Genesis 47 Bible study questions are offered here for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal reflection. The chapter shows Jacob’s family settling in Egypt during a severe famine, Joseph managing the crisis for Pharaoh, and Jacob’s final request to be buried in Canaan. The questions below move from what the text says, to what it means, to how it applies to daily life.
Genesis 47 at a Glance
The chapter opens with Joseph presenting his father and five brothers to Pharaoh, who grants them the land of Goshen. Jacob blesses Pharaoh and speaks briefly about the trials of his life. Then the focus widens to the whole nation as the famine drains money, livestock and finally land, and Joseph arranges grain in exchange for each.
The chapter closes with the people sowing seed under a standing arrangement of one fifth to Pharaoh, Israel prospering in Goshen, and Jacob asking Joseph for a solemn oath about his burial. Leaders can use the questions in order or pick the sets that fit the time available.
Observation Questions
Use this set first to slow the group down and keep everyone close to the wording of the chapter. Ask people to look at the text before offering opinions, and let quieter members answer first if they wish.
Genesis 47:4
They 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.”
(WEB)
Read this verse to hear the brothers’ honest request. Their plea is simple and direct, which makes it a good starting point for talking about humility when asking for help from someone with power.
Genesis 47:9
Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
(WEB)
Jacob’s answer to Pharaoh is one of the most candid statements in the chapter. Reading it aloud lets the group sit with his reflection on the hardships of his life before moving on.
Genesis 47:13-14
13 There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 14 Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
(WEB)
These verses describe the scale of the famine and the way Joseph gathers resources. Hearing them together helps the group grasp the severity of the crisis that shapes everything that follows.
Genesis 47:19
Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.”
(WEB)
The people’s plea in this verse is raw and urgent. Reading it aloud invites reflection on desperation and on the value of life, and it can open a conversation about how communities respond to suffering.
Genesis 47:30
But when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” He said, “I will do as you have said.”
(WEB)
Jacob’s request to be buried with his fathers closes the chapter with a striking statement of hope. Reading it near the end of the session gives the group a chance to reflect on trust in God’s promises.
Memory Verse for Genesis 47
Genesis 47:31
He said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head.
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Israel’s bowing at the bed’s head is a quiet act of worship and submission that ends the chapter with reverence. It is a short verse that is easy to recall, and it reminds believers to honor God in both ordinary and deeply meaningful moments.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you for showing us the faithfulness of Joseph, the honesty of Jacob, and the hard choices of a people in crisis. Teach us to care for the family and neighbors you have placed around us, and to use whatever influence we have with humility and kindness. When our own trials feel heavy, help us tell you the truth as Jacob did, and keep us holding onto your promises even when we cannot yet see how they will be fulfilled. Thank you for remaining faithful across every generation. Amen.
