The thrust of Joseph’s last
statement is not clear: an abomination to
Egyptians is every shepherd. Might not such an acknowledgment by Jacob and
his children that they are shepherds or cattle-breeders result in their
exclusion from Egypt, if in fact such people are an abomination in Egypt? There
is slim, if any, indication in Egyptian literature that Egyptians held
shepherds in contempt, unless one sees here a popular understanding (Manetho,
Josephus) of the term hyksos (invaders
from Asia in the 17th century b.c. who ruled over Egypt for approximately a
century, with their capital at Avaris in the Delta), later held in contempt by
Egyptians as “shepherd kings.” If Joseph is associated with a group of people,
a family, that engages in a despised occupation, what does that do to his own
reputation and his ability to expedite his responsibilities? Perhaps it is best
to understand Joseph’s remark as applying only to non-Egyptian shepherds, that
is, reflecting Egyptian xenophobia. Perhaps this statement by Joseph reflects
the tension that existed in Egypt as well between the urbanites and those
living in the open country. It also reflects the earlier tension between Abel,
who was a shepherd (rōʿēh ṣōʾn, 4:2,
the same expression as at the end of v. 34), and Cain, who was a farmer. Cain
and the Egyptians are workers of the land. Abel and Joseph’s family are
shepherds of the flocks. What in Gen. 4 was a fraternal division is in Gen. 46
an international division.
In Exod. 8:22 (Eng. 26)
Moses stated that offering sacrifices in Egypt would be an abomination in the
eyes of the Egyptians. Both Exod. 8:22 (Eng. 26) and Gen. 46:34 use the word tôʿēḇá (see also its use in 43:32) to
point out what Egyptians considered abhorrent, i.e., pastoral pursuits.
Precisely why the Egyptians would so view the sacrifices from the flocks of the
Hebrews is not stated. In any case, Joseph is encouraging his family to be
absolutely honest with Pharaoh regarding their occupation. They are not to try
and be something they are not. Dishonesty is an issue that long plagued Jacob
and his family. It is Judah who shows his family the way to Goshen. But it
falls to his brother Joseph to make it possible for his family to settle in
Goshen. (Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18–50 [The
New International Commentary on the Old Testament; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans,
1995), 603–604.
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