EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Genesis 47:23
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.
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
21Joseph made all the people become slaves, wherever they lived in Egypt. 22But 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. Joseph 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.’ 25The people said, ‘You have saved our lives! Because you have been kind to us, we agree to become 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 47:19Do not let us die here and now! Do not destroy our land! If you give food to us, we will pay you with ourselves and with our land. We will become Pharaoh's slaves. Our land will become Pharaoh's land. Give us grain to eat and seed to plant. Then we will not die. Our fields will not be empty.’
- Genesis 41:27The seven thin cows that came out of the river mean seven years. And the seven groups of thin grains mean seven years. Both of these tell us about seven years of famine.
- Genesis 45:6There has been a famine for two years already. No food will grow for another five years.
- Psalms 41:1If someone is kind to poor people, God blesses him. When he is in trouble, the Lord rescues him.
- Psalms 107:36He lets hungry people live there safely. They can build a city for themselves.
- Psalms 112:5People who are kind and lend money to others, and who work in an honest way, will enjoy a good life.
- Proverbs 11:26If you refuse to sell food to hungry people, they will curse you. But if you sell it to them, they will praise you.
- Proverbs 12:11A farmer who works hard will have plenty of food to eat. But anyone who works only on useless things is foolish.
- Proverbs 13:23Even a poor man's field may give him enough food. But he loses it because wicked people rob him.
- Ecclesiastes 11:6Plant your seeds in the morning, and continue to work until the evening. You do not know which seeds will become strong plants. Perhaps only some of them will grow. Perhaps they will all grow well.
- Isaiah 28:24A farmer ploughs the ground because he wants to plant seeds in it. He does not continue to plough for ever.
- Isaiah 55:10The rain and the snow come down from the sky, and they do not immediately return there. Instead, they give water to the earth, so that crops will grow there. Then the farmer has seeds to plant, and people have food to eat.
- Matthew 24:45Jesus then said, ‘You should be like a wise servant. Be someone that the master can trust. The master will choose a man like that. He will say to him, “Rule over my house and all my other servants. Give everyone their food to eat at the right time.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:10It is God who supplies seeds for the farmer to plant. It is God who supplies bread for food. God will help you in the same way. He will give you plenty of things so that you can help other people. You will be like a farmer who plants many seeds. And God will cause those seeds to grow. There will be many good results from the help that you give to other people. That will be like a great harvest.
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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