THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Let us examine the events leading up to the meeting between Jacob and his son. As Jacob neared Egypt, he is reported to have sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to guide him and inform him of his father's impending arrival.
Genesis 46:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And he sent Juda before him to Joseph, to tell him; and that he should meet him in Gessen.
וְאֶת־יְהוּדָ֞ה שָׁלַ֤ח לְפָנָיו֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף לְהוֹרֹ֥ת לְפָנָ֖יו גֹּ֑שְׁנָה וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה גֹּֽשֶׁן׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Jerome of Stridon
The Hebrew scripture does not mention the city of the wealthy nor the region of Ramesse, but refers solely to Gesen. Some Jewish scholars assert that Gesen is currently known as Thebaidah. Regarding the subsequent statement, ‘He gave them possession of the best land in Ramesse,’ they interpret this to refer to the village formerly known as Arsenoit.
Philaret of Moscow (Drosdow)
He was to go out to encounter him. This interpretation, which contrasts with the present rendition of the Hebrew text, relies on the Samaritan and Greek manuscripts, aligning with the message of the subsequent verse.
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Gen 45:10And thou shalt dwell in the land of Gessen: and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons, and thy sons' sons, thy sheep, and thy herds, and all things that thou hast.
- Gen 31:21And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad,
- Gen 49:8Juda, thee shall thy brethren praise: thy hand shall be on the necks of thy enemies; the sons of thy father shall bow down to thee.
- Gen 44:16And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.
- Gen 44:34For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.
- Gen 46:34You shall answer: We, thy servants, are shepherds, from our infancy until now, both we and our fathers. And this you shall say, that you may dwell in the land of Gessen, because the Egyptians have all shepherds in abomination.
- Gen 47:1Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of Gessen.
- Gen 43:8And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.