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Genesis 47:15

in Genesis 47

When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for our money faileth.

KJV

And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.

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This verse in Genesis 47

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

the famine was so severe

on Genesis 47:13-15

The seven lean years arrive as the dreams said. Genesis 41:32 had given the reason for the doubling, that God had determined the matter and would carry it out shortly. Joseph collects all the money in Egypt and Canaan into Pharaoh's palace, and then the money runs out. Everything the chapter does next follows from a currency that has stopped working.

This site's exposition

Give us food

Jacob sent his sons to Egypt at 42:2 so the family would live and not die. The Egyptians now bring the same plea to the same man. Their silver is gone, and they have nothing left to trade.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

If its usual favours are suspended but for a while, we die, we perish, we all perish. All our wealth would not keep us from starving if the rain of heaven were but withheld for two or three years. See how much we lie at God's mercy, and let us keep ourselves always in his love.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

there was no bread in all the land--This probably refers to the second year of the famine (Ge 45:6) when any little stores of individuals or families were exhausted and when the people had become universally dependent on the government.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

AND JOSEPH GATHERED UP ALL THE MONEY, etc. Scripture relates this and goes on to complete the subject in this entire section in order to make known Joseph’s excellence in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, 241 Exodus:3. and that he was a faithful man. Proverbs:6.
Ramban: Spain, 1194–1270 · Ramban on Genesis 47:14:1, via Sefaria, Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיִּתֹּ֣םand it was finished

    vaiyitomH8552 →63 times

  • הַכֶּ֗סֶףthe money

    hakesefH3701 →403 times

  • מֵאֶ֣רֶץfrom [the] land of

    meeretzH776 →2504 times

  • מִצְרַיִם֮Egypt

    mitzrayimH4714 →641 times

  • וּמֵאֶ֣רֶץand from [the] land of

    umeeretzH776 →2504 times

  • כְּנַעַן֒Canaan

    kenaanH3667 →94 times

  • וַיָּבֹאוּ֩and they came

    vaiyavouH935 →2568 times

  • כָל־all

    khol-H3605 →5413 times

  • מִצְרַ֨יִםEgypt

    mitzrayimH4713 →70 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • יוֹסֵ֤ףJoseph

    yosefH3130 →213 times

  • לֵאמֹר֙<to> saying

    lemorH559 →5305 times

  • הָֽבָה־give !

    havah-H3051 →34 times

  • לָּ֣נוּto us

    lanu

  • לֶ֔חֶםfood

    lechemH3899 →298 times

  • וְלָ֥מָּהand <to> why?

    velamahH4100 →752 times

  • נָמ֖וּתwill we die

    namutH4191 →839 times

  • נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָbefore you

    negdekhaH5048 →151 times

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • אָפֵ֖סit has come to an end

    ʾafesH656 →

  • כָּֽסֶף׃money

    kasefH3701 →403 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 Samuel 25:8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. So let my young men find favor with you, for we have come on the day of a feast. Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David.’”2 worksMatthew 6:11Give us this day our daily bread.2 worksGenesis 47:24At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children.”2 works1 Samuel 21:3Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”2 worksPsalms 37:3Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.2 worksGenesis 47:18–19When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.2 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
Judges 8:8From there he went up to Penuel and asked the same from them, but the men of Penuel gave the same response as the men of Succoth.2 worksJudges 8:5So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”2 worksIsaiah 33:16he will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge; his food will be provided and his water assured.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Psalms 37:3

    Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 17:7–8

      But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.

    • Matthew 6:31–33

      Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

    • Psalms 62:8

      Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah

    • 1 Corinthians 15:57–58

      But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

  • Through

    Matthew 6:11

    Give us this day our daily bread.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 30:8

      Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.

    • Luke 11:3

      Give us each day our daily bread.

    • Matthew 4:4

      But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

    • Psalms 34:10

      Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

About Genesis

The Garden of Eden, Thomas Cole, 1828, Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Public domain.
The Garden of Eden, Thomas Cole, 1828, Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Public domain.
Genesis: the study guide →Read Genesis 47 →

This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Genesis 47 →