Genesis 47:13-31

The Famine in Egypt Continues

13 Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine [was] very severe. And the land of Egypt languished, with the land of Canaan, on account of the famine.
14 And Joseph collected all the money found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain that they were buying. And Joseph brought the money into the house of Pharaoh.
15 And when the money was spent in the land of Egypt and from the land of Canaan, all of Egypt came to Joseph, saying, "Give us food! Why should we die before you? For the money is used up."
16 And Joseph said, "Give your livestock and I will give you [food] in exchange for your livestock if [your] money is used up."
17 So they brought their herds to Joseph, and Joseph gave food to them in exchange for horses, their flocks, and their cattle and donkeys. And he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year.
18 When that year ended, they came to him in the following year and said to him, "We cannot hide from my lord that [our] money and livestock belong to my lord. Nothing remains before my lord except our bodies and our land.
19 Why should we die in front of you, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, then we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Then give us seed and we shall live and not die, and the land will not become desolate."
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for each Egyptian sold his field, for the famine [was] severe upon them. And the land became Pharaoh's.
21 As for the people, he transferred them to the cities, from one end of the territory of Egypt to the other.
22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for [there was] an allotment for the priests from Pharaoh, and they {lived on} the allotment that Pharaoh gave to them. Therefore they did not sell their land.
23 And Joseph said to the people, "Look, I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Here [is] seed for you so you can sow the land.
24 And it shall happen [that] at the harvest, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and four-fifths shall be yours, as seed for the field and for your food and for those who [are] in your households, and as food for your little ones."
25 And they said, "You have saved our lives. [If] we have found favor in the eyes of my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh."
26 So Joseph made it a statute unto this day concerning the land of Egypt: one fifth to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests alone did not belong to Pharaoh.
27 So Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they acquired possessions in it and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. And the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years.
29 When {the time of Israel's death drew near}, he called to his son, to Joseph. And he said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, please put your hand under my thigh, that you might [vow] to deal kindly and faithfully with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt,
30 but let me lie with my ancestors. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial site." And he said, "I will do according to your word."
31 Then he said, "Swear to me." And he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.

Genesis 47:13-31 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 47

This chapter gives an account of the presentation of five of Joseph's brethren, and then of his father, to Pharaoh, and of what passed between them, Ge 47:1-10; of Joseph's settlement of them, according to the direction of Pharaoh, in the land of Rameses in Goshen, and of his provision for them there, Ge 47:11,12; of his getting into his hands, for Pharaoh, the money, cattle, and lands, of the Egyptians, excepting the lands belonging to the priests, for corn he had supplied them with, Ge 47:13-22; of his giving them seed to sow with, on condition of Pharaoh's having a fifth part of the produce, Ge 47:23-26, of the increase of Jacob's substance in Egypt, and that of his children; of the time of his living there, and his approaching death, when he called Joseph to him, and obliged him by an oath to bury him in the burying place of his fathers, Ge 47:27-31.

Footnotes 4

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.