Goshen

When Jacob’s family came to Egypt, Joseph told them where to live: “thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen”, near him. Goshen returns in the plagues, where God promises, “I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there.” The same name appears again in Joshua, once for a stretch of country and once in a list of eleven cities, and Scripture does not say how these places relate. Begin with Genesis 45:10 and Exodus 8:22.

6 verses

Genesis

Genesis 45:10

And 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:

Genesis 46:28

And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

Exodus

Exodus 8:22

And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.

Joshua

Joshua 10:41

And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.

Joshua 11:16

So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;

Joshua 15:51

And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

(1.) A district in Egypt where Jacob and his family settled, and in which they remained till the Exodus (Gen. 45:10; 46:28, 29, 31, etc.). It is called “the land of Goshen” (47:27), and also simply “Goshen” (46:28), and “the land of Rameses” (47:11; Ex. 12:37), for the towns Pithom and Rameses lay within its borders; also Zoan or Tanis (Ps. 78:12). It lay on the east of the Nile, and apparently not far from the royal residence. It was “the best of the land” (Gen. 47:6, 11), but is now a desert. It is first mentioned in Joseph’s message to his father. It has been identified with the modern Wady Tumilat, lying between the eastern part of the Delta and the west border of Palestine. It was a pastoral district, where some of the king’s cattle were kept (Gen. 47:6). The inhabitants were not exclusively Israelites (Ex. 3:22; 11:2; 12:35, 36).

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(2.) A district in Palestine (Josh. 10:41; 11:16). It was a part of the maritime plain of Judah, and lay between Gaza and Gibeon.

(3.) A town in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:51).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(1.) The name of a part of Egypt where the Israelites dwelt during the whole period of their sojourn in that country. It was probably situated on the eastern border of the Nile, extending from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. It contained the treasure-cities of Rameses and Pittim. It was a pasture land, especially suited to a shepherd people, and sufficient for the Israelites, who there prospered, and were separate from the main body of the Egyptians.

(2.) A district in southern Palestine conquered by Joshua. (Joshua 10:41) It lay between Gaza and Gibeon.

(3.) A town in the mountains of Judah, probably in a part of the country of Goshen.