The Meaning of Genesis 46:1 Explained

Genesis 46:1

KJV: And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

YLT: And Israel journeyeth, and all that he hath, and cometh in to Beer-Sheba, and sacrificeth sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac;

Darby: And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba; and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

ASV: And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Israel  took his journey  with all that he had, and came  to Beersheba,  and offered  sacrifices  unto the God  of his father  Isaac. 

What does Genesis 46:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 46:1-27 - Jacob And His Family Go To Egypt
Evidently Joseph's invitation to his father to come to him in Egypt aroused very earnest questionings in Jacob's soul. Was it a wise step for him to take? Perhaps he remembered Genesis 15:13, and dreaded to take the risk. Under these circumstances he went to Beersheba, the well of the oath, so intimately associated with the lives of Abraham and Isaac, and from which he had gone forth on his life's pilgrimage. There he offered special sacrifices and received special directions and promises. He was not only to go down into Egypt, but to go there under the divine guidance and protection. When we visit Egypt at our own impulse we shall land ourselves, as Abraham and Isaac did, in temptation and failure; but when God bids us go, we may make the journey with absolute impunity. Though we walk through the dark valley, we need not fear, if He be with us.
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Chapter Summary: Genesis 46

1  Jacob is comforted by God at Beersheba
5  Thence he with his company goes into Egypt
8  The number of his family that went into Egypt
28  Joseph meets Jacob
31  He instructs his brothers how to answer Pharaoh

What do the individual words in Genesis 46:1 mean?

So took his journey Israel and with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac
וַיִּסַּ֤ע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְכָל־ אֲשֶׁר־ ל֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֖א בְּאֵ֣רָה שָּׁ֑בַע וַיִּזְבַּ֣ח זְבָחִ֔ים לֵאלֹהֵ֖י אָבִ֥יו יִצְחָֽק

וַיִּסַּ֤ע  So  took  his  journey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָסַע  
Sense: to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְכָל־  and  with  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
ל֔וֹ  he  had 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וַיָּבֹ֖א  and  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
שָּׁ֑בַע  Beersheba 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: בְּאֵר 
Sense: a city at the south edge of Israel.
וַיִּזְבַּ֣ח  and  offered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
זְבָחִ֔ים  sacrifices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: זֶבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.
לֵאלֹהֵ֖י  to  the  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אָבִ֥יו  of  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
יִצְחָֽק  Isaac 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.