King James Version

Genesis 47:4

They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּvayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).פַּרְעֹ֗הparoPharaohפַּרְעֹהnoun, proper name — “Pharaoh”H6547Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsPharaoh.לָג֣וּרlagurto fearגּוּרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to fear”, the to-form of the verbH1481properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather forhostility (as afraid)abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, [idiom] surely.בָּאָרֶץ֮baaretsin earthאֶרֶץpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “in earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.בָּאנוּ֒banvto comeבּוֹאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, plural — “to come”, a completed actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…כִּיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אֵ֣יןeynelseאַיִןparticle, negative — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).מִרְעֶ֗הmirehpastureמִרְעֶהnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “pasture”, the ordinary formH4829pasture (the place or the act); also the haunt of wild animalsfeeding place, pasture.לַצֹּאן֙latsonto flockצֹאןpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “to flock”, the ordinary formH6629a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)(small) cattle, flock ([phrase] -s), lamb ([phrase] -s), sheep(-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds).אֲשֶׁ֣רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָlaavadeykhato servantעֶבֶדpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…כָבֵ֥דkhavedheavyכָּבֵדadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “heavy”, the ordinary formH3515heavy; figuratively in a good sense (numerous) or in a bad sense (severe, difficult, stupid)(so) great, grievous, hard(-ened), (too) heavy(-ier), laden, much, slow, sore, thick.הָרָעָ֖בharaavthe hungerרָעָבdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the hunger”, the ordinary formH7458hunger (more or less extensive)dearth, famine, [phrase] famished, hunger.בְּאֶ֣רֶץbeeretsin earthאֶרֶץpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “in earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.כְּנָ֑עַןkenaanCanaanכְּנַעַןnoun, proper name — “Canaan”H3667Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by himCanaan, merchant, traffick.וְעַתָּ֛הveatahand this timeעַתָּהconjunction, adverb — “and this time”H6258at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletivehenceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.יֵֽשְׁבוּyeshevvdwellיָשַׁבverb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “dwell”, a wish or indirect commandH3427properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, r…נָ֥אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.עֲבָדֶ֖יךָavadeykhaservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.בְּאֶ֥רֶץbeeretsin earthאֶרֶץpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “in earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.גֹּֽשֶׁןgoshenGoshenגֹּשֶׁןnoun, proper name — “Goshen”H1657Goshen, the residence of the Israelites in Egypt; also a place in PalestineGoshen.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And they said unto Pharaoh: 'To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants' flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants’ flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

Young’s Literal Translation

and they say unto Pharaoh, 'To sojourn in the land we have come, for there is no pasture for the flock which thy servants have, for grievous [is] the famine in the land of Canaan; and now, let thy servants, we pray thee, dwell in the land of Goshen.'

World English Bible

They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”

Darby Translation

And they said to Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for the sheep that thy servants have, for the famine is grievous in the land of Canaan; and now, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

Douay-Rheims

We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of Gessen.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And they said to Pharao, We are come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for the flocks of thy servants, for the famine has prevailed in the land of Chanaan; now then, we will dwell in the land of Gesem. And Pharao said to Joseph, Let them dwell in the land of Gesem; and if thou knowest that there are among them able men, make them overseers of my cattle. So Jacob and his sons came into Egypt, to Joseph; and Pharao, king of Egypt, heard of it .

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπαν δὲ τῷ Φαραῷ, παροικεῖν ἐν τῇ γῇ ἥκαμεν, οὐ γάρ ἐστι νομὴ τοῖς κτήνεσι τῶν παιδων σου, ἐνίσχυσε γὰρ ὁ λιμὸς ἐν γῇ Χανάαν· νῦν οὖν κατοικήσομεν ἐν γῇ Γεσέμ. Εἶπε δὲ Φαραὼ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, Κατοικείτωσαν ἐν γῇ Γεσέμ· εἰ δὲ ἐπίστῃ, ὅτι εἰσὶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἄνδρες δυνατοὶ, κατάστησον αὐτοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν ἐμῶν κτηνῶν. Ἦλθον δὲ εἰς Αἴγυπτον πρὸς Ἰωσὴφ Ἰακὼβ, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἤκουσε Φαραὼ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου.