Genesis 47:13

KJV

¶ And [there was] no bread in all the land; for the famine [was] very sore, so that the land of Egypt and [all] the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.

KJV (with Strong's)

And there was no bread {H3899} in all the land {H776}; for the famine {H7458} was very {H3966} sore {H3515}, so that the land {H776} of Egypt {H4714} and all the land {H776} of Canaan {H3667} fainted {H3856} by reason {H6440} of the famine {H7458}.

Complete Jewish Bible

There was no food anywhere, for the famine was very severe, so that both Egypt and Kena'an grew weak from hunger.

Berean Standard Bible

There was no food, however, in all that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine.

American Standard Version

And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Genesis 47:13 vividly portrays the devastating climax of the seven-year famine across the ancient Near East, specifically impacting both Egypt and Canaan. This verse underscores the complete depletion of food resources, leading to widespread physical debilitation and economic collapse among the populations. It serves as a stark testament to the critical and desperate circumstances that rendered Joseph's divinely inspired foresight and administrative genius not merely beneficial, but absolutely indispensable for the survival of the entire region and, crucially, for the preservation of God's covenant people.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is strategically placed within the narrative of Joseph's administration during the severe famine, following the arrival and settlement of Jacob's family in Goshen. It immediately precedes Joseph's implementation of a radical economic policy, where people, having exhausted their money, livestock, and finally their land, surrender everything to Pharaoh in exchange for food ([Genesis 47:14-26](/genesis/47-14-26 "Joseph's Economic Reforms in Egypt")). The dire situation described in [Genesis 47:13](/genesis/47-13 "The Famine's Severity in Genesis 47:13") provides the crucial justification and impetus for these extreme measures, highlighting the absolute necessity of Joseph's provision and the people's utter dependence on it. It serves as a narrative bridge, explaining *why* the people were willing to give up so much.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The ancient Near East was highly dependent on seasonal rains and the Nile's annual inundation for agricultural prosperity. A multi-year famine, as described here, would have been a catastrophic event, leading to widespread starvation, societal breakdown, and mass migration. Egypt, with its unique Nile-fed agriculture, was typically more resilient but not immune to prolonged drought affecting the Nile's source. Canaan, a rain-fed land, would have been even more vulnerable. The concept of a centralized grain storage system, though perhaps not as extensive as Joseph's, was known in ancient empires as a buffer against such calamities. The desperation depicted in [Genesis 47:13](/genesis/47-13 "Historical Context of Genesis 47:13") accurately reflects the societal impact of such a severe and prolonged food crisis, where survival became the sole priority, overriding traditional economic structures and personal ownership.
* **Key Themes:** Genesis 47:13 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in the book of Genesis. It powerfully illustrates **Divine Sovereignty and Providence**, demonstrating how God orchestrates natural events, even calamities like famine, to fulfill His redemptive purposes and preserve His covenant people. The verse emphasizes **Joseph's Wisdom and Role as Deliverer**, showcasing him as God's chosen instrument to save not only his family but also the surrounding nations from utter destruction, a theme that culminates in his famous statement in [Genesis 50:20](/genesis/50-20 "Joseph's Declaration of God's Purpose"). Furthermore, it highlights the theme of **God's Faithfulness to His Covenant**, as the famine forces Jacob's family into Egypt, a necessary step for their multiplication into a great nation before their eventual exodus, as promised to Abraham in [Genesis 15:13-16](/genesis/15-13-16 "God's Covenant with Abraham and the Egyptian Sojourn").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **bread (Hebrew, _lechem'_):** From H3899, this term refers broadly to food for man or beast, but specifically to bread or grain used for making it. In this context, "no bread" signifies a complete absence of staple food, indicating that local agricultural production had utterly failed and existing private reserves were exhausted. It emphasizes the absolute and widespread scarcity, not just of a luxury item, but of basic sustenance necessary for life.
* **sore (Hebrew, _kâbêd'_):** From H3515, this word means "heavy" or "grievous." Applied to the famine, it conveys an immense burden, a profound and oppressive severity. It suggests that the famine was not merely an inconvenience or a shortage, but a crushing weight that had physically and economically debilitated the land and its inhabitants, leading to a state of extreme distress and exhaustion.
* **fainted (Hebrew, _lâhahh'_):** From H3856, this primitive root means "to burn" or, by implication, "to be rabid" or "insane." However, from the exhaustion associated with such frenzy, it also means "to languish" or "faint." In Genesis 47:13, it vividly describes the physical and spiritual exhaustion of the land and its people, who were utterly depleted and collapsing under the prolonged and severe impact of the famine. It paints a picture of extreme weakness, a collective drooping or failing of vitality.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And there was no bread in all the land;":** This opening clause establishes the absolute and pervasive nature of the crisis. It signifies a complete lack of food, not just in isolated pockets, but across the entire geographical expanse of Egypt and the surrounding regions. This emphasizes the dire reality that all natural sources of sustenance had been exhausted, leaving the populations utterly dependent on external provision.
* **"for the famine was very sore,":** This clause provides the immediate explanation for the absence of bread, highlighting the intensity and duration of the famine. The term "very sore" (using the Hebrew _kâbêd_ for sore and _mᵉʼôd_ for very) conveys an extreme and oppressive severity, indicating that the famine had reached a critical, unbearable stage, having worn down the land and its inhabitants to their breaking point.
* **"so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.":** This concluding clause describes the devastating consequence of the severe famine. The "fainting" of the land, using the Hebrew _lâhahh_, personifies the widespread debilitation and collapse. It illustrates a state of utter exhaustion and weakness, affecting both the mighty empire of Egypt and the neighboring land of Canaan, underscoring the universal impact of the crisis and the desperate need for intervention.

