EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Genesis 41:34
34This is what you should do: Choose some officers. Give them authority to store food during the good years when there is plenty. They must take a fifth part of all the food that grows everywhere in Egypt. They must store the extra food during the good years that will come soon. Give these officers authority to store and to take care of the food in the cities.
Genesis 41:34 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
- New International Version (NIV)Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.
Context of Genesis 41:34
32God gave you two dreams with the same meaning because these things will certainly happen. God will cause them to happen very soon. 33Now Pharaoh should look for a clever man. He should look for a man who knows what is right and wrong. Tell him to rule over the land of Egypt. This is what you should do: Choose some officers. Give them authority to store food during the good years when there is plenty. They must take a fifth part of all the food that grows everywhere in Egypt. They must store the extra food during the good years that will come soon. Give these officers authority to store and to take care of the food in the cities. 36Then you will be ready for the seven years of famine that will happen everywhere in Egypt. The people in Egypt will have enough food, and the famine will not destroy the land.’
Read all of Genesis 41Genesis 41:34 word by word
יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה פַרְעֹ֔ה וְיַפְקֵ֥ד פְּקִדִ֖ים עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְחִמֵּשׁ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י הַשָּׂבָֽע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Let Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- and let him appointפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: overseerH6485
- officersפָּקִידpâqîyd · overseerH6496
- over the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and take up the fifth partחָמַשׁchâmash · to take the fifth partH2567
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- in the sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- plenteousשָׂבָעώâbâ‛ · abundanceH7647
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
Cross-references for Genesis 41:34
- Numbers 31:14Moses was angry with the leaders and the officers of the army who had come back from the battle against the Midianites.
- 2 Kings 11:11The guards held their weapons in their hands. They stood around the king to keep him safe. They stood in a line from the south side of the temple to the north side. They were around the altar at the front of the temple.
- 2 Chronicles 34:12The workers were honest men who worked well. Four Levites had authority over the workers. They were Jahath and Obadiah from Merari's clan, and Zechariah and Meshullam from Kohath's clan. Other Levites who were musicians
- Nehemiah 11:9Zicri's son, Joel, was the officer with authority over them. Hassenuah's son, Judah, was the next most important officer in the city.
- Job 5:20If there is a time of famine, he will keep you alive. He will protect you from death in a time of war.
- Psalms 33:19They trust him to keep them safe from death, and to keep them alive during a time of famine.
- Proverbs 6:6Learn a lesson from the ants, you lazy person! See how hard they work.
- Proverbs 22:3A careful person can see danger and he will hide himself. But a silly person never stops, and he walks into trouble.
- Proverbs 27:12A careful person can see danger and he will hide himself. But a silly person never stops, and he walks into trouble.
- Luke 16:5Many people had a debt that they had not paid back to the master. So the servant told those people to come to him. He asked the first man, “How big is your debt to my master?”
Commentaries on Genesis 41:34
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34Let him appoint officers - פקדים pekidim, visitors, overseers: translated by Ainsworth, bishops; see Genesis 39:1. Take up the fifth part of the land - What is still called the meery, or that part of the produce which is claimed by the king by way of tax. It is probable that in Joseph's time it was not so much as a fifth part, most likely a tenth: but as this was an extraordinary occasion, and the earth brought forth by handfuls, Genesis 41:47, the king…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-57Verses 1-57 - Joseph Was Exalted 1. יאר ye'or “river, canal,” mostly applied to the Nile. Some suppose the word to be Coptic. 2. אחוּ 'āchû “sedge, reed-grass, marsh-grass.” This word is probably Coptic. 8. חרטמים charṭumı̂ym ̓̀ exēgētai ̔͂ hierogrammateis “sacred scribes, hieroglyphs.” חרט chereṭ “stylus,” a graving tool. 43. אברך 'abrēk “bend the knee.” In this sense it is put for הברך habrēk imperative hiphil of ברך bārak Those who take the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-45Verses 33-45 Joseph gave good advice to Pharaoh. Fair warning should always be followed by good counsel. God has in his word told us of a day of trial before us, when we shall need all the grace we can have. Now, therefore, provide accordingly. Pharaoh gave Joseph an honourable testimony. He is a man in whom the spirit of God is; and such men ought to be valued. Pharaoh puts upon Joseph marks of honour. He gave him such a name as spoke the value he had…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 33-36God’s message required a response. It was not given just to satisfy curiosity about the future. Joseph’s advice showed that he was wise and able to plan well. This is why Pharaoh chose him to lead (41:37–40). Joseph set up a system to store food. He placed one main leader over the work and local leaders in each area. He collected one-fifth (20 percent) of the grain and stored it for future needs. Later, wisdom literature (see study note on 37:2–50:26)…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3434. and let him appoint officers over the land--overseers, equivalent to the beys of modern Egypt. take up the fifth part of the land--that is, of the land's produce, to be purchased and stored by the government, instead of being sold to foreign corn merchants.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 41:34
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 41
- 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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