Genesis 47:16

16 To whom he answered, Bring ye your beasts (to me), and I shall give you meats for those, if ye have not price (and I shall give you food in return, if ye have no more money).

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 of which lands Joseph gathered all the money for the selling of wheat, and brought it into the king's treasury. (from which lands Joseph gathered all the money from the selling of the corn, or the grain, and put it into the king's treasury.)
15 And when price failed to the buyers, all Egypt came to Joseph, and said, Give thou loaves to us; why shall we die before thee, while money faileth? (And when money failed in the lands of Egypt and Canaan, all Egypt came to Joseph, and said, Give thou us bread; why should we die before thine eyes, even though all our money is gone!)
16 To whom he answered, Bring ye your beasts (to me), and I shall give you meats for those, if ye have not price (and I shall give you food in return, if ye have no more money).
17 And when they had brought those, he gave them meats for horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses; and he sustained them in that year for the (ex)change of beasts. (And so when they brought their beasts, Joseph gave them food in return for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and donkeys; and so he sustained them with food that year in exchange for their beasts.)
18 And they came in the second year, and said to him, We cover not from our lord, that the while money faileth, also (our) beasts failed altogether, neither it is hid from thee, that without bodies and land, we have nothing; (And they came back to him the following year, and they said to him, We hide it not from our lord, that now our money is all gone, and that all our beasts be thine; nor is it hid from thee, that except for our bodies and our land, we have nothing left;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.