Genesis 46:6 · Bible study
Genesis 46:6 Commentary: All He Had
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the text emphasize that Jacob brought every possession and every person?
Research Summary
- Meaning: The complete migration of Jacob's family from Canaan to Egypt, fulfilling God's promise to Abram and showing Jacob's total obedience to divine guidance.
- Key words: Livestock (miqneh), goods (rekhush), taken (laqach), acquired (rakhash), all (kol), offspring (zera). The verb 'took' is a waw-consecutive imperfect, marking narrative action.
- Main debate: No significant debate; the emphasis on bringing everything from Canaan is understood as underscoring the thoroughness of the migration and Jacob's trust in the promise.
- Theological theme: Obedience and trust when leaving the promised land, under God's explicit direction, with the assurance that He will fulfill His purposes both in Egypt and in the return.
- Best use: In a series on the patriarchs, or during seasons of transition, to illustrate that following God often requires leaving familiar ground while holding fast to His promises.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They also took the livestock and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They took their livestock, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt—Jacob, and all his offspring with him,
KJV King James Version 1769
And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and they take their cattle, and their goods which they have acquired in the land of Canaan, and come into Egypt--Jacob, and all his seed with him,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they took their cattle, and their goods which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his seed with him;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And all that he had in the land of Chanaan: and he came into Egypt with all his seed;
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y tomaron sus ganados, y su hacienda que había adquirido en la tierra de Canaán, y viniéronse á Egipto, Jacob, y toda su simiente consigo;
E tomaram seus gados, e sua riqueza que havia adquirido na terra de Canaã, e vieram-se ao Egito, Jacó, e toda sua descendência consigo;
Ils prirent aussi leurs troupeaux et les biens qu’ ils avaient acquis dans le pays de Canaan. Et Jacob se rendit en Égypte, avec toute sa famille.
und nahmen ihr Vieh und ihre Habe, die sie im Lande Kanaan erworben hatten, und kamen also nach Ägypten, Jakob und all sein Same mit ihm,
En zij namen hun vee, en hun have, die zij in het land Kanaan geworven hadden, en zij kwamen in Egypte, Jakob en al zijn zaad met hem;
Ed essi presero il loro bestiame e i beni che aveano acquistato nel paese di Canaan, e vennero in Egitto: Giacobbe, e tutta la sua famiglia con lui.
Pobrali też bydła swe, i majętność swoję, której byli nabyli w ziemi Chananejskiej, i przyjechali do Egiptu, Jakób i wszystka rodzina jego z nim;
И взяли они скот свой и имущество свое, которое приобрели в земле Ханаанской, и пришли в Египет, — Иаков и весь род его с ним.
他們又帶著 迦南 地 所 得的 牲畜、 貨財 來 到埃及。雅各 和他 的一切 子孫都一同來了。
And they took their cattle and all the goods which they had got in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, even Jacob and all his seed:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 46:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse shows the complete and orderly transfer of Jacob's entire household, people, livestock and goods, from Canaan to Egypt. Gill notes that Jacob brought everything he had acquired, not wanting to be upbraided for coming destitute nor to depend on others. Matthew Henry sees it as Jacob's obedience to God's direction: strengthened by the promise at Beersheba (Gen 46:2, 4), the patriarch left nothing behind. Keil & Delitzsch observe that the list of possessions and offspring signals the fulfillment of God's earlier word to Abram (Gen 15:13) that his descendants would sojourn in a foreign land. The detail is not incidental; it confirms that Israel went down as an intact family, carrying the seed of the nation with them.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse clearly describes Jacob and his entire family bringing all their possessions from Canaan to Egypt as an act of obedience to God's command and trust in His promises.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Significance of bringing all possessions from Canaan | Christians generally agree that the thoroughness of the move shows Jacob's obedience and his trust that God would provide in Egypt. | No significant debate; some traditions may emphasize the practical wisdom of not arriving destitute (Gill) while others focus on the symbolic act of bringing the physical seeds of the nation into the land of sojourn. |
| Relationship to Genesis 15:13 (the 400-year prophecy) | All traditions see this migration as the direct fulfillment of God's word to Abram that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land. | No substantive debate; the verse is read consistently as the historical beginning of the Egyptian sojourn. |
| The phrase 'all his offspring with him' | Commentators agree it means the entire family, sons, daughters, grandchildren, traveled together. | Some note the inclusion of daughters and granddaughters (v.7) as unusual for a patriarchal list, indicating the comprehensive nature of the move. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The journey from Canaan to Egypt was no mere relocation. Canaan was the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the land where the patriarchs lived as pilgrims. To leave it was a step of profound faith, especially for an aging man who had spent most of his life there. Genesis 46 opens with Jacob stopping at Beersheba, the southern border of Canaan, to offer sacrifices. There God appeared and said, 'Don't be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation' (Gen 46:3). That divine reassurance transformed a potentially fearful departure into an act of trust.
