John Calvin Commentary Genesis 47:1

"Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen." — Genesis 47:1 (ASV)

Then Joseph came. Joseph indirectly intimates to the king, his desire to obtain a place to live for his brothers in the land of Goshen. Yet this modesty was (as we have said) free from cunning. For Pharaoh both immediately recognizes his wish and liberally grants it to him, declaring beforehand that the land of Goshen was most excellent.

From this we gather that what he gave was based on his own judgment, not out of ignorance, and that he was aware of Joseph's wish, even though Joseph did not dare to ask for what was best. Joseph can be easily excused for having instructed his father, along with most of his brothers, to remain in that region.

For it was not possible for them either to bring their cattle with them or to leave their cattle behind to come and greet the king, until some settled place to live was assigned to them, where, after pitching their tents, they could arrange their affairs. For it would have shown a lack of respect to take possession of a place as if it had been granted to them, when they had not yet received the king's permission. Therefore, they remained in that district, in suspense, until, having determined the king's will, they could more certainly establish their home there.

The statement that Joseph brought five from the extreme limits of his brethren, is commonly explained this way: that those who were of the smallest stature were brought into the king's presence, because it was feared he might take the stronger ones into his army. But since the Hebrew word קצה (qatsah) signifies the two extremities (the beginning and the end), I think they were chosen from the first and the last, so that the king, by looking at them, might form his judgment concerning the age of the entire group.