New American Standard Bible 1995

Back to Reader

Genesis

Note Journal Prayer

47

:

9

“

So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning."

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
So Jacob a son of Isaac, also his desc. Noun H3290 יַעֲקֹב֙ ya·'a·kov
Analysis:
Read more about: So, Jacob
said to utter, say Verb H559 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר vai·yo·mer
to Pharaoh, a title of Eg. kings Noun H6547 פַּרְעֹ֔ה par·'oh,
"The years a year Noun H8141 שְׁנֵ֣י she·nei
of my sojourning a sojourning place, dwelling place, a sojourning Noun H4033 מְגוּרַ֔י me·gu·rai,
are one hundred hundred Noun H3967 וּמְאַ֖ת u·me·'at
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016
and thirty; thirty Noun H7970 שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים she·lo·shim
Analysis:

Thirty: Death

The number thirty is understood in Judaism as relating to death. One of the mourning periods is known as a "Shaloshim". This is actually the Hebrew word for 30. The connection between the number 30 and death is seen by the fact that the Children of Israel mourned Aaron for 30 days (see Numbers 20:29). Likewise, when Moses died, the people also mourned him for exactly 30 days (see Deuteronomy 34:8). Another reference to the number 30 relating to death is found in the fact that Joshua took 30,000 men with him to fight Ai the second time (see Joshua 8:3). This time Israel was successful and Ai was put to death. It is significant that the reader is told that 12,000 people died, all the people of Ai (see Joshua 8:25). Here the number 12, as in 12,000, relates to the people, as we learned in our study of the number 12, and the fact that they all died is reflected in the 30,000 (30) soldiers that Joshua took.

In the New Covenant, the reader is told that Judas betrayed Yeshua, delivering Him over to the Jewish leadership to be put to death for 30 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). In the book of Luke, it is revealed that Yeshua was about the age of 30 when He began His ministry. What was the primary aspect of Yeshua's ministry? In other words, what did Yeshua enter into this world to do? The answer is to offer up His life for redemption. Death is the key ingredient in redemption. As one reads, without the shedding of blood (death) there is no redemption.

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016
few a little, fewness, a few sub H4592 מְעַ֣ט me·'at
and unpleasant bad, evil Adjective H7451 וְרָעִ֗ים ve·ra·'im
have been to fall out, come to pass, become, be Verb H1961 הָיוּ֙ hai·u
the years a year Noun H8141 שָׁנָ֑ה sha·nah;
of my life, life H2425    
nor not Adverb H3808 וְלֹ֣א ve·lo
have they attained to reach, overtake Verb H5381 הִשִּׂ֗יגוּ his·si·gu
the years a year Noun H8141 שְׁנֵ֣י she·nei
that my fathers father Noun H1 אֲבֹתַ֔י a·vo·tai,
lived life H2425    
during the days day Noun H3117 יְמֵי֙ ye·mei
of their sojourning." a sojourning place, dwelling place, a sojourning Noun H4033 מְגוּרֵיהֶֽם׃ me·gu·rei·hem.

People

Jacob

Jacob, the son of Isaac, and twin to Esau. Jacob [N] [B] [H] [S] one who follows on another's heels; supplanter, ( Genesis 25:26 ;  27:36 ;  Hosea 12:2-4 ), the second born of the twin sons of Isaac by Rebekah. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundred and fifty-nine years old. Like his father, he was of a quiet and gentle disposition, an... View Details

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning."
King James Bible So And Jacob said to unto Pharaoh, "The years The days of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have they attained the days of the years that of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers lived during in the days of their sojourning."pilgrimage.
Hebrew Greek English So Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning."