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Genesis 47:20

in Genesis 47

So 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.

This verse in Genesis 47

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

This 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

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

HOMILIES ON GENESIS 16.3 · Written before 253.

proposed

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.

A commentator

Origen of Alexandria

HOMILIES ON GENESIS 16.4 · Written before 253.

proposed

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 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.

  • וַיִּ֨קֶןand he bought

    vaiyikenH706984 times

  • יוֹסֵ֜ףJoseph

    yosefH3130213 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H85310935 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H36055413 times

  • אַדְמַ֤ת[the] land of

    ʾadmatH127225 times

  • מִצְרַ֙יִם֙Egypt

    mitzrayimH4714641 times

  • לְפַרְעֹ֔הto Pharaoh

    lefarohH6547274 times

  • כִּֽי־for

    ki-H35884482 times

  • מָכְר֤וּthey sold

    makheruH437680 times

  • מִצְרַ֙יִם֙Egypt

    mitzrayimH471370 times

  • אִ֣ישׁeveryone

    ʾishH3761663 times

  • שָׂדֵ֔הוּfield his

    sadehuH7704334 times

  • כִּֽי־for

    ki-H35884482 times

  • חָזַ֥קit was severe

    chazakH2388291 times

  • עֲלֵהֶ֖םon them

    ʾalehemH59215755 times

  • הָרָעָ֑בthe famine

    haraavH7458101 times

  • וַתְּהִ֥יand it be[longed]

    vatehiH19613559 times

  • הָאָ֖רֶץthe land

    haaretzH7762504 times

  • לְפַרְעֹֽה׃to Pharaoh

    lefarohH6547274 times

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

About Genesis

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.