SEV Biblia, Chapter 46:34
Entonces diréis: Hombres de ganadería han sido tus siervos desde nuestra juventud hasta ahora, nosotros y nuestros padres; a fin de que moréis en la tierra de Gosén, porque los egipcios abominan todo pastor de ovejas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Genesis 46:34
Verse 34. Thy servants trade hath been about cattle] ""The land of Goshen, called also the land of Rameses, lay east of the Nile, by which it was never overflowed, and was bounded by the mountains of the Thebaid on the south, by the Nile and Mediterranean on the west and north, and by the Red Sea and desert of Arabia on the east. It was the Heliopolitan nome or district, and its capital was called ON. Its proper name was Geshen, the country of grass or pasturage, or of the shepherds, in opposition to the rest of the land which was sown after having been overflowed by the Nile."" -Bruce. As this land was both fruitful and pleasant, Joseph wished to fix his family in that part of Egypt; hence he advises them to tell Pharaoh that their trade had been in cattle from their youth: and because every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians, hence he concluded that there would be less difficulty to get them quiet settlement in Goshen, as they would then be separated from the Egyptians, and consequently have the free use of all their religious customs. This scheme succeeded, and the consequence was the preservation both of their religion and their lives, though some of their posterity did afterwards corrupt themselves; see Ezek. xx. 8; Amos v. 26. As it is well known that the Egyptians had cattle and flocks themselves, and that Pharaoh even requested that some of Joseph's brethren should be made rulers over his cattle, how could it be said, as in ver. 34, Every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians? Three reasons may be assigned for this: 1. Shepherds and feeders of cattle were usually a sort of lawless, free-booting banditti, frequently making inroads on villages, &c., carrying off cattle, and whatever spoils they could find. This might probably have been the case formerly, for it is well known it has often been the case since. On this account such persons must have been universally detested. 2. They must have abhorred shepherds if Manetho's account of the hycsos or king- shepherds can be credited. Hordes of marauders under this name, from Arabia, Syria, and Ethiopia, (whose chief occupation, like the Bedouin Arabs of the present day, was to keep flocks,) made a powerful irruption into Egypt, which they subdued and ruled with great tyranny for 259 years. Now, though they had been expelled from that land some considerable time before this, yet their name, and all persons of a similar occupation, were execrated by the Egyptians, on account of the depredations and long-continued ravages they had committed in the country. 3. The last and probably the best reason why the Egyptians abhorred such shepherds as the Israelites were, was, they sacrificed those very animals, the ox particularly, and the SHEEP, which the Egyptians held sacred. Hence the Roman historian Tacitus, speaking of the Jews, says: ""Caeso ARIETE velut in contumelia AMMONIS; Bos quoque immolatur, quem AEgyptii APIM colunt."" ""They sacrifice the ram in order to insult Jupiter Ammon, and they sacrifice the ox, which the Egyptians worship under the name of Apis."" Though some contend that this idolatry was not as yet established in Egypt, and that the king-shepherds were either after the time of Joseph, or that Manetho by them intends the Israelites themselves; yet, as the arguments by which these conjectures are supported are not sufficient to overthrow those which are brought for the support of the contrary opinions, and as there was evidently an established religion and priesthood in Egypt before Joseph's time, (for we find the priests had a certain portion of the land of Egypt which was held so sacred that Joseph did not attempt to buy it in the time of the famine, when he bought all the land which belonged to the people, chap. xlvii. 20-22,) and as that established priesthood was in all likelihood idolatrous, and as the worship of Apis under the form of an ox was one of the most ancient forms of worship in Egypt, we may rest tolerably certain that it was chiefly on this account that the shepherds, or those who fed on and sacrificed these objects of their worship, were an abomination to the Egyptians. Calmet has entered into this subject at large, and to his notes I must refer those readers who wish for farther information. See on ""chap. xliii. 32"". ON the principal subject of this chapter, the going down of Jacob and his family into Egypt, Bishop Warburton, in his Divine Legation of Moses, makes the following judicious reflections: ""The promise God made to Abraham, to give his posterity the land of Canaan, could not be performed till that family was grown strong enough to take and keep possession of it.
In the meantime, therefore, they were necessitated to reside among idolaters, and to reside unmixed; but whoever examines their history will see that the Israelites had ever a violent propensity to join themselves to Gentile nations, and practice their manners. God therefore, in his infinite wisdom, brought them into Egypt, and kept them there during this period, the only place where they could remain for so long a time safe and unconfounded with the natives, the ancient Egyptians being by numerous institutions forbidden all fellowship with strangers, and bearing besides a particular aversion to the profession of the Israelites, who were shepherds.
Thus the natural dispositions of the Israelites, which in Egypt occasioned their superstitions, and in consequence the necessity of a burdensome ritual, would in any other country have absorbed them into Gentilism, and confounded them with idolaters. From the Israelites going into Egypt arises a new occasion to adore the footsteps of Eternal Wisdom in his dispensations to his chosen people.""
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 28-34 - It was justice to Pharaoh to let him know that such a family was com to settle in his dominions. If others put confidence in us, we must no be so base as to abuse it by imposing upon them. But how shall Josep dispose of his brethren? Time was, when they were contriving to be ri of him; now he is contriving to settle them to their advantage; this is rendering good for evil. He would have them live by themselves, in the land of Goshen, which lay nearest to Canaan. Shepherds were a abomination to the Egyptians. Yet Joseph would have them not ashamed to own this as their occupation before Pharaoh. He might have procure places for them at court or in the army. But such preferments woul have exposed them to the envy of the Egyptians, and might have tempte them to forget Canaan and the promise made unto their fathers. A honest calling is no disgrace, nor ought we to account it so, but rather reckon it a shame to be idle, or to have nothing to do. It is generally best for people to abide in the callings they have been bre to and used to. Whatever employment and condition God in his providenc has allotted for us, let us suit ourselves to it, satisfy ourselve with it, and not mind high things. It is better to be the credit of mean post, than the shame of a high one. If we wish to destroy ou souls, or the souls of our children, then let us seek for ourselves and for them, great things; but if not, it becomes us, having food an raiment, therewith to be content __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ואמרתם 559 אנשׁי 582 מקנה 4735 היו 1961 עבדיך 5650 מנעורינו 5271 ועד 5704 עתה 6258 גם 1571 אנחנו 587 גם 1571 אבתינו 1 בעבור 5668 תשׁבו 3427 בארץ 776 גשׁן 1657 כי 3588 תועבת 8441 מצרים 4713 כל 3605 רעה 7462 צאן׃ 6629
