Genesis 47:22

Genesis 47:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
• New International Version (NIV)However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.

Context of Genesis 47:22

20Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. Because the famine was very bad, all the Egyptians sold their fields to buy food. So all the land now belonged to Pharaoh. 21Joseph made all the people become slaves, wherever they lived in Egypt. But Joseph did not buy the land which belonged to the priests. Pharaoh himself gave the priests enough food. So the priests did not have to sell their land. 23Joseph said to the people, ‘Now I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. So I will give you some seed to plant in your fields. 24But when the plants are ready to eat, you must give one fifth part to Pharaoh. You may keep the other four parts. You may keep it for seed to plant again and you may eat it. It will be food for you, for your people and for your children.’

Genesis 47:22 word by word

רַ֛ק אַדְמַ֥ת הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים לֹ֣א קָנָ֑ה כִּי֩ חֹ֨ק לַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים מֵאֵ֣ת פַּרְעֹ֗ה וְאָֽכְל֤וּ אֶת־חֻקָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֤ן לָהֶם֙ פַּרְעֹ֔ה עַל־כֵּ֕ן לֹ֥א מָכְר֖וּ אֶת־אַדְמָתָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Only the landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• of the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• bought heקָנָהqânâh · to buyH7069
• had a portionחֹקchôq · statute: portionH2706
• of Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• and did eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• them: wherefore they soldמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376

Cross-references for Genesis 47:22

• Genesis 14:18Melchizedek was the king of Salem, and he was a priest of the Most High God. He brought out bread and wine for Abram.
• Genesis 41:45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gave Asenath to Joseph to be his wife. She was the daughter of Potiphera, who was a priest in Heliopolis. Everyone knew that Joseph had authority in all the land of Egypt.
• 2 Samuel 8:18Jehoiada's son Benaiah was the leader of David's personal guards. David's sons served as priests.
• Deuteronomy 12:19As long as you live in the land, be careful to take care of the Levites.
• Joshua 21:1The leaders of the Levite families came to speak to Joshua, son of Nun. Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the other tribes were also there.
• Ezra 7:24You must not take any kinds of taxes from the men who serve this God in his house. You have no authority to do this. Take no taxes from the priests, the Levites, or the singers, guards, and servants who work in the temple.
• Nehemiah 13:10I also discovered that there was no food that should have been there for the Levites. As a result, the Levites and the singers had returned to work in their fields. They were not doing their work in God's temple.
• Matthew 10:10Do not take a bag with you, or extra clothes. Do not take extra shoes or a stick. You are working to help people. So people should give you what you need to live.
• 1 Corinthians 9:13Think about this: The people who work in the temple get their food from that place. The priests who offer sacrifices on the altar receive part of the animals for themselves.
• Galatians 6:6Everyone who is learning about God's message from a teacher should help his teacher. The student should share all the good things that he has with his teacher.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:10Even when we were there with you, we told you this rule: ‘If anyone refuses to work, you should not give food to him.’
• 1 Timothy 5:17Everyone should respect leaders of the believers who lead the church well. The church should also pay them properly for their work. That is certainly true for leaders who teach God's people and speak God's message to them.

Commentaries on Genesis 47:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22The land of the priests bought he not - From this verse it is natural to infer that whatever the religion of Egypt was, it was established by law and supported by the state. Hence when Joseph bought all the lands of the Egyptians for Pharaoh, he bought not the land of the priests, for that was a portion assigned them by Pharaoh; and they did eat - did live on, that portion. This is the earliest account we have of an established religion supported by the…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. 2222. Only the land of the priests bought he not--These lands were inalienable, being endowments by which the temples were supported. The priests for themselves received an annual allowance of provision from the state, and it would evidently have been the height of cruelty to withhold that allowance when their lands were incapable of being tilled.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 47:22

• Egypt
• Extortion
• Joseph
• Land
• Monopoly
• Property
• Statecraft
• Usurpation

In the dictionaries

• Pharaoh
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Exchange
• Fail
• Nourish
• Pilgrimage
• Portion
• Agrarian Laws
• Antediluvian Patriarchs
• Genesis

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