God’s Word Translation
Genesis 47:17
17So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. During that year he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
Genesis 47:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
- New International Version (NIV)So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the cattle of the herds, and for the donkeys. Thus he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.
Context of Genesis 47:17
15When the money in Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Give us food,” they said. “Do you want us to die right in front of you? We don’t have any more money!” 16Joseph replied, “If you don’t have any more money, give me your livestock, and I’ll give you food in exchange.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. During that year he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock. 18When that year was over, they came to him the next year. “Sir,” they said to him, “you know that our money is gone, and you have all our livestock. There’s nothing left to bring you except our bodies and our land. 19Do you want us to die right in front of you? Do you want the land to be ruined? Take us and our land in exchange for food. Then we will be Pharaoh’s slaves and our land will be his property. But give us seed so that we won’t starve to death and the ground won’t become a desert.”
Read all of Genesis 47Genesis 47:17 word by word
וַיָּבִ֣יאוּ אֶת־מִקְנֵיהֶם֮ אֶל־יוֹסֵף֒ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן לָהֶם֩ יוֹסֵ֨ף לֶ֜חֶם בַּסּוּסִ֗ים וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה הַצֹּ֛אן וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה הַבָּקָ֖ר וּבַחֲמֹרִ֑ים וַיְנַהֲלֵ֤ם בַּלֶּ֙חֶם֙ בְּכָל־מִקְנֵהֶ֔ם בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַהִֽוא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- their cattleמִקְנֶהmiqneh · livestockH4735
- unto Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
- gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- them breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
- for horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- and for the flocksצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- of the herdsבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241
- and for the assesחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
- and he fedנָהַלnâhal · to guideH5095
- for that yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
Cross-references for Genesis 47:17
- Exodus 9:3the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock, including your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.
- 1 Kings 10:28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. The king’s traders bought them from Kue for a fixed price.
- Job 2:4Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! Certainly, a man will give everything he has for his life.
- Isaiah 31:1How horrible it will be for those who go to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who depend on many chariots, who depend on very strong war horses. They don’t look to the Holy One of Israel. They don’t seek the Lord.
- Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Commentaries on Genesis 47:17
- 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. 1-311. Joseph ... told Pharaoh, My father and my brethren--Joseph furnishes a beautiful example of a man who could bear equally well the extremes of prosperity and adversity. High as he was, he did not forget that he had a superior. Dearly as he loved his father and anxiously as he desired to provide for the whole family, he would not go into the arrangements he had planned for their stay in Goshen until he had obtained the sanction of his royal master.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 47:17
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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