Genesis 47

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:13

And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore (literally, heavy ), so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted (literally, was exhausted, had become languid and spiritless) by reason of the famine . The introduction of the present section, which first depicts the miseries of a starving population, and then circumstantially describes a great political revolution forced upon them by the stern necessity of hunger, may have been due to a desire read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:13-26

The policy of Joseph is faithfully employed for his monarch. The advantage taken of the people's necessities to increase the power of the throne is quite Eastern in its character—not commended to general imitation, but permitted to be carded out through Joseph, because it gave him greater hold upon the government, and perhaps wrought beneficially on the whole in that early period of civilization. The honor of the priesthood is a testimony to the sacredness which the Egyptians attached to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:14

And Joseph gathered up —the verb, used only here of collecting money, usually signifies to gather things lying on the ground, as, e.g; ears of corn ( Ruth 2:3 ), stones ( Genesis 31:46 ), manna ( Exodus 16:14 ), flowers ( Song of Solomon 6:2 )— all the money (literally, silver ) that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph (who in this matter was simply Pharaoh's steward) brought the money into Pharaoh's house ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:15

And when money failed (literally, and the silver was consumed, or spent ) in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all (literally, and all ) the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth (literally, and why should we die in thy presence because silver faileth? i.e. seeing that thou art able to support us). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:16-17

And Joseph said, Give (literally, bring ) your cattle; and I will give you ( sc . bread) for your cattle, if money fail. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks (literally, and for cattle of the flocks ) , and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses (the severity of these terms of sale and purchase was not so great as at first sight appears, since to a famishing people under-fed cattle and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:18-19

When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year (not the second from the commencement of the dearth, but the second from the consumption of their money), and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that— literally, for if (so we should speak openly), hence equivalent to an intensified but — our money (literally, the silver ) is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle ;—literally, our herds of cattle also (sc. have come) to my lord— there is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:20

And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so (literally, and ) the land became Pharaoh's . From this it may be concluded that originally Pharaoh had no legal claim to the soil, but that the people had a valid title to its absolute possession, each man being regarded as the legitimate proprietor of the portion on which he had expended the labor of cultivation. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:21

And as for the people, he removed them —not enslaved them, converted them into serfs and bondmen to Pharaoh ( LXX ; Vulgate), but simply transferred them, caused them to pass over— to cities —not from cities to cities, as if changing their populations (Onkelos, Rosenmüller, Kalisch), but either from the country districts to the towns (Targums Jonathan and Jerusalem, Lange, Schumann, Gerlach, Murphy), or according to the cities, i.e. in which the grain had been previously collected... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:22

Only the land of the priests (so the LXX ; Vulgate, and Chaldee render cohen , which, however, sometimes signifies a prince) bought he not; for the priests had a portion— not of land (Lange, Kalisch), but of food (Keil, Murphy)—assigned them of Pharaoh (not of Joseph, who must not, therefore, be charged with the sin of extending a State allowance to an idolatrous priesthood), and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands ,—that is, in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 47:23-24

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. This proves the time to have been the last year of the famine; and since the people obtained seed from the viceroy, it is reasonable to suppose that they would also have their cattle restored to them to enable them to till the ground. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall... read more

Group of Brands