Genesis 47:16 kjv
And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
Genesis 47:16 nkjv
Then Joseph said, "Give your livestock, and I will give you bread for your livestock, if the money is gone."
Genesis 47:16 niv
"Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone."
Genesis 47:16 esv
And Joseph answered, "Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone."
Genesis 47:16 nlt
Joseph replied, "Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock."
Genesis 47 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:10 | There was a famine in the land... | Earlier famine, driving Abraham to Egypt. |
| Gen 26:1 | There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine... | Another instance of famine affecting the patriarchs. |
| Gen 41:34-36 | Let Pharaoh do this... that the land may not perish through the famine. | Joseph's initial divine wisdom for preparing for famine. |
| Gen 41:48 | Joseph stored up grain in great abundance... | Divine provision for the coming crisis. |
| Gen 41:55 | When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. | Pharaoh directed everyone to Joseph, highlighting his central role. |
| Gen 47:13 | There was no food in all the land; for the famine was very severe. | Describes the extreme severity of the famine preceding this verse. |
| Gen 47:15 | When the money failed in the land of Egypt... they came to Joseph. | Immediate preceding context: exhaustion of money, people seeking Joseph's help. |
| Gen 47:18 | We will not hide from my lord that our money is spent... and our bodies are not before my lord... | People's later confession of desperation, offering themselves and their land. |
| Gen 47:20 | So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh... | The subsequent stage of Joseph's policy, consolidating land for food. |
| Deut 28:48 | you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in want of all things... | Consequence of disobedience, experiencing lack and servitude in desperate times. |
| Prov 11:26 | He who withholds grain, the people curse him... | Contrast to Joseph's action of supplying food, demonstrating righteous governance. |
| Prov 22:7 | The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. | Principle of dependence emerging from financial hardship, akin to Joseph's policy. |
| Acts 7:11 | Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction... | Stephen's speech referencing this very famine, linking it to the descent into Egypt. |
| Ps 105:16-17 | He called down a famine on the land... He sent a man before them, Joseph... | God's sovereign hand in sending the famine and positioning Joseph for provision. |
| Isa 55:1 | "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money..." | Offers divine provision freely when earthly resources fail, a spiritual parallel. |
| Matt 6:19-20 | Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy... | Earthly wealth (like money, livestock) is temporary and vulnerable, especially in crisis. |
| Luke 12:15 | ...for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. | Emphasizes that true security is not found in material goods, which can be taken away. |
| Phil 4:19 | My God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. | Divine provision in all circumstances, contrasting with dependence on human means. |
| Heb 13:5 | Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have... | The fragility of money shown here underscores the wisdom of contentment. |
| James 1:17 | Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above... | God as the ultimate provider, working through Joseph. |
Genesis 47 verses
Genesis 47 16 Meaning
Genesis 47:16 describes Joseph's solution to the intensifying famine when the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money to buy food. Joseph directs them to bring their livestock, stating he will provide food in exchange for these animals. This marked the second stage of Joseph's economic policy during the severe seven-year famine, transitioning the medium of exchange from monetary currency to physical assets. It ensured the people's immediate survival while further consolidating wealth under Pharaoh's control.
Genesis 47 16 Context
Genesis chapter 47 depicts the heart of the seven-year famine in Egypt and Canaan, which Joseph had wisely prepared for years earlier (Gen 41). The initial period saw people exchanging their money for food (Gen 47:14). However, the famine proved so severe and prolonged that by the time of verse 16, their currency had entirely run out (Gen 47:15). Facing starvation, the people again approached Joseph, pleading for their lives. Joseph's response in this verse initiates the next phase of his centralized economic plan, designed to ensure survival while gradually shifting all available assets into Pharaoh's treasury. Historically, famines were recurrent challenges in the ancient Near East, particularly in lands dependent on rainfall or specific river flooding like the Nile. Pharaoh held absolute power, and the people’s desperation granted immense leverage for state consolidation of resources.
Genesis 47 16 Word analysis
- And Joseph said (וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף, vayyomer Yosef): This is a standard narrative transition, highlighting Joseph's direct agency and authority as Pharaoh's prime minister. His words carry the weight of state policy.
- Give your livestock (הָב֤וּ מִקְנֵיכֶם, havu miqneykhem): Havu is an imperative, "give ye!" It signals a command from Joseph. Miqneykhem refers to "your possessions," specifically movable property, primarily livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, horses). In ancient agrarian societies, livestock represented significant, tangible wealth and productive assets. The request for livestock signifies a shift from liquid assets (money) to tangible, capital assets, indicative of deep desperation.
- and I will give you (וְאֶתְּנָה לָכֶם, ve'ettanah lakhem): Joseph is committing to providing them sustenance.
- food for your livestock (בְּמִקְנֵיכֶם, b'miqneykhem): This is a crucial phrase. The Hebrew preposition בְּ (be-) often means "in," "with," "by means of," or "in exchange for." While sometimes translated as literally food for the animals, the context strongly implies food for the people/families by using the livestock as payment or medium of exchange. The people were desperate for food for themselves to survive, not merely feed their animals as an end in itself. So, it means Joseph will give them provisions in return for, or using, their livestock.
- if money fails (אִם־כָּלָה כָ֑סֶף, im kalah kasef): Im kalah means "if is finished," "if is consumed," or "if comes to an end." Kasef means "silver," and by extension, "money" as silver was the common form of currency by weight. This conditional clause clearly states the precise circumstance that led to this new economic arrangement: the prior medium of exchange was utterly exhausted.
- "Give your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, if money fails.": This entire phrase encapsulates the practical, pragmatic approach to the severe economic crisis. It reveals Joseph's innovative solution when traditional monetary systems broke down. The emphasis is on survival; everything else becomes a commodity to trade for life. This shows Joseph's administrative shrewdness under Pharaoh, extending Pharaoh's reach over the populace's wealth through successive exchanges for necessary provisions. It foreshadows the subsequent acquisition of their land and eventual subjugation of the people as servants to Pharaoh, cementing state control.
Genesis 47 16 Bonus section
The "economic ladder" devised by Joseph to manage the famine (money → livestock → land → personal servitude) provides a powerful illustration of increasing desperation and dependency, highlighting how quickly prosperity can evaporate under duress. This chapter is sometimes studied for its insights into ancient economic policy during crisis. Joseph's method ensured the stability of the Egyptian state by preventing widespread anarchy or death by starvation, albeit at a high cost to individual Egyptians. The account implies divine leading even in the detailed, pragmatic steps taken by Joseph, fulfilling God's promise to preserve the line of Abraham. This also sets the stage for the later oppression of Israel in Egypt, as the consolidated power of Pharaoh eventually turns against them.
Genesis 47 16 Commentary
Genesis 47:16 marks a pivotal stage in Joseph’s famine management strategy, demonstrating his exceptional administrative foresight and the stark reality of survival during a widespread catastrophe. Having exhausted their silver, the people faced immediate starvation. Joseph's proposal to accept livestock as payment was a practical, albeit severe, measure that allowed the state to acquire valuable assets while ensuring the populace's survival. This exchange solidified Pharaoh’s growing economic power, systematically centralizing the nation’s wealth – first money, now livestock, and soon their land and even their freedom – under the crown. This narrative underlines the preciousness of basic sustenance and how readily individuals will part with possessions for life itself. Joseph's wisdom in administering God's plan ultimately saved countless lives in Egypt and the surrounding regions, including his own family. It portrays the wisdom of human preparation intertwined with divine providence in averting total collapse.