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.

GENESIS 47:11KJV
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Genesis 47:11 (KJV)

What does Genesis 47:11 mean?

Genesis 47:11 describes how Joseph settled his father Jacob and his brothers in Egypt, giving them property in the best part of the land, specifically in the region called Rameses, just as Pharaoh had instructed. Joseph made sure his family was provided for in a place of abundance and security within Egypt.

In this verse, Joseph is acting as a high official in Egypt, arranging for his family’s well-being after they arrived from Canaan during a severe famine. The verse highlights Joseph’s authority and Pharaoh’s favor, as Joseph is able to give his family the “best” land, showing both his care for them and the special treatment they received from the Egyptian ruler.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 47:11

  • רַעְמְסֵס (Ra‘meses): This name refers to a region in Egypt, often identified with a fertile area in the Nile Delta. Mentioning Rameses helps pinpoint where Joseph’s family settled, emphasizing the quality and importance of the land.
  • מֵיטַב (meitav): Translated as “best,” this word stresses that Joseph’s family was not just given any land, but the choicest, most productive part of Egypt, highlighting their privileged status.
  • אֲחֻזָּה (’achuzzah): This word means “possession” or “holding,” indicating that Joseph’s family received a permanent place to live, not just temporary shelter.

Why Genesis 47:11 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Joseph’s family was given a secure, lasting inheritance in Egypt, not just temporary refuge, which sets the stage for their growth into a large nation.
  • The mention of Pharaoh’s command shows that Joseph’s actions were fully supported by Egyptian authority, underlining the unique relationship between Joseph’s family and Egypt at this time.
  • Naming the land as Rameses connects this event to later biblical history, as Rameses becomes significant in the story of Israel’s eventual Exodus from Egypt.

Where else these words appear

“best” Hebrew H4315 · used in 5 verses

  • Genesis 47:6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
  • Exodus 22:5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
  • 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

“Rameses” Hebrew H7486 · used in 5 verses

  • Exodus 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
  • Exodus 12:37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
  • Numbers 33:3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.

“possession” Hebrew H272 · used in 58 verses

  • Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
  • Leviticus 25:45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.
  • Joshua 22:4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.