Genesis 45 · Verse 6

Genesis 45:6

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 45:6, King James Version

Genesis 45:6 in other translations

BSBFor the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.
WEBFor these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no plowing and no harvest.
ASVFor these two years hath the famine been in the land: and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest.
YLT‘Because these two years the famine is in the heart of the land, and yet are five years, in which there is neither ploughing nor harvest;
DARBYFor the famine has been these two years in the land; and yet there are five years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest.
BBEFor these two years have been years of need, and there are still five more years to come in which there will be no ploughing or cutting of grain.
WebsterFor these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in which there shall neither be tillage nor harvest.

What does Genesis 45:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest--"Ear" is an old English word, meaning "to plough" (compare 1Sa 8:12; Is 30:24). This seems to confirm the view given (Ge 41:57) that the famine was caused by an extraordinary drought, which prevented the annual overflowing of the Nile; and of course made the land unfit to receive the seed of Egypt.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 There shall neither be earing nor harvest - Earing has been supposed to mean collecting the ears of corn, which would confound it with harvest: the word, however, means ploughing or seed-time, from the Anglo-Saxon erian, probably borrowed from the Latin aro, to plough, and plainly means that there should be no seed-time, and consequently no harvest; and why? Because there should be a total want of rain in other countries, and the Nile should not rise above twelve cubits in Egypt; See Clarke on Gen 41:31 (note). But the expressions here must be qualified a little, as we find from Gen 47:19, that the Egyptians came to Joseph to buy seed; and it is probable that even during this famine they sowed some of the ground, particularly on the borders of the river, from which a crop, though not an abundant one, might be produced. The passage, however, in the above chapter may refer to the last year of the famine, when they came to procure seed for the ensuing year.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 45:1-15

Joseph let Judah go on, and heard all he had to say. He found his brethren humbled for their sins, mindful of himself, for Judah had mentioned him twice in his speech, respectful to their father, and very tender of their brother Benjamin. Now they were ripe for the comfort he designed, by making himself known. Joseph ordered all his attendants to withdraw. Thus Christ makes himself and his loving-kindness known to…

Read the full comment on Genesis 45:1-15 →

Genesis 45:6 in the original Hebrew

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.

כִּי\־ki-forH3588
זֶ֛הzehthisH2088
שְׁנָתַ֥יִםshe.na.Ta.yimtwo yearsH8141
הָרָעָ֖בha.ra.'Avthe famineH7458
בְּקֶ֣רֶבbe.Ke.rev[has been] in [the] midst ofH7130
הָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
וְעוֹד֙ve.'Odand stillH5750
חָמֵ֣שׁcha.MeshfiveH2568
שָׁנִ֔יםsha.NimyearsH8141
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhenH834
אֵין\־'ein-there notH369
חָרִ֖ישׁcha.Rish[will be] plowingH2758
וְקָצִּֽיר\׃ve.ka.Tzirand harvestH7105

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

Cross references for Genesis 45:6

  • Genesis 47:23

    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 41:56

    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.

  • Genesis 41:54

    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.

  • Genesis 41:29-31

    Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

  • 1 Samuel 8:12

    And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

  • Isaiah 30:24

    The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

  • Exodus 34:21

    Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

  • Genesis 47:18

    When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:

  • Deuteronomy 21:4

    And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
two years.
41:29-31,54,56; 47:18
earing.Earing means ploughing or seed-time from the Anglo-Saxon {erian,} probably from {aro,} to plough; and agrees with [aroo ,] Greek, {charatha,} Arabic, and {charash,} Hebrew.
47:23; Ex 34:21; De 21:4; 1Sa 8:12; Isa 30:24

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

Context

  • Genesis 45:5

    Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

  • Genesis 45:6

    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 45:7

    And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Read all of Genesis 45

Genesis 45:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Que ya ha habido dos años de hambre en medio de la tierra, y aun quedan cinco años en que ni habrá arada ni siega.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car voici deux ans que la famine est dans le pays, et il y a encore cinq ans, pendant lesquels il n’y aura ni labour, ni moisson.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn schon zwei Jahre ist die Hungersnot im Lande, und noch sind fünf Jahre, daß kein Pflügen noch Ernten sein wird.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Biennium est enim quod cœpit fames esse in terra: et adhuc quinque anni restant, quibus nec arari poterit, nec meti.