Meaning
Goshen (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).
(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).
