Genesis 47 · Verse 19

Genesis 47:19

Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
Genesis 47:19, King James Version

Genesis 47:19 in other translations

BSBWhy should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”
WEBWhy should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.”
ASVwherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.
YLTwhy do we die before thine eyes, both we and our ground? buy us and our ground for bread, and we and our ground are servants to Pharaoh; and give seed, and we live, and die not, and the ground is not desolate.'
DARBYWhy should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen to Pharaoh; and give seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.
BBEAre we to come to destruction before your eyes, we and our land? take us and our land and give us bread; and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh; and give us seed so that we may have life and the land may not become waste.
WebsterWhy shall we die before thy eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.

What does Genesis 47:19 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 Buy us and our land for bread - In times of famine in Hindostan, thousands of children have been sold to prevent their perishing. In the Burman empire the sale of whole families to discharge debts is very common - Ward's Customs.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 47:13-26

Care being taken of Jacob and his family, which mercy was especially designed by Providence in Joseph's advancement, an account is given of the saving the kingdom of Egypt from ruin. There was no bread, and the people were ready to die. See how we depend upon God's providence. All our wealth would not keep us from starving, if rain were withheld for two or three years. See how much we are at God's mercy, and let us…

Read the full comment on Genesis 47:13-26 →

Genesis 47:19 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.

לָ֧מָּהLa.mah<to> why?H4100
נָמ֣וּתna.Mutwill we dieH4191
לְעֵינֶ֗יךָle.'ei.Nei.khato eyes yourH5869
גַּם\־gam-bothH1571
אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙'a.Nach.nuweH587
גַּ֣םgamas well asH1571
אַדְמָתֵ֔נוּ'ad.ma.Te.nuland ourH127
קְנֵֽה\־ke.neh-buyH7069
אֹתָ֥נוּ'o.Ta.nu<obj.> usH853
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
אַדְמָתֵ֖נוּ'ad.ma.Te.nuland ourH127
בַּלָּ֑חֶםba.La.chemfor <the> foodH3899
וְנִֽהְיֶ֞הve.nih.Yehso we may beH1961
אֲנַ֤חְנוּ'a.Nach.nuweH587
וְאַדְמָתֵ֙נוּ֙ve.'ad.ma.Te.nuand land ourH127
עֲבָדִ֣ים'a.va.DimslavesH5650
לְפַרְעֹ֔הle.far.'Ohof PharaohH6547
וְתֶן\־ve.ten-and giveH5414
זֶ֗רַעZe.ra'seedH2233
וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ve.nich.Yehso we may liveH2421
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
נָמ֔וּתna.Mutwe will dieH4191
וְהָאֲדָמָ֖הve.ha.'a.da.Mahand the landH127
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
תֵשָֽׁם\׃te.Shamit will be desolateH3456

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

Cross references for Genesis 47:19

  • Nehemiah 5:2-3

    For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

  • Job 2:4

    And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

  • Lamentations 1:11

    All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O Lord, and consider; for I am become vile.

  • Lamentations 5:9

    We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

  • Lamentations 5:6

    We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

  • Matthew 16:26

    For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

  • Philippians 3:8-9

    Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
buy us.
Ne 5:2,3; Job 2:4; La 1:11; 5:6,9; Mt 16:26; Php 3:8,9
and give.
23

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

Context

  • 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:

  • Genesis 47:19

    Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.

  • Genesis 47:20

    And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s.

Read all of Genesis 47

Genesis 47:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¿Por qué moriremos delante de tus ojos, así nosotros como nuestra tierra? Cómpranos á nosotros y á nuestra tierra por pan, y seremos nosotros y nuestra tierra siervos de Faraón: y danos simiente para que vivamos y no muramos, y no sea asolada la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Pourquoi mourrions-nous devant tes yeux, tant nous que nos terres? Achète-nous, et nos terres, contre du pain; et nous serons, nous et nos terres, serviteurs du Pharaon. Et donne-nous de la semence, afin que nous vivions et ne mourions pas, et que la terre ne soit pas désolée.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Warum sollen wir vor deinen Augen sterben, sowohl wir als auch unser Land? Kaufe uns und unser Land um Brot, so wollen wir und unser Land des Pharao Knechte sein; und gib Samen, daß wir leben und nicht sterben und das Land nicht wüste werde!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cur ergo moriemur te vidente? et nos et terra nostra tui erimus: eme nos in servitutem regiam, et præbe semina, ne pereunte cultore redigatur terra in solitudinem.