Discovery BoxGenesis 46:28-34 
Context46:28 Jacob 1 sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. 2 So they came to the land of Goshen. 46:29 Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him, 3 he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time.
46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” 4 46:31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, 5 ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 46:32 The men are shepherds; 6 they take care of livestock. 7 They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 46:33 Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 46:34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle 8 from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, 9 for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting 10 to the Egyptians.”
1 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “to direct before him to Goshen.”
3 tn Heb “and he appeared to him.”
4 tn Heb “after my seeing your face that you are still alive.”
5 tn Heb “tell Pharaoh and say to him.”
6 tn Heb “feeders of sheep.”
7 tn Heb “for men of livestock they are.”
8 tn Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”
9 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.
10 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.
