Joseph and the Descent into Egypt

Joseph, a son of Jacob’s old age, was his father’s favourite, and Jacob gave him a special coat. He dreamed that his brothers’ sheaves, and then the sun, moon and eleven stars, bowed down to him, and his brothers hated him (Genesis 37:3–11). When he was sent to find them with the flocks, they threw him into a pit and then sold him for twenty pieces of silver to traders on their way to Egypt. They let their father believe that a wild animal had killed him (Genesis 37:12–35).

In Egypt Joseph was bought by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Potiphar’s wife accused him falsely and he was put in prison (Genesis 39:1–20). There he interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s officials (Genesis 40:1–22). Two years later he was brought out to interpret Pharaoh’s own dreams of seven fat cows eaten by seven thin ones: seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine (Genesis 41:1–32). Pharaoh set him over all Egypt. He was thirty years old, and he stored grain in the cities through the good years (Genesis 41:39–49).

The famine reached Canaan, and Jacob sent ten of his sons to buy grain. Joseph knew them, but they did not know him (Genesis 42:1–8). He tested them, kept Simeon as a hostage and demanded to see Benjamin, the youngest (Genesis 42:18–24). On their second visit he had his silver cup hidden in Benjamin’s sack, and Judah offered to stay as a slave in the boy’s place (Genesis 44). Then Joseph made himself known: “God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:1–8).

Jacob came down to Egypt with his whole family, seventy people in all, and they settled as herdsmen in Goshen (Genesis 46:5–7) (Genesis 46:26–34) (Genesis 47:1–12). He lived there seventeen years and was carried back to Canaan for burial (Genesis 47:28) (Genesis 50:12–13). Joseph told his frightened brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:15–21). Before he died he made the Israelites swear to carry his bones out of Egypt when God brought them back to the land promised to Abraham (Genesis 50:22–26).

Exodus begins from this point: Israel multiplies in Egypt until a new king arises “who didn’t know Joseph” (Exodus 1:6–8), and Moses takes Joseph’s bones with him at the exodus (Exodus 13:19). Psalm 105 and Stephen’s speech both retell the story as part of God’s dealings with Israel (Psalm 105:16–23) (Acts 7:9–16).