The mention of 'livestock and goods' (miqneh and rekhush) reflects the semi-nomadic wealth of the time, flocks, herds, tents, tools and precious items. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown notes that 'goods' here means 'precious things,' not simply furniture. Ellicott's Commentary adds that it mattered politically for the Israelites to enter Egypt as invited guests, not as refugees, and bringing their own substance reinforced that status. Keil & Delitzsch cite a tomb painting at Beni Hassan showing a Semitic family entering Egypt with goods laden on asses, which may parallel this scene culturally. The completeness of the migration, 'Jacob, and all his offspring with him', also fulfills the prophecy that Abram's descendants would be strangers in a land not theirs for four hundred years (Gen 15:13). The seeds of the nation are now planted in Egypt, exactly where God intended them to grow.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Genesis 46:6. The verse is stable across the Hebrew manuscripts and the ancient versions (Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac). The only minor difference is that the Douay-Rheims reads 'all that he had in the land of Chanaan' as a summary, while the other translations include the specific mention of livestock and goods, but this is a rendering choice, not a textual issue.
Reception History
Genesis 46:6 has been read across church history as the starting point of Israel's descent into Egypt, the event that set the stage for the Exodus. Early Jewish tradition, reflected in the Book of Jubilees, expands the narrative to highlight Jacob's careful obedience. Christian interpreters from the patristic period onward have seen this migration as providential, God using famine to relocate His people where they would multiply, just as He had promised. Matthew Henry (1710) calls it a 'happy removal' because God's presence and promise went with them. In the liturgy of some traditions, this verse is read during Lent or the Easter Vigil as part of the salvation-historical narrative from Abraham to the Exodus. The theme of leaving the land of promise in faith continues to resonate in sermons on trusting God through life's transitions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Command Obeyed: God said 'go down'; Jacob went. The journey from Beersheba to Egypt was walked in faith, not fear.
- The Whole Household Brought: Not one person or possession was left behind. Obedience is complete or it is not obedience.
- The Promise Carried Forward: Leaving Canaan did not mean losing the promise. The same God who gave the land would give a nation in Egypt, and bring them back.
Five-point outline
- A Journey Spoken by God: Jacob did not flee; he was sent (Gen 46:3, 4).
- A Household Gathered: All seventy souls (Gen 46:27), the full seed of Abraham, moved together.
- All Possessions Packed: Livestock, goods, everything acquired in Canaan, an offering of everything to the God who called.
- An Entry Arranged: They came as guests of Pharaoh, not as beggars. God prepares the welcome.
- A Future Already Written: This migration is the hinge from family to nation, from sojourn to slavery to exodus.
Illustration hooks
- A family moving cross-country for a job they believe God has opened: sorting through closets, deciding what to keep, what to leave. Jacob kept everything, because God had given it all.
- Church members facing a major transition, retirement, empty nest, a new calling, who must trust that the same God who led them before will lead them in the new place.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I be sure that a big change in my life is from God and not just my own restlessness?
- What do I need to bring with me into a new season, and what can I leave behind?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is a snapshot of faith in motion. Jacob had just received God's explicit command to go to Egypt, together with a promise that he would become a great nation there. The detailed account of livestock, goods and every family member invites us to reflect on what it means to follow God completely, even when the path leads away from what we have known.
Discussion questions
- What did Jacob and his family take with them to Egypt? (Consider the list in the verse: livestock, goods, every person.)
- Why does the text include the detail that these were things 'they had gotten in the land of Canaan'? What difference does that make?
- How does the surrounding context (Gen 46:1, 4) shape how you understand this move? What was Jacob feeling, and what did God say to him?
- In what ways is this verse a picture of complete obedience? Where do you see partial obedience in your own life?
- Cross-reference Deuteronomy 26:5: 'My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt.' How does that later confession look back on this verse? What does it say about God's larger plan?
- When has God asked you to leave something familiar and trust Him in a new place? What helped you obey?
- Jacob brought everything from Canaan. What possessions, relationships or securities are you holding onto that might need to be reoriented in a new season?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 15:13 | He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years. |
| Numbers 20:15 | how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers. |
| Deuteronomy 10:22 | Your fathers went down into Egypt with seventy persons; and now Yahweh your God has made you as the stars of the sky for multitude. |
| Deuteronomy 26:5 | You shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, “My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation. |
| Joshua 24:4 | I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it. Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. |
| I Samuel 12:8 | “When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place. |
| Psalms 105:23 | Israel also came into Egypt. Jacob lived in the land of Ham. |
| Isaiah 52:4 | For the Lord Yahweh says: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to live there; and the Assyrian has oppressed them without cause. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Notes highlight the completeness of the migration: Jacob and his entire household, including all their livestock and possessions acquired in Canaan, moved together into Egypt. Nothing was left behind.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the text mentions only Canaan because Jacob's sons had acquired their possessions there, having come into Canaan very young. He rejects interpreters who add Mesopotamia or Jarchi's explanation that Jacob traded his Padanaram goods to Esau. The sons brought their property to avoid living on others in Egypt.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown points out that the "goods" mentioned are not household furniture but valuable possessions. The word refers to precious items and substance rather than ordinary furnishings, emphasizing the wealth Jacob's family brought with them into Egypt.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch observes that leaving Canaan, even under clear divine guidance, stirred serious thoughts in Jacob about his family's future. That is why he stopped at Beersheba, the border of the promise, to offer sacrifices and seek reassurance from the covenant God of his fathers before entering Egypt.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that Jacob's halt at Beersheba to seek divine sanction reveals the crucial distinction between human confidence and God's assurance. The migration into Egypt was a bold undertaking that required the promise of a return to Canaan. The number 70 marks the family as the holy seed of God's people.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Jacob brought every branch of his family into Egypt, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren born to Joseph. This comprehensive listing underscores the continuity of the covenant line as it moves from Canaan to a foreign land, ensuring no descendant is left behind in the transition.