3
He said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Iאָנֹכִיam El,הָאֵלthe Elohimאֱלֹהֵיof your father.אָבִיךָDo notאַלbe afraidתִּירָאto go downמֵרְדָהto Egypt,מִצְרַיְמָהforכִּיI will make youאֲשִׂימְךָa greatגָּדוֹלnationלְגוֹיthere.שָׁם
Genesis 46:3
Study it in the app“He said, “I am El, the Elohim of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 46:3, word by word
- He saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- am Elאֵלel
El, God, god
"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".
Where else “el” appears- the Elohimאֱלֹהֵיelohe
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohe” appears- of your fatherאָבִיavi
father
The man who begets a child and heads his household.
Where else “avi” appears- be afraidתִּירָאtira
fear
To feel fear before danger or before someone stronger.
Where else “tira” appears- to go downרְדָהreda
go down
To go from a higher place to a lower one, like from the mountain to the valley.
Where else “reda” appears- to Egyptמִצְרַיְמָmitsrayma
Egypt, Mizraim
See it on the mapWhere else “mitsrayma” appears- I will make youאֲשִׂימְasim
make
To turn something into another: "I will turn him into a nation".
Where else “asim” appears- a greatגָּדוֹלgadol
great
Of great size, amount or importance: a river, a city, a king.
Where else “gadol” appears- nationגוֹיgoy
nation
A people with their land; also Israel.
Where else “goy” appears
Places in this verse
Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
The context
2Elohim spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.”
3 · This verse (above)
4I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.”
To study Genesis 46 in a group
1. What it says
What did Elohim say to Israel at Beersheba, and what happened when he met Joseph (vv. 2-4, 29)?
2. What it means
Why does Elohim say to him, “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt” (v. 3)?
3. How I live it
What change that frightens you can you place in Elohim’s hands today?