Genesis 47:3
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. 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.
Five of the brothers were brought before Pharaoh so they might receive a grant of land for their home. At Pharaoh's question about their occupation, they answered frankly, following Joseph's prior counsel, that they were shepherds, both they and their fathers. Joseph had directed this frank answer to keep them from being placed in the king's special service and promoted at court, where corrupting and idolatrous influences would expose them to temptation.
That counsel was wise and God-fearing, for the occupation of shepherd was regarded in Egypt as degrading and despised, so Pharaoh would not seek for Joseph's sake to exalt them to some honorable position. They also made clear that they had come to sojourn in Egypt for a time, thus preserving their right to leave, and their despised calling helped the whole family remain separate from Egyptian society. Their obedience in following this counsel led Pharaoh to give permission for Joseph to settle his father and brothers in the best part of the land.
Joseph selected Goshen for them, a well-watered and fertile country affording good pasture and water for their flocks, where they could also worship God undisturbed by the ceremonies of Egyptian idolatrous service. There Israel dwelt, in and around Goshen, until God brought His people out of Egypt with power and mighty signs and wonders.