Genesis 47:23
in Genesis 47Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
KJV
Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
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This verse in Genesis 47
Commentary
4 notes on this verseI have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh - It fully appears that the kingdom of Egypt was previously to the time of Joseph a very limited monarchy. The king had his estates; the priests had their lands; and the common people their patrimony independently of both.
This site's exposition
the priests' portion of the land
on Genesis 47:22-24
Pharaoh feeds his priests from the royal stores, and their land stays theirs. Adam Clarke calls this the earliest state-supported religion on record. Origen set it beside Israel, where the LORD gives the priests no land and tells them He is their portion. Egypt renders a fifth to the throne, and Israel will render a tenth to God.
This site's exposition
here is seed for you to sow in the land
The seed comes as soon as the sale is spoken. The people asked for it at verse 19, and Joseph grants it in the same breath as the purchase. Pharaoh gains land that is farmed, and the farmers gain a harvest.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then Joseph said unto the people,....
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יוֹסֵף֙ | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָעָ֔ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הֵן֩ | hen | here! | H2005 → | 316 times |
| קָנִ֨יתִי | kaniti | I have bought | H7069 → | 84 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֥ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיּ֛וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַדְמַתְכֶ֖ם | ʾadmatkhem | land your | H127 → | 225 times |
| לְפַרְעֹ֑ה | lefaroh | for Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| הֵֽא־ | he'- | here! | H1887 → | |
| לָכֶ֣ם | lakhem | for you | ||
| זֶ֔רַע | zera' | [is] seed | H2233 → | 229 times |
| וּזְרַעְתֶּ֖ם | uzera'tem | and you will sow | H2232 → | 56 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ | haadamah | the land | H127 → | 225 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יוֹסֵף֙Joseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָעָ֔םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הֵן֩here!
henH2005 →316 times
קָנִ֨יתִיI have bought
kanitiH7069 →84 times
אֶתְכֶ֥ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
הַיּ֛וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אַדְמַתְכֶ֖םland your
ʾadmatkhemH127 →225 times
לְפַרְעֹ֑הfor Pharaoh
lefarohH6547 →274 times
הֵֽא־here!
he'-H1887 →
לָכֶ֣םfor you
lakhem
זֶ֔רַע[is] seed
zera'H2233 →229 times
וּזְרַעְתֶּ֖םand you will sow
uzera'temH2232 →56 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאֲדָמָֽה׃the land
haadamahH127 →225 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
Ecclesiastes 11:6Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:10–11
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.
- Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 55:10
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
- Haggai 1:6–11
You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into…
- 2 Corinthians 9:6
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
- 2 Corinthians 9:10–11
Through
Isaiah 55:10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:9–11
As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”
- Deuteronomy 32:2
Let my teaching fall like rain and my speech settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass, like showers on tender plants.
- Isaiah 30:23
Then He will send rain for the seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from your land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will…
- 2 Corinthians 9:9–11
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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, Homilies on Genesis.
