Genesis 41:48

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which [was] round about every city, laid he up in the same.

Complete Jewish Bible:

He collected all the food of these seven years in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities - the food grown in the fields outside each city he stored in that city.

Berean Standard Bible:

During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.

American Standard Version:

And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And he gathered up^{H6908} all the food^{H400} of the seven^{H7651} years^{H8141}, which were in the land^{H776} of Egypt^{H4714}, and laid up^{H5414} the food^{H400} in the cities^{H5892}: the food^{H400} of the field^{H7704}, which was round about^{H5439} every city^{H5892}, laid he up^{H5414} in the same^{H8432}.

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Commentary for Genesis 41:48

Genesis 41:48 is part of the narrative concerning Joseph, one of the patriarchs of the Israelites, who was sold into slavery by his brothers and eventually rose to a position of power in Egypt. The verse occurs within the context of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, which foretold seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.

**Themes:**

1. **Wisdom and Foresight:** Joseph's ability to interpret dreams and his subsequent plan to store grain during the years of plenty demonstrate wisdom and administrative skill. This theme highlights the importance of planning ahead and the value of intelligent governance.

2. **Divine Providence:** The story of Joseph is also one of divine providence. God's guidance is seen in Joseph's rise to power and in the fulfillment of the dreams he interpreted, suggesting a larger plan at work for the benefit of God's people.

3. **Stewardship:** Joseph's actions reflect responsible stewardship of resources. By collecting and storing grain, he ensured the survival of the Egyptian population and, by extension, the surrounding regions during the years of famine.

4. **Preparation for Hardship:** The verse underscores the need for societies to prepare for future hardships. It illustrates the wisdom of using times of abundance to mitigate the impact of inevitable periods of scarcity.

**Historical Context:**

The historical context of Genesis 41:48 is set within the broader narrative of the Patriarchal period, which is traditionally dated to the early second millennium BCE. Egypt was known for its fertile lands due to the annual flooding of the Nile River, which could result in bountiful harvests. However, the region was also susceptible to cycles of drought and famine, making the storage of surplus grain a prudent practice.

During this period, Egypt was a dominant power with sophisticated administrative systems capable of managing large-scale food production and storage. Joseph's role as a high-ranking official would have placed him at the center of such a system, and his actions would have been consistent with known historical practices of the time.

In summary, Genesis 41:48 reflects themes of wisdom, divine providence, stewardship, and preparedness, set against the historical backdrop of ancient Egypt's agricultural practices and its administrative capabilities during the Patriarchal age.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H6908
   There are 121 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קָבַץ
   Transliteration: qâbats
   Pronunciation: kaw-bats'
   Description: a primitive root; to grasp, i.e. collect; assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together, selves together, up), heap, resort, [idiom] surely, take up.
   
2. Strong's Number: H400
   There are 84 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֹכֶל
   Transliteration: ʼôkel
   Pronunciation: o'-kel
   Description: from אָכַל; food; eating, food, meal(-time), meat, prey, victuals.
   
3. Strong's Number: H7651
   There are 345 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שֶׁבַע
   Transliteration: shebaʻ
   Pronunciation: sheh'-bah
   Description: or (masculine) (שִׁבְעָה); from שָׁבַע; a primitive cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number; ([phrase] by) seven(-fold),-s, (-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare שִׁבְעָנָה.
   
4. Strong's Number: H8141
   There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁנֶה
   Transliteration: shâneh
   Pronunciation: shaw-neh'
   Description: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).
   
5. Strong's Number: H776
   There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶרֶץ
   Transliteration: ʼerets
   Pronunciation: eh'-rets
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
   
6. Strong's Number: H4714
   There are 602 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִצְרַיִם
   Transliteration: Mitsrayim
   Pronunciation: mits-rah'-yim
   Description: dual of מָצוֹר; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt; Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.
   
7. Strong's Number: H5414
   There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָתַן
   Transliteration: nâthan
   Pronunciation: naw-than'
   Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
   
8. Strong's Number: H5892
   There are 937 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עִיר
   Transliteration: ʻîyr
   Pronunciation: eer
   Description: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from עוּר; a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post); Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
   
9. Strong's Number: H7704
   There are 309 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׂדֶה
   Transliteration: sâdeh
   Pronunciation: saw-deh'
   Description: or שָׂדַי; from an unused root meaning to spread out; a field (as flat); country, field, ground, land, soil, [idiom] wild.
   
10. Strong's Number: H5439
    There are 282 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: סָבִיב
    Transliteration: çâbîyb
    Pronunciation: saw-beeb'
    Description: or (feminine) סְבִיבָה; from סָבַב; (as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around; (place, round) about, circuit, compass, on every side.
    
11. Strong's Number: H8432
    There are 390 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: תָּוֶךְ
    Transliteration: tâvek
    Pronunciation: taw'-vek
    Description: from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre; among(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).