Acts 7 · Verse 11

Acts 7:11

Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
Acts 7:11, King James Version

Acts 7:11 in other translations

BSBThen famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
WEBNow a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food.
ASVNow there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
YLT‘And there came a dearth upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers were not finding sustenance,
DARBYBut a famine came upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great distress, and our fathers found no food.
BBENow there was no food to be had in all Egypt and Canaan, and there was great trouble: and our fathers were not able to get food.
WebsterNow there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction; and our fathers found no sustenance.

What does Acts 7:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 7:9-16

9-16. the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him--Here Stephen gives his first example of Israel's opposition to God's purposes, in spite of which and by means of which those purposes were accomplished.

Read the full comment on Acts 7:9-16 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 11. Now there came a dearth. A famine. Gen 41:54.

And Chanaan. Jacob was living at that time in Canaan.

Found no sustenance. No food; no means of living.

(i) "there came a dearth" Gen 41:54

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 7:1-16

Stephen was charged as a blasphemer of God, and an apostate from the church; therefore he shows that he is a son of Abraham, and values himself on it. The slow steps by which the promise made to Abraham advanced toward performance, plainly show that it had a spiritual meaning, and that the land intended was the heavenly. God owned Joseph in his troubles, and was with him by the power of his Spirit, both on his own…

Read the full comment on Acts 7:1-16 →

Acts 7:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἦλθενēlthenCameG2064
δὲdethenG1161
λιμὸςlimosa famineG3042
ἐφ᾽eph᾽uponG1909
ὅληνholēnallG3650
τὴνtēntheG3588
ΑἴγυπτονAiguptonof EgyptG125
καὶkaiandG2532
ΧανάανChanaanCanaanG5477
καὶkaiandG2532
θλῖψιςthlipsisafflictionG2347
μεγάληmegalēgreatG3173
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐχouchnotG3756
ηὕρισκονhēuriskonwere findingG2147
χορτάσματαchortasmatasustenanceG5527
οἱhoitheG3588
πατέρεςpateresfathersG3962
ἡμῶν.¶hēmōnof us.G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 7:11

  • Genesis 41:54-57

    And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

  • Genesis 42:5

    And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

  • Genesis 47:13-15

    And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.

  • Psalms 105:16

    Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

  • Genesis 45:11

    And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

  • Genesis 45:5-6

    Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

  • Genesis 43:1

    And the famine was sore in the land.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ge 41:54-57; 43:1; 45:5,6,11; 47:13-15; Ps 105:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 7:10

    And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

  • Acts 7:11

    Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

  • Acts 7:12

    But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

Read all of Acts 7

Acts 7:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Vino entonces hambre en toda la tierra de Egipto y de Canaán, y grande tribulación; y nuestros padres no hallaban alimentos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Or il survint une famine dans tout le pays d’Égypte et en Canaan, et une grande détresse, et nos pères ne trouvèrent pas de nourriture.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Es kam aber eine Hungersnot über das ganze Land Ägypten und Kanaan und eine große Drangsal, und unsere Väter fanden keine Speise.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Venit autem fames in universam Ægyptum et Chanaan, et tribulatio magna: et non inveniebant cibos patres nostri.