Genesis 47:4

Summary

Joseph's brothers explain to Pharaoh that they have come to sojourn temporarily in Egypt because the famine has left no pasture for their flocks in Canaan. They request permission to settle specifically in the land of Goshen.

Key words

• Gur ("sojourn", H1481A) — qal infinitive construct with prefixed la- ("to"), expressing purpose: "in order to sojourn." This verb specifically denotes temporary residence as a resident-alien, distinct from permanent settlement.
• ba'nu ("we have come", H0935G) — qal perfect, 1st common plural, marking a completed action: the arrival is presented as an accomplished fact preceding the request that follows.
• 'ein ("there is not", H0369) — a construct-state negative existential noun, here governing mir'eh ("pasture", H4829) to form the clause "there is no pasture."
• kaved ("heavy/severe", H3515) — masculine singular adjective describing ra'av ("the famine", H7458); the adjective conveys intensity or weight, not merely presence, of the famine.
• yeshevu ("let them dwell", H3427) — qal imperfect, 3rd masculine plural, combined with the particle na' ("please", H4994) to form a polite request/wish: "may they please dwell."

What the text says

The verse divides into two causal clauses introduced twice by ki (H3588A, "for/because"), each justifying part of the brothers' request. The first ki clause states there is no mir'eh ("pasture", H4829) for the tzon ("sheep/flock", H6629G) belonging to Pharaoh's 'avadeikha ("your servants", H5650 + H9021) — the brothers refer to themselves in the third person as "your servants," a formal self-designation before the ruler. The second ki clause intensifies the reasoning: the ra'av ("famine", H7458) is kaved ("heavy", H3515) in the 'eretz Kena'an ("land of Canaan", H0776G construct + H3667A).

The construction lagur ba'aretz ba'nu places the infinitive of purpose (lagur, H1481A) before the main perfect verb (ba'nu, H0935G), a Hebrew word order that fronts the purpose of their journey ("to sojourn") ahead of the verb of motion itself. This syntax emphasizes the temporary, resident-alien nature of their intended stay rather than permanent settlement.

The concluding clause shifts to the imperfect yeshevu ("let them dwell", H3427) with the particle na' (H4994), softening the statement into a request. The repeated self-reference as 'avadeikha ("your servants") in both the pasture clause and the final request clause frames the entire speech as a formal petition addressed to Pharaoh.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders lagur ("to sojourn", H1481A) as paroikein ("to dwell as a foreigner"), matching the temporary sense. However, for the final verb yeshevu ("let them dwell", H3427), the LXX uses katoikēsomen ("we will dwell"), a future indicative rather than a polite request, omitting the nuance carried by na' (H4994, "please") in the Hebrew. The Vulgate similarly shifts the final clause into a petition ("petimusque ut esse nos jubeas") explicitly naming it a request, whereas the Hebrew conveys this through the particle na' alone.