Genesis 47:3

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֛ה אֶל־אֶחָ֖יו מַה־מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶ֑ם וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֗ה רֹעֵ֥ה צֹאן֙ עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ גַּם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ גַּם־אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃

Transliteration

wə-yōʾmer par'ōh to ʾeḥāyw mah-ma'aśêḵem wə-yōʾmərû to par'ōh rō'ēh ṣōʾn 'ăḇāḏeḵā gam-ʾănaḥnû gam-ʾăḇōṯênû

Grammar Details

*wə-yōʾmer*: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and said
*par'ōh*: proper noun - Pharaoh
*ʾeḥāyw*: noun masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his brothers
*mah-ma'aśêḵem*: interrogative + noun masculine plural construct with 2nd person masculine plural suffix - what [are] your occupations
*wə-yōʾmərû*: conjunction + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - and they said
*rō'ēh*: Qal participle masculine singular construct - shepherd of
*ṣōʾn*: noun feminine singular - flock/sheep
*'ăḇāḏeḵā*: noun masculine plural construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your servants
*gam-ʾănaḥnû*: conjunction + pronoun 1st common plural - also we
*gam-ʾăḇōṯênû*: conjunction + noun masculine plural construct with 1st person common plural suffix - also our fathers

Word Meanings

*rō'ēh*: shepherd/keeper/tender of
*ṣōʾn*: flock/sheep/small cattle

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

🔄 Compare with

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Gen 46:33-34 : 33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 34 that ye shall say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Amos 7:14-15 : 14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees: 15 and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.
Jonah 1:8 : 8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
2 Thess 3:10 : 10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, {G3754} If any will not work, neither let him eat.
Gen 4:2 : 2 And again she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Gen 46:31-34
4 verses
88%
31And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and tell Pharaoh, and will say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
32and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
33And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
34that ye shall say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Gen 47:4-8
5 verses
85%
4And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for thy servants' flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
5And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:
6the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any able men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
7And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How many are the days of the years of thy life?
Gen 47:1-2
2 verses
82%
1Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
2And from among his brethren he took five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
Gen 45:16-18
3 verses
80%
16And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.
17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye: lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
18and take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
Gen 44:19
77%
19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
Gen 37:12-13
2 verses
76%
12And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
13And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not thy brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
Exod 2:19
75%
19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.
Gen 44:7
74%
7And they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.
Gen 37:16
74%
16And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding [the flock].
Gen 50:18
74%
18And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we are thy servants.
Gen 47:25
74%
25And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
Gen 47:17-19
3 verses
74%
17And they brought their cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year.
18And when that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide from my lord, how that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are my lord's; there is nought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.
Gen 43:7
74%
7And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
Gen 45:10
73%
10and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
Gen 42:13-14
2 verses
72%
13And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
14And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
Acts 7:12-13
2 verses
72%
12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.
13And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's race became manifest unto Pharaoh.
Gen 43:2
72%
2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
Gen 42:10
72%
10And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
Gen 50:8
72%
8and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.
Gen 42:3
71%
3And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Gen 42:7
71%
7And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly with them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
Gen 47:11-12
2 verses
71%
11And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.
Num 20:15
71%
15how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and our fathers:
Gen 41:55
71%
55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
Exod 5:15
71%
15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
Gen 42:1
71%
1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
Gen 43:27
71%
27And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?