#### Literary Devices
Genesis 47:13 employs several potent literary devices to convey the profound impact of the famine. **Hyperbole** is evident in the phrase "no bread in all the land," which, while perhaps not literally meaning every single crumb was gone, powerfully communicates the absolute and widespread scarcity of food, emphasizing the extreme nature of the crisis. **Personification** is strikingly used when it states that "the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted." Lands do not literally faint; this imagery vividly portrays the utter exhaustion, weakness, and near collapse of the populations within those lands, as if the very ground shared in their suffering. The **Repetition** of "famine" and "land" throughout the verse reinforces the central theme of the pervasive and debilitating hunger that gripped the entire region. Finally, the verse utilizes strong **Imagery** of depletion and collapse, painting a distressing picture of a world brought to its knees by the lack of sustenance.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 47:13, while depicting a scene of utter desolation, profoundly underscores God's intricate **Divine Sovereignty and Providence**. The severity of the famine, far from being a random natural disaster, is presented within the biblical narrative as a divinely orchestrated event, serving as a powerful catalyst for God's larger redemptive plan. It highlights how God uses even catastrophic circumstances to position His chosen people, Israel, for their future growth and to fulfill His covenant promises made to Abraham. The desperate situation also magnifies the role of Joseph as God's instrument, demonstrating that God raises up and empowers individuals with unique gifts and foresight to accomplish His purposes, ensuring the preservation of life and the advancement of His kingdom agenda.

* [Genesis 41:25-36](/genesis/41-25-36 "Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams and Prepares for Famine") - Joseph's prophetic interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams reveals the divine origin and purpose behind the coming famine, showing God's foreknowledge and control.
* [Psalm 105:16-17](/psalm/105-16-17 "God's Providence in Sending Joseph") - This Psalm explicitly attributes the sending of famine and Joseph's prior enslavement to God's sovereign hand, affirming His providential care for His people.
* [Isaiah 45:7](/isaiah/45-7 "God Creates Both Good and Calamity") - This verse declares God's ultimate sovereignty over all things, including calamity and peace, reinforcing the theological understanding that even severe famines are within His purview and can serve His purposes.

