Genesis 47 · Verse 26

Genesis 47:26

And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.
Genesis 47:26, King James Version

Genesis 47:26 in other translations

BSBSo Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.
WEBJoseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s.
ASVAnd Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh’s.
YLTand Joseph setteth it for a statute unto this day, concerning the ground of Egypt, that Pharaoh hath a fifth; only the ground of the priests alone hath not become Pharaoh's.
DARBYAnd Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that the fifth should be for Pharaoh, except the land of the priests: theirs alone did not become Pharaoh's.
BBEThen Joseph made a law which is in force to this day, that Pharaoh was to have the fifth part; only the land of the priests did not become his.
WebsterAnd Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

What does Genesis 47:26 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.

Read the full comment on Genesis 47:23-28 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 And Joseph made it a law - That the people should hold their land from the king, and give him the fifth part of the produce as a yearly tax. Beyond this it appears the king had no farther demands. The whole of this conduct of Joseph has been as strongly censured by some as applauded by others. It is natural for men to run into extremes in attacking or defending any position. Sober and judicious men will consider what Joseph did by Divine appointment as a prophet of God, and what he did merely as a statesman from the circumstances of the case, the complexion of the times, and the character of the people over whom he presided. When this is dispassionately done, we shall see much reason to adore God, applaud the man, and perhaps in some cases censure the minister. Joseph is never held up to our view as an unerring prophet of God. He was an honored instrument in the hands of God of saving two nations from utter ruin, and especially of preserving that family from which the Messiah was to spring, and of perpetuating the true religion among them. In this character he is represented in the sacred pages. His conduct as the prime minister of Pharaoh was powerfully indicative of a deep and consummate politician, who had high notions of prerogative, which led him to use every prudent means to aggrandize his master, and at the same time to do what he judged best on the whole for the people he governed. See the conclusion at Gen 50:26 (note).

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 47:26 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.

וַיָּ֣שֶׂםvai.Ya.semand he establishedH7760
אֹתָ֣הּ'o.Tah<obj.> itH853
יוֹסֵ֡ףyo.SefJosephH3130
לְחֹק֩le.Chokto a statuteH2706
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
הַיּ֨וֹםhai.Yomthe dayH3117
הַזֶּ֜הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
עַל\־'al-onH5921
אַדְמַ֥ת'ad.Mat[the] land ofH127
מִצְרַ֛יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714
לְפַרְעֹ֖הle.far.'Oh[belongs] to PharaohH6547
לַחֹ֑מֶשׁla.Cho.meshto the fifth partH2569
רַ֞קrakonlyH7535
אַדְמַ֤ת'ad.Mat[the] land ofH127
הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ha.ko.ha.Nimthe priestsH3548
לְבַדָּ֔םle.va.Damto alone themH905
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
הָיְתָ֖הha.ye.Tahit belongedH1961
לְפַרְעֹֽה\׃le.far.'Ohto PharaohH6547

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

Cross references for Genesis 47:26

  • 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.

  • Ezekiel 7:24

    Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
made it a law.From this history, and from Diodorus Siculus (lib. i.), we learn that the land of Egypt was divided into three parts: one belonged to the Priests, (ver. 22, 26;) a second was the king's, (which appears to have been the land of Rameses, or Goshen, ver. 11;) the remainder was the subjects'. Now Joseph, having purchased the land of the people (ver. 19, 20), restored it, on the condition of their paying a fifth part of the produce to the king, beyond which he appears to have made no demand.
except.
22; Eze 7:24
priests. or, princes.
22

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

Context

  • Genesis 47:25

    And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.

  • Genesis 47:26

    And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.

  • Genesis 47:27

    And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.

Read all of Genesis 47

Genesis 47:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces José lo puso por fuero hasta hoy sobre la tierra de Egipto, señalando para Faraón el quinto; excepto sólo la tierra de los sacerdotes, que no fué de Faraón.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Joseph en fit une loi, jusqu’à ce jour, sur les terres de l’Égypte: au Pharaon un cinquième. Seulement, les terres des sacrificateurs seuls ne furent pas au Pharaon.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Joseph legte es dem Lande Ägypten bis auf diesen Tag als Satzung auf, daß dem Pharao der Fünfte gehöre. Nur das Land der Priester allein ward nicht dem Pharao.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ex eo tempore usque in præsentem diem, in universa terra Ægypti regibus quinta pars solvitur, et factum est quasi in legem, absque terra sacerdotali, quæ libera ab hac conditione fuit.