Genesis 47
1 Joseph presents his father, and five of his brethren before Pharaoh.
11 He gives them habitation and maintenance.
13 He gets the Egyptians' money;
16 their cattle;
18 and their lands, except the priests', to Pharaoh.
23 He restores the land for a fifth.
28 Jacob's age.
29 He swears Joseph to bury him with his fathers.
Joseph <03130> [Joseph.]
land ......... land <0776> [in the land.]
introduced <03322> [presented.]
occupation <04639> [What is.]
care <07462> [shepherds.]
live as temporary residents <01481> [For to.]
famine <07458> [for the famine.]
servants .................. servants <05650> [let thy.]
before <06440> [is.]
Goshen <01657> [Goshen.]
men <02428 0582> [men of activity.]
{Anshey chayil,} men of strength, power, ability, or prowess. It implies both fitness of mind and body; and so valour, prudence, diligence, and virtue.
charge <08269> [rulers.]
livestock <04735> [cattle]
{Mikneh}, from {kanah}, to posses, signifies property or possession of any kind, though it frequently is used for cattle, because in ancient times they constituted the principal part of a man's possessions.
Jacob ....... Jacob <03290> [And Jacob.]
How ..... lived <04100 02416> [How old art thou. Heb. How many are the days of the years of thy life?]
All ......... All <03117> [The days.]
[and hundred.]
<05381> [have not.]
Rameses <07486> [Rameses.]
provided <03557> [nourished.]
father ....... father's <01> [his father.]
according ....... little children <06310 02945> [according to their families. or, as a little child is nourished. Heb. according to the little ones.]
land ......... land ...... land <0776> [A.M. 2300. B.C. 1704. so that.]
wasted away <03856> [fainted.]
money ............................. money <03701> [the money.]
Joseph .............................. Joseph brought <0935 03130> [Joseph brought.]
Give ... food <03051 03899> [A.M. 2301. B.C. 1703. Give us bread.]
bring ... livestock ............ livestock <03051 04735> [Give your cattle.]
This was the wisest measure that could be adopted, both for the preservation of the people and the cattle. As the people had not grain for their own sustenance, consequently they could have none for their cattle: hence they were in the most imminent danger of starving; and the people also were in equal danger; as they must have divided a portion of that bought for themselves with the cattle, which, for the sake of tillage, etc., they wished of course to preserve till the seven years' famine should end.
horses <05483> [for horses.]
food .................. got ... through ....... food <05095 03899> [fed them. Heb. led them.]
[A.M. 2302. B.C. 1702.]
land Buy ..... land .......... land .................. land <07069 0127> [buy us.]
Give <05414> [and give.]
[A.M. 2303. B.C. 1701.]
people <05971> [And as.]
It is highly probable, that Joseph was influenced by no political motive in removing the people to the cities, but merely by motives of prudence and humanity; for, as the corn was laid up in the cities, it would be more eligible to bring then from distant towns and villages to places where they might be more conveniently supplied with food.
<05892> [to cities.]
priests .... priests <03548> [of the priests. or, princes.]
priests .... priests <03548> [for the priests.]
bought <07069> [bought.]
seed <02233> [here is seed.]
one-fifth ..... Pharaoh <02549 06547> [the fifth part.]
lives <02421> [Thou hast.]
showing <04672> [let us.]
So ... made it ... statute <07760 02706> [made it a law.]
From this history, and from Diodorus Siculus (lib. i.), we learn that the land of Egypt was divided into three parts: one belonged to the Priests, (ver. 22, 26;) a second was the king's, (which appears to have been the land of Rameses, or Goshen, ver. 11;) the remainder was the subjects'. Now Joseph, having purchased the land of the people (ver. 19, 20), restored it, on the condition of their paying a fifth part of the produce to the king, beyond which he appears to have made no demand.
Only <07535> [except.]
priests <03548> [priests. or, princes.]
settled <03427> [dwelt.]
fruitful <06509> [grew.]
seventeen <06240> [A.M. 2315. B.C. 1689. seventeen.]
life <02416> [the whole age. Heb. the days of the years of his life.]
die <04191> [must die.]
put <07760> [put.]
show ... kindness <02617 06213> [deal kindly.]
bury .... Egypt <06912 04714> [bury me not.]
Swear ....... do <07650> [Swear.]
Israel bowed <07812 03478> [And Israel bowed.]
As {shachah,} which primarily signifies to bow, denotes also to worship; and as {mittah,} a bed, pronounced {matteh,} is a staff; the LXX. have taken the passage in the latter sense, and rendered it [kai prosekun‚sen Israel epi to akron t‚s rabdou autou,] "and Israel worshipped upon the top of his staff," which is literally copied by the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews. The present reading is, however, supported by the Masoretic pointing and the Targums; and is most probably correct, as it would appear that Jacob was confined to his bed.
