And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.
Pharaoh asked Joseph's brothers, 'What kind of work do you do?' They answered Pharaoh, 'We are shepherds, just like our fathers were before us.'
The writer is showing how Joseph's brothers honestly told Pharaoh their family profession when asked about their work.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Genesis, Joseph, who had risen to a high position in Egypt after being sold into slavery, brought his family to the land to escape a severe famine in Canaan. When Pharaoh inquired about their occupation, Joseph's brothers openly declared themselves as shepherds, a profession that had been their family's tradition for generations. This exchange occurred in a cultural context where Egyptians often viewed shepherds as lowly or impure, potentially affecting how the Israelites were integrated into Egyptian society.
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