Genesis 47:17
in Genesis 47So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. Throughout that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year.
KJV
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
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This verse in Genesis 47
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Then bring me your livestock
on Genesis 47:16-19
Joseph takes the money first, then the livestock, then the land and the people themselves. Adam Clarke read the second stage as a mercy to both, the herds fed and the people fed with them. The last stage comes from the Egyptians themselves, who say purchase us and our land. Each stage is asked for by the people who pay it.
This site's exposition
their horses
Horses appear here for the first time in Scripture. They were costly animals in Egypt, and Deuteronomy 17:16 later forbids Israel's king to send to Egypt for more of them. One year of livestock feeds a nation.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph,....
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.
Note, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, even liberty and property (those darling twins), will he give for his life; for life is sweet. There are few (though perhaps there are some) who would even dare to die rather than live in slavery, and dependence on an arbitrary power.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבִ֣יאוּ | vaiyaviu | and they brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִקְנֵיהֶם֮ | mikneihem | livestock their | H4735 → | 76 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יוֹסֵף֒ | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| וַיִּתֵּ֣ן | vaiyiten | and he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶם֩ | lahem | to them | ||
| יוֹסֵ֨ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| לֶ֜חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| בַּסּוּסִ֗ים | basusim | for the horses | H5483 → | |
| וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה | uvemikneh | and for [the] livestock of | H4735 → | 76 times |
| הַצֹּ֛אן | hatzon | the flock[s] | H6629 → | 274 times |
| וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה | uvemikneh | and for [the] livestock of | H4735 → | 76 times |
| הַבָּקָ֖ר | habakar | the herd[s] | H1241 → | 183 times |
| וּבַחֲמֹרִ֑ים | uvachamorim | and for the donkeys | H2543 → | 96 times |
| וַיְנַהֲלֵ֤ם | vaynahalem | and he refreshed them | H5095 → | |
| בַּלֶּ֙חֶם֙ | balechem | with <the> food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | for all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִקְנֵהֶ֔ם | miknehem | livestock their | H4735 → | 76 times |
| בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה | bashanah | in the year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| הַהִֽוא׃ | hahiv' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וַיָּבִ֣יאוּand they brought
vaiyaviuH935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִקְנֵיהֶם֮livestock their
mikneihemH4735 →76 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יוֹסֵף֒Joseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
וַיִּתֵּ֣ןand he gave
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶם֩to them
lahem
יוֹסֵ֨ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
לֶ֜חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
בַּסּוּסִ֗יםfor the horses
basusimH5483 →
וּבְמִקְנֵ֥הand for [the] livestock of
uvemiknehH4735 →76 times
הַצֹּ֛אןthe flock[s]
hatzonH6629 →274 times
וּבְמִקְנֵ֥הand for [the] livestock of
uvemiknehH4735 →76 times
הַבָּקָ֖רthe herd[s]
habakarH1241 →183 times
וּבַחֲמֹרִ֑יםand for the donkeys
uvachamorimH2543 →96 times
וַיְנַהֲלֵ֤םand he refreshed them
vaynahalemH5095 →
בַּלֶּ֙חֶם֙with <the> food
balechemH3899 →298 times
בְּכָל־for all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
מִקְנֵהֶ֔םlivestock their
miknehemH4735 →76 times
בַּשָּׁנָ֖הin the year
bashanahH8141 →877 times
הַהִֽוא׃<the> that
hahiv'H1931 →1879 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Matthew 6:24No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and…
it leads to
- 1 John 2:15–16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and…
- James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
- 1 Timothy 6:9–10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
- Joshua 24:15
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods…
- 1 John 2:15–16
Through
Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 17:16
But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 36:9
For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
- Deuteronomy 17:16
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.