Genesis 47:13-26

The Famine Continues

Berean Standard Bible

13 There was no food, however, in all that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and he brought it into Pharaoh’s palace. 15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”
16 “Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. Throughout that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. 19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”
20 So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land. 24 At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children.”
25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor in our lord’s eyes, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” 26 So Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.

What is the context?

The account turns from the family's settlement to the famine's effects on Egypt and Canaan. Joseph sells grain and brings the money into Pharaoh's treasury. When the Egyptians' money is exhausted, they exchange livestock for food. When that resource is gone, they offer their land and themselves rather than starve.

Joseph acquires the land for Pharaoh and reduces the people to servitude. The priests' land is excepted because Pharaoh already provides them with rations. The account thus explains a lasting change in who owns the land and the people's relationship to the crown.

Joseph supplies seed and establishes a share of the harvest: one-fifth for Pharaoh, with four-fifths retained for seed and household food. The people thank him for saving their lives and accept service to Pharaoh. Their survival is preserved at the same time that ownership and power become concentrated in the king's hands.

The policy belongs to this particular famine and royal system. The passage records the people's gratitude as well as their loss of land and freedom. Both are part of understanding what has happened; the closing notice explains the continuing one-fifth obligation and the priests' exception.

How is this passage commonly understood?

A traditional Christian reading emphasizes Joseph's preservation of life and careful management in an extreme crisis. Wesley's introduction to Genesis 47 reads the arrangement favorably, while his note on verse 21 also acknowledges the hardship of the new servitude and the display of Pharaoh's power.

The narrative itself allows both features to remain visible: the people say their lives have been saved, and they now serve a king who owns their land. Recognizing the rescue does not require treating every consequence of the policy as a rule for governments or relief efforts in other circumstances.

What is our position?

We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.

Where can I study this further?

No deeper study linked yet.

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