Text -- Genesis 47:19-31 (NET)

47:19 Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed that we may live and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.” 47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 47:21 Joseph made all the people slaves from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. 47:22 But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. 47:23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate the land. 47:24 When you gather in the crop, give one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” 47:25 They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 47:26 So Joseph made it a statute, which is in effect to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s. 47:27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number. 47:28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the years of Jacob’s life were 147 in all. 47:29 The time for Israel to die approached, so he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 47:30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you say.” 47:31 Jacob said, “Swear to me that you will do so.” So Joseph gave him his word. Then Israel bowed down at the head of his bed.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Gen 47:19

¹ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.

² sn Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.

³ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.

⁴ tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.

NET Notes: Gen 47:20

¹ tn The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

² tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 47:21

¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tc The MT reads “and the people he removed to the cities,” which does not make a lot of sense in this context. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX read “he enslaved them as slaves.”

NET Notes: Gen 47:23

¹ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.

NET Notes: Gen 47:24

¹ tn The words “the crop” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.

³ tn Heb “four parts.”

NET Notes: Gen 47:25

¹ tn Heb “we find favor in the eyes of my lord.” Some interpret this as a request, “may we find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

² sn Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.

NET Notes: Gen 47:26

¹ tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.

² tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 47:28

¹ tn Heb “the days of the years.”

NET Notes: Gen 47:29

¹ tn Heb “days.”

² sn On the expression put your hand under my thigh see Gen 24:2.

³ tn Or “deal with me in faithful love.”

NET Notes: Gen 47:30

¹ tn Heb “lie down.” Here the expression “lie down” refers to death.

² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Gen 47:31

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “swear on oath to me.” The words “that you will do so” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “swore on oath to him.”

⁵ sn The Hebrew verb normally means “bow down,” especially in worship or prayer. Here it might simply mean “bend low,” perhaps from weakness or approaching death. The narrative is ambiguous at this point and remains open to all these interpretations.

⁶ tc The MT reads מִטָּה (mittah, “bed, couch”). The LXX reads the word as מַטֶּה (matteh, “staff, rod”) and interprets this to mean that Jacob bowed down in worship while leaning on the top of his staff. The LXX reading was used in turn by the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 11:21).