Genesis 41:55
in Genesis 41When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
KJV
And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
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This verse in Genesis 41
Commentary
6 notes on this verseFinally, whoever was suffering from hunger, was sent to Joseph. Who are these people, if not those of whom it is said: They will turn back at evening, and suffer hunger like dogs? However, the hunger was not limited to one place, but was all over the land; because there was no one who would do good. Therefore, the Lord Jesus, having mercy on earthly fasts, opened His storehouses and revealed the hidden treasures of celestial mysteries and knowledge, so that no one would lack sustenance. For Wisdom says: Come, eat my bread.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Joseph went out to gather in the grain, and he stored it in every city.… Then at the end of the good years, when those of famine came, Joseph took special care of the orphans, widows and every needy person in Egypt so that there …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The people in distress cried to Pharaoh, as that woman to the king of Israel ( 2 Kings vi. 26 ), Help, my lord, O king: he sent them to his treasurer, Go to Joseph. Thus God in the gospel directs those that apply to him for mercy and grace to go to the Lord Jesus, in whom all fulness dwells; and, What he saith to you, do.
And when all the land of Egypt was famished,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
When all the land of Egypt was famished - As Pharaoh, by the advice of Joseph, had exacted a fifth part of all the grain during the seven years of plenty, it is very likely that no more was left than what was merely necessary to supply the ordinary demand both in the way of home consumption, and for the purpose of barter or sale to neighboring countries.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But improvident as men commonly are in the time of prosperity, they found themselves in want, and would have starved by thousands had not Joseph anticipated and provided for the protracted calamity.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתִּרְעַב֙ | vatirav | and it was hungry | H7456 → | |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֶ֣רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וַיִּצְעַ֥ק | vaiyitzak | and it cried out | H6817 → | 55 times |
| הָעָ֛ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֖ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| לַלָּ֑חֶם | lalachem | for <the> food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֤ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4713 → | 70 times |
| לְכ֣וּ | lekhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יוֹסֵ֔ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | [that] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֹאמַ֥ר | yomar | he will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָכֶ֖ם | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃ | taasu | you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וַתִּרְעַב֙and it was hungry
vatiravH7456 →
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֶ֣רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וַיִּצְעַ֥קand it cried out
vaiyitzakH6817 →55 times
הָעָ֛םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פַּרְעֹ֖הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
לַלָּ֑חֶםfor <the> food
lalachemH3899 →298 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
פַּרְעֹ֤הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙Egypt
mitzrayimH4713 →70 times
לְכ֣וּgo
lekhuH1980 →1546 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יוֹסֵ֔ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
אֲשֶׁר־[that] which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יֹאמַ֥רhe will say
yomarH559 →5305 times
לָכֶ֖םto <the> you
lakhem
תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃you will do
taasuH6213 →2628 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
Philippians 4:19And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:8–11
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
- Psalms 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.
- 1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…
- Psalms 23:1–5
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- 1 Timothy 6:17
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us…
- 2 Corinthians 9:8–11
Through
Matthew 3:17And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
it leads to
- Isaiah 42:1
“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.
- Matthew 12:18
“Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 17:5
While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
- Isaiah 42:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
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; Ambrose of Milan, On Joseph the Patriarch; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 36:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.