Genesis 47 · Verse 23

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 47:23, King James Version

Genesis 47:23 in other translations

BSBThen Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land.
WEBThen Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
ASVThen 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.
YLTAnd Joseph saith unto the people, ‘Lo, I have bought you to-day and your ground for Pharaoh; lo, seed for you, and ye have sown the ground,
DARBYAnd Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and sow the land.
BBEThen Joseph said to the people, I have made you and your land this day the property of Pharaoh; here is seed for you to put in your fields.
WebsterThen Joseph said to 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.

What does Genesis 47:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 47:23-28
23-28. Joseph said, Behold, &c.--The lands being sold to the government (Ge 47:19, 20), seed would be distributed for the first crop after the famine; and the people would occupy them as tenants-at-will on the payment of a produce rent, almost the same rule as obtains in Egypt in the present day.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh - It fully appears that the kingdom of Egypt was previously to the time of Joseph a very limited monarchy. The king had his estates; the priests had their lands; and the common people their patrimony independently of both. The land of Rameses or Goshen appears to have been the king's land, Gen 47:11. The priests had their lands, which they did not sell to Joseph, Gen 47:22, Gen 47:26; and that the people had lands independent of the crown, is evident from the purchases Joseph made, Gen 47:19, Gen 47:20; and we may conclude from those purchases that Pharaoh had no power to levy taxes upon his subjects to increase his own revenue until he had bought the original right which each individual had in his possessions. And when Joseph bought this for the king he raised the crown an ample revenue, though he restored the lands, by obliging each to pay one fifth of the product to the king, Gen 47:24. And it is worthy of remark that the people of Egypt well understood the distinction between subjects and servants; for when they came to sell their land, they offered to sell themselves also, and said: Buy us and our land, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh, Gen 47:19. Diodorus Siculus, lib. i., gives the same account of the ancient constitution of Egypt. "The land," says he, "was divided into three parts: 1. One belonged to the Priests, with which they provided all sacrifices, and maintained all the ministers of religion. 2. A second part was the King's, to support his court and family, and to supply expenses for wars if they should happen. Hence there were no taxes, the king having so ample an estate. 3. The remainder of the land belonged to the Subjects, who appear (from the account of Diodorus) to have been all soldiers, a kind of standing militia, liable, at the king's expense, to serve in all wars for the preservation of the state." This was a constitution something like the British; the government appears to have been mixed, and the monarchy properly limited, till Joseph, by buying the land of the people, made the king in some sort despotic. But it does net appear that any improper use was made of this, as in much later times we find it still a comparatively limited monarchy.

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 47:23 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.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יוֹסֵף֙yo.SefJosephH3130
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָעָ֔םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
הֵן֩henhere!H2005
קָנִ֨יתִיka.Ni.tiI have boughtH7069
אֶתְכֶ֥ם'et.Khem<obj.> youH853
הַיּ֛וֹםhai.Yomthis dayH3117
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
אַדְמַתְכֶ֖ם'ad.mat.Khemland yourH127
לְפַרְעֹ֑הle.far.'Ohfor PharaohH6547
הֵֽא\־he'-here!H1887
לָכֶ֣םla.Khemfor you
זֶ֔רַעZe.ra'[is] seedH2233
וּזְרַעְתֶּ֖םu.ze.ra'.Temand you will sowH2232
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאֲדָמָֽה\׃ha.'a.da.Mahthe landH127

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

Cross references for Genesis 47:23

  • Isaiah 55:10

    For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

  • Isaiah 28:24-25

    Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

  • 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.

  • Psalms 112:5

    A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.

  • Proverbs 12:11

    He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

  • Psalms 107:36-37

    And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

  • 2 Corinthians 9:10

    Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

  • Matthew 24:45

    Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

  • Genesis 41:27

    And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

  • Psalms 41:1

    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

  • Proverbs 13:23

    Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

  • Proverbs 11:26

    He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
bought.
19
here is seed.
41:27; 45:6; Ps 41:1; 107:36,37; 112:5; Pr 11:26; 12:11; 13:23
Ec 11:6; Isa 28:24,25; 55:10; Mt 24:45; 2Co 9:10

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

Context

  • Genesis 47:22

    Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

  • 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 47:24

    And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.

Read all of Genesis 47

Genesis 47:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y José dijo al pueblo: He aquí os he hoy comprado y á vuestra tierra para Faraón: ved aquí simiente, y sembraréis la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Joseph dit au peuple: Voici, je vous ai achetés aujourd’hui, et vos terres, pour le Pharaon. Voici de la semence pour vous: ensemencez la terre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Joseph sprach zu dem Volke: Siehe, ich habe euch und euer Land heute für den Pharao gekauft; siehe, da ist Samen für euch, und besäet das Land.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit ergo Joseph ad populos: En ut cernitis, et vos et terram vestram Pharao possidet: accipite semina, et serite agros,