand, since this act of kindness fulfilled God’s promises that He would take care of Jacob’s family. The Egyptians revered Pharaoh as a king and spiritual figure, so the gesture of sending wagons for a foreign family underscores the respect Pharaoh held toward Joseph and his kin.
Then Jacob arose from Beersheba... (v.5) also speaks of a larger redemptive plan, foreshadowing how God would preserve the emerging nation of Israel in Egypt and eventually bring them back to the Promised Land. This movement of Jacob and his family points forward to the overarching scriptural narrative of God’s faithfulness—later revealed in the New Testament through Jesus (Luke 1:54-55)—to keep His covenants and bless His people, even in foreign lands.
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Genesis 46:5 meaning
Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him (v.5). This verse begins by telling us that Jacob, one of the key patriarchs of the Israelite people (born around 2006 BC and died around 1859 BC), departs from Beersheba. Beersheba was located in the southernmost portion of the land of Canaan and served as an important hub for pastoral life and trade routes in that region. Jacob had been seeking confirmation from God about his journey to Egypt, and once he received it, he and his entire family prepared for the move. The verse emphasizes that they take their father Jacob, the younger members of the family, and their wives in wagons sent by Pharaoh.
Then...the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob...in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him (v.5). The fact that Pharaoh himself provided wagons reflects the high regard Pharaoh had for Jacob’s son Joseph, who had risen to power in Egypt (Genesis 41:41). It also indicates the Lord’s providential hand, since this act of kindness fulfilled God’s promises that He would take care of Jacob’s family. The Egyptians revered Pharaoh as a king and spiritual figure, so the gesture of sending wagons for a foreign family underscores the respect Pharaoh held toward Joseph and his kin.
Then Jacob arose from Beersheba... (v.5) also speaks of a larger redemptive plan, foreshadowing how God would preserve the emerging nation of Israel in Egypt and eventually bring them back to the Promised Land. This movement of Jacob and his family points forward to the overarching scriptural narrative of God’s faithfulness—later revealed in the New Testament through Jesus (Luke 1:54-55)—to keep His covenants and bless His people, even in foreign lands.