The children of Israel were not slaves. They had never sold their cattle, their lands, and themselves, to Pharaoh for food, as many of the Egyptians had done. They had been granted a portion of land wherein to dwell, with their flocks and cattle, on account of the service Joseph had been to the kingdom. Pharaoh appreciated his wisdom in the management of all things connected with the kingdom, especially in the preparations for the long years of famine which came upon the land of Egypt. He felt that the whole kingdom was indebted for their prosperity to the wise management of Joseph; and, as a token of his gratitude, he said to Joseph, “The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.” “And 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. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread according to their families.” {1SP 159.2}

Israels børn var ikke slaver. De (160) havde aldrig solgt deres kvæg, deres lande og sig selv til Farao for mad, som mange af ægypterne havde gjort. De var blevet tilstået et stykke land hvor de kunne bo, med deres hjorte og kvæg, på grund af den tjeneste som Josef havde gjort for riget. Farao påskønnede sin visdom i ledelsen af alle ting i forbindelse med riget, især for forberedelsen af de mange års hungersnød, som kom over Ægyptens land. Han følte at hele riget stod i gæld for deres velstand, på grund af Josefs ledelse; og, som tegn på sin taknemmelighed sagde han til Josef: "Ægypten står til din rådighed, lad din fader og dine brødre bosætte sig i den bedste del af landet; de kan tage ophold i Gosens land; og hvis du ved, at der er dygtige folk iblandt dem, kan du sætte dem til opsynsmænd over mine hjorde!" "Men Josef lod sin fader og sine brødre bosætte sig og gav dem jordegods i Ægypten, i den bedste del af landet, i landet Rameses, som Farao havde befalet. Og Josef forsørgede sin fader og sine brødre og hele sin faders hus med brød efter børnenes tal."