When Jacob died, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh and not to Pharaoh directly

[tonychanyt]

Genesis 41:

29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them.

Joseph was extremely useful to Pharoah during the 7 years and plenty and the 7 years of famine, so he was the 2nd in command after only Pharoah.

44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

12 years (Genesis 45:6) after the end of the famine, Jacob died, Genesis 47:

28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.

In the end, Joseph had served his usefulness to Pharoah. Joseph was a foreigner in Egypt. His power declined. He some favor with the Pharoah. Genesis 50:

4 when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’”

Some centuries later, the situation with the Hebrews/Israelites got much worse in Exodus 1:

8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

When Jacob died, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh and not to Pharaoh directly. Why?

Pharoah needed Jacob during the famine to organize the logistics to profit from the famine. He needed him for a special job. After the famine, Pharoah no longer needed this foreigner. By then, Jacob had lost favor with the Pharoah.