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 47:13 stands as a profound testament to the fragility of human existence and the critical importance of wise stewardship and preparedness, both individually and collectively. It vividly illustrates how quickly circumstances can shift from abundance to extreme scarcity, reminding us not to place ultimate trust in material security. For believers, this verse powerfully reveals God's unwavering providence and meticulous care for His people, even amidst the most devastating and seemingly hopeless circumstances. It encourages a deep-seated trust in God's overarching plan, recognizing that He can use any situation, no matter how dire, to accomplish His ultimate will and ensure the well-being and preservation of those who place their faith in Him. This passage calls us to cultivate spiritual resilience, to seek God's wisdom in times of plenty, and to rely on His faithfulness when facing seasons of scarcity or hardship, knowing that His provision, whether physical or spiritual, is always sufficient.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the severity of the famine in Genesis 47:13 deepen your appreciation for God's providential care in your own life?**
* **In what ways might God be calling you to "store up" (spiritually, emotionally, or practically) during times of abundance, in preparation for future challenges?**
* **How does Joseph's role in this crisis inspire you to consider how God might use you as an instrument of His provision or deliverance for others?**

### FAQ
**What was the primary cause of the famine described in Genesis 47:13?**

Answer: The famine was a divinely orchestrated natural disaster, part of a seven-year period of severe drought and crop failure that affected the entire ancient Near East. It was specifically predicted by Joseph through Pharaoh's dreams, as detailed in [Genesis 41](/genesis/41 "Joseph's Prophecy and Preparation for Famine"), indicating its supernatural origin and purpose within God's plan.

**How did Joseph's actions directly impact the situation described in this verse?**

Answer: Joseph's divinely inspired foresight and administrative genius in storing vast quantities of grain during the preceding seven years of plenty were the sole reason any food was available. Without his meticulous preparations, the "no bread in all the land" would have led to complete starvation and the demise of both Egypt and Canaan, including Jacob's family. His actions transformed a catastrophic famine into a means of preservation and a demonstration of God's power, as seen in [Genesis 41:47-49](/genesis/41-47-49 "Joseph's Grain Storage").

**Does the suffering described imply that God was punishing the people?**

Answer: While all suffering can be seen through the lens of a fallen world, the biblical narrative presents this famine primarily as a means through which God preserved His chosen people, Israel. It was a catalyst for Jacob's family to move to Egypt, where they would multiply into a great nation, rather than solely a punitive measure against the general population. God's ultimate purpose was redemptive, using the famine to position His people for their future and to demonstrate His faithfulness to His covenant promises, as highlighted throughout [Genesis 47](/genesis/47 "The Famine and Joseph's Administration").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 47:13, with its stark depiction of a land "fainting" from the absence of bread, powerfully foreshadows Christ's ultimate role as the divine provider and sustainer of life, especially in the face of humanity's deepest spiritual famine. Just as Joseph, a profound type of Christ, was elevated to a position of unparalleled authority to preserve a people from physical death by offering literal bread, so too does Jesus Christ offer Himself as the "Bread of Life" ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "Jesus: The Bread of Life")), providing eternal sustenance and deliverance from spiritual death. The desperate cry for physical nourishment in Egypt and Canaan points to humanity's deeper, inherent need for the spiritual nourishment that only Christ can provide, ensuring the preservation of God's chosen people—the Church—through the "famines" of sin, spiritual barrenness, and the ultimate consequence of eternal separation. He is the one who satisfies every hunger, declaring, "Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty" ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "Jesus Satisfies Spiritual Hunger")). Thus, the physical salvation wrought by Joseph anticipates the spiritual salvation offered by Christ, the true Bread from heaven ([John 6:51](/john/6-51 "Jesus: The Living Bread")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Acts 7:11

Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

Jeremiah 9:12

¶ Who [is] the wise man, that may understand this? and [who is he] to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth [and] is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

Lamentations 4:9

[They that be] slain with the sword are better than [they that be] slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for [want of] the fruits of the field.

Joel 1:10

The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.

Joel 1:12

The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, [even] all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.

Genesis 41:30

And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

Genesis 41:31

And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it [shall be] very grievous.