Genesis 47:20
in Genesis 47So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them: and the land became Pharaoh’s.
KJV
And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.
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This verse in Genesis 47
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
The land became Pharaoh's
on Genesis 47:20-21
Joseph acquires for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt, and the Egyptians sell their fields to eat. The people themselves are reduced to servitude across the whole country. The Hebrew as pointed reads that he moved them into the cities, and the Samaritan and Greek copies read servitude. Joseph buys a country for his king, while the sons promised Canaan hold one field and one burial cave.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
It seems to me that censure of the Egyptians is contained also in this statement. For you would not easily find it written of the Hebrews that "the famine prevailed over them." For although it is written that "the famine prevailed over the land," nevertheless it is not written that famine prevailed over Jacob or his sons, as it is said of the Egyptians, that "the famine prevailed over them." For although famine should come also to the just, nevertheless it does not prevail over them. For this reason the just glory in famine, as Paul is found to rejoice cheerfully in sufferings of this kind when he says, "In hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness." What therefore is an exercise of virtue for the just is a penalty of sin for the unjust.For it is written also in the times of Abraham that "there came a famine in the country, and Abraham went down to Egypt to dwell there, since the famine prevailed in the land." And certainly if, as some think, the text of the divine Scripture was composed carelessly and awkwardly, it could have said that Abraham went down to Egypt to dwell there because the famine prevailed over him. But observe how great a distinction the divine word uses, how great a caution it employs. When it speaks of the saints it says the famine had prevailed "over the land"; when it speaks of the unjust it says they were held by the famine. Famine therefore prevailed over neither Abraham nor Jacob nor their sons.
Since you see, therefore, that an observation of this kind is preserved correctly in almost all the texts of holy Scripture, interpret these words in their figurative and allegorical meaning, which we are taught by the words of the prophets themselves no less.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh,....
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּ֨קֶן | vaiyiken | and he bought | H7069 → | 84 times |
| יוֹסֵ֜ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אַדְמַ֤ת | ʾadmat | [the] land of | H127 → | 225 times |
| מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| לְפַרְעֹ֔ה | lefaroh | to Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מָכְר֤וּ | makheru | they sold | H4376 → | 80 times |
| מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4713 → | 70 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| שָׂדֵ֔הוּ | sadehu | field his | H7704 → | 334 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| חָזַ֥ק | chazak | it was severe | H2388 → | 291 times |
| עֲלֵהֶ֖ם | ʾalehem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָרָעָ֑ב | haraav | the famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| וַתְּהִ֥י | vatehi | and it be[longed] | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| לְפַרְעֹֽה׃ | lefaroh | to Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
וַיִּ֨קֶןand he bought
vaiyikenH7069 →84 times
יוֹסֵ֜ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אַדְמַ֤ת[the] land of
ʾadmatH127 →225 times
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
לְפַרְעֹ֔הto Pharaoh
lefarohH6547 →274 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
מָכְר֤וּthey sold
makheruH4376 →80 times
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙Egypt
mitzrayimH4713 →70 times
אִ֣ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
שָׂדֵ֔הוּfield his
sadehuH7704 →334 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
חָזַ֥קit was severe
chazakH2388 →291 times
עֲלֵהֶ֖םon them
ʾalehemH5921 →5755 times
הָרָעָ֑בthe famine
haraavH7458 →101 times
וַתְּהִ֥יand it be[longed]
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
לְפַרְעֹֽה׃to Pharaoh
lefarohH6547 →274 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Genesis

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 16.3 and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 16.4.
