Genesis 47:3

And Pharaoh said vnto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said vnto Pharaoh, Thy seruants are shepheards, both wee and also our fathers. Genesis 47:3 (KJV)

Genesis 47:3 records Joseph reporting the famine that has struck the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The brothers’ identification as shepherds does not appear in this verse; rather, it is found earlier in Genesis 46:31‑33, where Jacob’s household is described as “shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.” When the brothers later appear before Pharaoh, they volunteer information about their occupation as shepherds and explain that they have come because famine has devastated the land of Canaan. This voluntary disclosure, offered without prior questioning from Pharaoh, reveals their honesty and a strong identification with their ancestral livelihood.

The cultural background of the narrative adds depth to this exchange. In Egyptian society of the time, shepherding was generally regarded as a low‑status occupation, and Egyptians often viewed shepherds as socially and religiously inferior. By emphasizing their shepherd heritage, Jacob’s family underscores a humble, nomadic past that contrasts sharply with the opulent Egyptian court. This contrast highlights the vulnerability of the Israelites as they enter a foreign land under dire circumstances.

The passage also sets the stage for future interactions between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The brothers’ request to settle in the fertile region of Goshen, made in Genesis 47:4, is rooted in their need for pasture for their flocks—a need directly tied to their shepherd identity. While the text does not explicitly use this detail to foreshadow later oppression, the shepherd motif recurs throughout the biblical narrative, reminding readers of the Israelites’ enduring connection to their ancestral vocation even as they later endure centuries of slavery in Egypt.

Overall, Genesis 47:3 and the surrounding verses provide insight into the cultural context, the characters’ identities, and the unfolding events that shape the story of the Israelites. The honest self‑presentation of the brothers as shepherds, coupled with the stark reality of famine, illustrates both the humility of the patriarchal family and the precariousness of their position in a foreign empire, themes that resonate throughout the larger biblical account.