Genesis 47 23

Genesis 47:23 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.

Genesis 47:23 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.

Genesis 47:23 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.

Genesis 47:23 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.

Genesis 47:23 nlt

Then Joseph said to the people, "Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields.

Genesis 47 verses

Genesis 47 23 meaning

Genesis 47:23 signifies Joseph's decree to the Egyptian populace during the severe famine. Having exhausted all their resources including money, livestock, and eventually their land and bodies in exchange for food, the people were now bondservants and tenants of Pharaoh. In this verse, Joseph officially declares this transfer of ownership of the people and their land to Pharaoh, while simultaneously providing them with the necessary seed to restart their agricultural efforts. This act secures their immediate survival and future livelihood under Pharaoh's complete authority.

Genesis 47 23 Context

Genesis chapter 47 depicts the final stage of Joseph's administrative plan to combat the devastating seven-year famine in Egypt. Leading up to verse 23, the famine had intensified to such a degree that all currency had been spent, livestock exchanged, and finally, the desperate people offered their bodies and land to Pharaoh in exchange for food, recognizing that dying was not an option. This verse, therefore, represents the culmination of this transaction. It establishes a new socio-economic order in Egypt, centralizing ownership of the land and control over its populace under Pharaoh's ultimate authority, effectively making all Egyptians bondservants who now lease their land from the crown. This system, which also entailed a perpetual tax of one-fifth (20%) of the produce for Pharaoh, persisted throughout subsequent Egyptian history.

Genesis 47 23 Word analysis

• Then Joseph said: This marks a pivotal declaration, emphasizing Joseph's active role as Pharaoh's primary administrator and mouthpiece.
• to the people: Direct address to the masses, confirming the public and sweeping nature of the decree.
• 'Behold (הֵן - hen): An interjection of emphasis, drawing attention to a significant declaration, similar to "truly" or "pay attention." It highlights the finality and gravity of what Joseph is about to state.
• I have bought (קָנִיתִי - qanithi): From the root קָנָה (qanah), meaning "to acquire," "buy," "possess." In this context, it signifies a legal transfer of ownership. Crucially, this acquisition was for their lives, indicating a transaction borne out of desperation and resulting in their preservation from death. It's an act of purchase and acquisition of their very existence in exchange for provision.
• you and your land: The subjects of the acquisition are both their persons (their freedom/labor) and their agricultural ground, demonstrating Pharaoh's total dominion. This combines personal servitude with proprietary control.
• this day (הַיּוֹם - hayom): Emphasizes the immediacy and finality of the transaction. It marks a clear break from their past independent status and the beginning of a new social and economic structure.
• for Pharaoh (לְפַרְעֹה - lepharoh): Explicitly states the recipient of this new ownership. Pharaoh becomes the absolute landowner and employer, cementing his supreme authority and power.
• Behold (הֵן - hen): Repeated for emphasis, this time drawing attention to the provision, which is presented as an act of grace and an integral part of the new arrangement.
• here is seed (לָכֶם זֶרַע - lachem zera): This is a crucial act of mercy and foresight. After acquiring all their assets, Joseph does not leave them destitute but provides the means for their future livelihood, ensuring continuity and productivity. It shifts the people from dependency to potential self-sustenance under the new system.
• for you: Indicates a direct provision to them for their benefit, contrasting with the prior acquisition "for Pharaoh."
• and you shall sow (וּזְרַעְתֶּם - uzra'tem): A direct command and instruction for action. It implies a restoration of their livelihood, but also a continued expectation of labor and productivity under the new ownership. This action-oriented verb signifies the responsibility placed upon them to work the land.
• the land (הָאֲדָמָה - ha'adamah): The same land that was bought by Pharaoh is now given back to the people for cultivation, but not ownership. It implies the establishment of a tenant farming system.

• Words-Group Analysis:
• "I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh.": This phrase highlights a profound shift in power and ownership. The qanah (bought) here is salvific in its immediate context, as it preserved their lives, yet simultaneously foundational for an enduring system of servitude and centralized control. The dual purchase of both people and land signifies Pharaoh's comprehensive authority, extending from personal liberty to physical resources.
• "Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.": This subsequent phrase offers relief and hope following the total surrender. It demonstrates Joseph's wise and benevolent administration; he not only acquired everything but immediately reinvested in the people, enabling them to produce their own food again, albeit under Pharaoh's strict terms. It transitions from absolute control to conditional provision and active labor, ensuring the sustainability of both the people and the state. This highlights the practical wisdom and compassion within Joseph's stern, yet life-saving, policy.

Genesis 47 23 Bonus section

The system established by Joseph, where Pharaoh effectively owned all the land and people worked as his tenants, was unprecedented in the ancient world on such a scale. While land ownership could be complex and state-controlled in various ancient Near Eastern societies, Joseph's system centralizing nearly all private land into royal hands as a result of a famine created a unique, enduring legacy for Egypt. The resulting perpetual tax of one-fifth (chomesh - חֹמֶשׁ, Gen 47:26), meant Pharaoh was ensured a significant and constant revenue stream, which greatly increased the stability and power of the monarchy. This shows Joseph as not just a savior of lives, but also a consolidator of state power. His actions reflect a practical, theologically-informed understanding of stewardship where resources are managed wisely, even under harsh circumstances, to ensure the survival and future prosperity of a people.

Genesis 47 23 Commentary

Genesis 47:23 marks the pivotal point in Joseph's brilliant, albeit harsh, economic strategy during the Egyptian famine. Having systematically exchanged all of the people's money, livestock, and then their very selves and their land for grain, Joseph here formally solidifies Pharaoh's absolute ownership. This declaration transforms the free citizens into royal bondservants and tenants, forever altering the social fabric of Egypt. However, Joseph's wisdom extended beyond mere acquisition. Immediately after stating the transfer of ownership, he provided them with seed, demonstrating both compassion and foresight. This act ensured that the people, though now subjugated, would have the means to feed themselves and produce for Pharaoh's treasury, establishing the perpetual twenty percent (one-fifth) tax on all future harvests (mentioned in Gen 47:24 and confirmed in 47:26). This pragmatic policy prevented further starvation, secured Egypt's future agricultural stability, and concentrated unprecedented wealth and power in the hands of the Pharaoh, ultimately shaping Egyptian socio-economics for centuries.