Bible Strands
Genesis 47:27
Now the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful and increased greatly in number.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the Israelites' settlement in Goshen following Joseph's administrative reforms and Pharaoh's tax decree. This account concludes Jacob's seventeen-year residence in Egypt and precedes his death.
The words — The text uses וַ/יֵּ֧שֶׁב (va/yishev) for dwelling and וַ/יִּפְר֥וּ (va/yifru) for being fruitful, while noting they acquired property (וַ/יֵּאָחֲז֣וּ, va/ye'achazu) in the land of Egypt. These verbs literally document their physical establishment and demographic expansion in Goshen.
The thread — This settlement pattern connects to God's promise to Jacob in Genesis 46:3 and aligns with the rapid multiplication recorded in Exodus 1:7. Acts 7:17 references this same growth phase as occurring when the time for divine fulfillment drew near.
Why it lands — The verse demands attention to the concrete historical facts of land acquisition and population increase before any theological inference. It establishes the documented demographic reality that subsequent biblical promises and narratives will address.
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 Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
Cross-references
- Genesis 46:3 “I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
- Exodus 1:7 but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
- Acts 7:17 As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number.
- Psalms 107:38 He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.
- Genesis 26:4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,
- Deuteronomy 26:5 and you are to declare before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty and numerous.
- Psalms 105:24 And the LORD made His people very fruitful, more numerous than their foes,
- Zechariah 10:8 I will whistle for them to gather, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they once were.
- Genesis 8:7 and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth.
- Genesis 8:9 But the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him in the ark, because the waters were still covering the surface of all the earth. So he reached out his hand and brought her back inside the ark.