Genesis 47:16

16 And Joseph said, "Give your livestock and I will give you [food] in exchange for your livestock if [your] money is used up."

Genesis 47:16 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 47:16

And Joseph said, give your cattle
Oxen, sheep, horses, asses, as follows: and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail;
that is, corn for cattle, if they had no money to give.

Genesis 47:16 In-Context

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.