Genesis 47:23 Then 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.

◄ Genesis 47:23 ►

New International Version
Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground.

New Living Translation
Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. I will provide you with seed so you can plant the fields.

English Standard Version
Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.

Berean Standard Bible
Then 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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then Joseph said to the people, “Indeed I have bought you and your land this day for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.

New American Standard Bible
Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, today I have purchased you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land.

NASB 1995
Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land.

NASB 1977
Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land.

Amplified Bible
Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you shall plant the land.

Christian Standard Bible
Joseph said to the people, “Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Joseph said to the people, “Understand today that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh. Here is seed for you. Sow it in the land.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
Then Joseph said to the people, "You and your land now belong to the king. I'm giving you seed to plant,

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joseph said to the people, "Now that I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Plant crops in the land.

Good News Translation
Joseph said to the people, "You see, I have now bought you and your lands for the king. Here is seed for you to sow in your fields.

International Standard Version
After this, Joseph addressed the people. "Pay attention," he said. "I've bought you and your land for Pharaoh today, in exchange for seed for you. Now go sow the land.

Majority Standard Bible
Then 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.

NET Bible
Joseph said to the people, "Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate the land.

New Heart English Bible
Then Joseph said to the people, "Look, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Look, here is seed for you so you can plant the seed in the land.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then 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.

World English Bible
Then 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.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Joseph says to the people, “Behold, I have bought you today and your ground for Pharaoh; behold, seed for you, and you have sown the ground,

Young's Literal Translation
And 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,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joseph will say to the people, Behold, I bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, seed for you, and sow ye the land.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Joseph said to the people : Be- hold as you see, both you and your lands belong to Pharao: take seed and sow the fields,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, Joseph said to the people: “So, as you discern, both you and your lands are possessed by Pharaoh; take seed and sow the fields,

New American Bible
Joseph told the people: “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh, here is your seed for sowing the land.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh, here is seed for you; sow the land.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Then Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your lands for Pharaoh; lo, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yoseph said to the people, “Now I have bought you today, you and your lands for Pharaoh, behold, for you have seed that you may sow in the land.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joseph said to all the Egyptians, Behold, I have bought you and your land this day for Pharao; take seed for you, and sow the land.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Joseph's Leadership During the Famine
…22However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land. 23Then 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. 24At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Leviticus 25:23-24
The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and residents with Me. / Thus for every piece of property you possess, you must provide for the redemption of the land.

Deuteronomy 15:12-15
If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. / And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. / You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. ...

1 Samuel 8:11-17
He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots. / He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. / And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ...

2 Kings 4:7
She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.”

Nehemiah 5:3-5
Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” / Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. / We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

Isaiah 5:8
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land.

Jeremiah 34:13-14
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying: / Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.

Ezekiel 46:18
The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people by evicting them from their property. He is to provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people will be displaced from his property.’”

Matthew 18:25
Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.

Matthew 25:14-30
For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. / To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. / The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. ...

Luke 19:12-27
So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return. / Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said. / But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ ...

John 4:37-38
For in this case the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. / I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”

Acts 4:34-35
There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, / and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.

Romans 13:7
Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Treasury of Scripture

Then Joseph said to the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: see, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.

bought.

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.

here is seed.

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.

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.

Psalm 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.

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Genesis 47

1. Joseph presents his father, and five of his brothers before Pharaoh.
11. He gives them habitation and maintenance.
13. He gets the Egyptian's money;
16. their cattle;
18. and their lands, except the priests', to Pharaoh.
23. He restores the land for a fifth.
28. Jacob's age.
29. He swears Joseph to bury him with his fathers.

Berean Study Bible

Then Joseph said to the people
This phrase introduces Joseph as the central figure in this narrative, acting as a mediator between Pharaoh and the Egyptian people. Joseph, a Hebrew, holds a position of immense power in Egypt, which is a testament to God's providence and the fulfillment of earlier dreams and promises. The Hebrew root for "said" (אָמַר, 'amar) often implies not just speaking, but conveying authority and intention, highlighting Joseph's role as a leader and provider.

Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh
This statement reflects the dire circumstances of the Egyptian people during the severe famine. The word "bought" (קָנָה, qanah) in Hebrew can mean to acquire or possess, indicating a transfer of ownership. Historically, this transaction underscores the economic and social shifts occurring in Egypt, where Pharaoh's power is consolidated through Joseph's wise administration. It also serves as a reminder of the sovereignty of God, who orchestrates events for His purposes, even in foreign lands.

here is seed for you
Joseph provides seed, symbolizing hope and future sustenance. The Hebrew word for "seed" (זֶרַע, zera) is often used in Scripture to denote not only physical seed but also descendants and future generations. This act of giving seed is a gesture of restoration and renewal, ensuring that the people can cultivate the land and sustain themselves. It reflects God's provision and the promise of new beginnings, even after hardship.

so you can plant the land
The phrase emphasizes action and responsibility. The Hebrew verb for "plant" (זָרַע, zara) involves sowing and cultivating, which requires effort and faith in the growth process. This directive from Joseph is not just about survival but about stewardship and productivity. It encourages the people to engage actively with the resources provided, trusting in God's design for growth and harvest. This mirrors the biblical principle of reaping what one sows, both physically and spiritually.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(23) Lo, here is seed for you.--As Joseph would give them seed wherewith to sow their fields only when the famine was nearly over, these arrangements seem to have been completed shortly before the end of the seventh year; and then, with seed it would be necessary also to supply them with oxen to plough the soil, and swine wherewith to trample in the seed (Rawlinson, Egypt, i. 76). A fifth part of the produce would be a very moderate rent, especially as there were no rates or taxes to be paid. The whole expenses of the State had to be defrayed from this rent.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 23, 24. - 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. This proves the time to have been the last year of the famine; and since the people obtained seed from the viceroy, it is reasonable to suppose that they would also have their cattle restored to them to enable them to till the ground. 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. This verse is a sufficient refutation of the oft-preferred charge that Joseph had despoiled the Egyptians of their liberties, and converted a free people into a horde of abject slaves. Slave-owners are not usually content with a tax of only twenty percent on the gross revenues of their estates. Nor does it seem reasonable to allege that this was an exorbitant demand on the part either of Joseph or of Pharaoh. If in the seven years of plenty the people could afford to part with a fifth part of their produce, might not an improved system of agriculture enable them, under the new regulations, to pay as much as that in the shape of rent, and with quite as much ease? At all events the people themselves did not consider that they were being subjected to any harsh or unjust exaction.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then Joseph
יוֹסֵף֙ (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the people,
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

“Now that
הֵן֩ (hên)
Interjection
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

I have acquired
קָנִ֨יתִי (qā·nî·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own

you and your land
אַדְמַתְכֶ֖ם (’aḏ·maṯ·ḵem)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 127: Ground, land

for Pharaoh
לְפַרְעֹ֑ה (lə·p̄ar·‘ōh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

this day,
הַיּ֛וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

here
הֵֽא־ (hê-)
Interjection
Strong's 1887: Lo! behold!

is seed
זֶ֔רַע (ze·ra‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

for you
לָכֶ֣ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

to sow
וּזְרַעְתֶּ֖ם (ū·zə·ra‘·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 2232: To sow, to disseminate, plant, fructify

in the land.
הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (hā·’ă·ḏā·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 127: Ground, land

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OT Law: Genesis 47:23 Then Joseph said to the people Behold (Gen. Ge Gn)