Genesis 46:34

46:34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle 1  from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, 2  for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting 3  to the Egyptians.”

Genesis 50:17

50:17 ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept. 4 

1 tn Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”

2 sn So that you may live in the land of Goshen. Joseph is apparently trying to stress to Pharaoh that his family is self-sufficient, that they will not be a drain on the economy of Egypt. But they will need land for their animals and so Goshen, located on the edge of Egypt, would be a suitable place for them to live. The settled Egyptians were uneasy with nomadic people, but if Jacob and his family settled in Goshen they would represent no threat.

3 tn Heb “is an abomination.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 43:32 and Exod 8:22.

4 tn Heb “and Joseph wept when they spoke to him.”