Bible Strands
Genesis 46:33
When Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jacob instructs his sons on how to answer when Pharaoh questions them about their profession. This directive occurs after the family's arrival in Egypt and immediately precedes their formal audience with the king.
The words — The Hebrew phrase יִקְרָא פַרְעֹה (yik.Ra par.'Oh) means "Pharaoh will summon," and מַה מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶם (mah ma.'a.seiKhem) translates literally to "what [is] your work?"
The thread — This occupational inquiry mirrors the sailors' demand in Jonah 1:8 and aligns with the brothers' presentation before Pharaoh in Genesis 47:2. The narrative also connects directly to the family's declared identity as livestock raisers in Genesis 46:32.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to observe how strategic self-disclosure functions as a mechanism for securing a specific settlement. It demands attention to the practical diplomacy used to navigate documented cultural prejudice.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
Cross-references
- Genesis 46:32 The men are shepherds; they raise livestock, and they have brought their flocks and herds and all that they own.’
- Genesis 47:2 And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.
- Jonah 1:8 “Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?”