Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 47:23
23Joseph said to the people, “Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land.
Genesis 47:23 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Joseph said to the people, "Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
Context of Genesis 47:23
21and Joseph made the people servants from one end of Egypt to the other. 22The only land he did not acquire belonged to the priests, for they had an allowance from Pharaoh. They ate from their allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land. Joseph said to the people, “Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land. 24At harvest, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and as food for yourselves, your households, and your dependents.” 25“You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor with our lord and will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”
Read all of Genesis 47Genesis 47:23 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם הֵן֩ קָנִ֨יתִי אֶתְכֶ֥ם הַיּ֛וֹם וְאֶת־אַדְמַתְכֶ֖ם לְפַרְעֹ֑ה הֵֽא־לָכֶ֣ם זֶ֔רַע וּזְרַעְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הָאֲדָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- Behold, I have boughtאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- Behold, I have boughtקָנָהqânâh · to buyH7069
- you this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
- and your landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- for Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- loהֵאhê' · beholdH1887
- seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seedH2233
- for you, and ye shall sowזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
Cross-references for Genesis 47:23
- Genesis 47:19Why should we die here in front of you — both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won’t become desolate.”
- Genesis 41:27The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.
- Genesis 45:6For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.
- Psalms 41:1Happy is one who is considerate of the poor; the Lord will save him in a day of adversity.
- Psalms 107:36He causes the hungry to settle there, and they establish a city where they can live.
- Psalms 112:5Good will come to the one who lends generously and conducts his business fairly.
- Proverbs 11:26People will curse anyone who hoards grain, but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.
- Proverbs 12:11The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense.
- Proverbs 13:23The uncultivated field of the poor yields abundant food, but without justice, it is swept away.
- Ecclesiastes 11:6In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hand rest, because you don’t know which will succeed, whether one or the other, or if both of them will be equally good.
- Isaiah 28:24Does the plowman plow every day to plant seed? Does he continuously break up and cultivate the soil?
- Isaiah 55:10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
- Matthew 24:45“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time?
- 2 Corinthians 9:10Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
Commentaries on Genesis 47:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23I 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. The land of Rameses or Goshen appears to have been the king's land, Genesis 47:11. The priests had their lands, which they did not sell to Joseph, Genesis 47:22, Genesis 47:26; and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-31Verses 1-31 - Jacob in Goshen 11. רעמסס ra‛mesês Rameses “son of the sun.” 31. מטה mı̂ṭṭāh “bed.” מטה maṭṭeh “staff.” Arrangements are now made for the settlement of Israel in Goshen. The administration of Joseph during the remaining years of the famine is then recorded. For the whole of this period his father and brothers are subject to him, as their political superior, according to the reading of his early dreams. We then approach to the death-bed…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-26Verses 13-26 Care being taken of Jacob and his family, which mercy was especially designed by Providence in Joseph's advancement, an account is given of the saving the kingdom of Egypt from ruin. There was no bread, and the people were ready to die. See how we depend upon God's providence. All our wealth would not keep us from starving, if rain were withheld for two or three years. See how much we are at God's mercy, and let us keep ourselves always in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-26The Lord blessed Pharaoh because Pharaoh was blessing Abraham’s descendants (12:3). Through Joseph’s smart management in Egypt, the Lord saved the people from hunger and helped Pharaoh prosper. During the famine, Joseph sold food to the Egyptians, accepting money, livestock, and eventually land as payment. Then Pharaoh owned almost all of Egypt. Meanwhile, God gave Israel some of the best land in Egypt where they could live, work, and multiply.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 23-2823-28. Joseph said, Behold, &c.--The lands being sold to the government (Ge 47:19, 20), seed would be distributed for the first crop after the famine; and the people would occupy them as tenants-at-will on the payment of a produce rent, almost the same rule as obtains in Egypt in the present day.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 47:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 47
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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