TRV
Translation
King James Version
And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
Complete Jewish Bible
When all the money in Egypt had been spent, and likewise in Kena'an, all the Egyptians approached Yosef and said, "Give us something to eat, even though we have no money; why should we die before your eyes?"
Berean Standard Bible
When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”
American Standard Version
And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for our money faileth.
World English Bible Messianic
When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For our money fails.”
Geneva Bible (1599)
So when money fayled in the lande of Egypt, and in the lande of Canaan, then all the Egyptians came vnto Ioseph, and sayde, Giue vs bread: for why should we dye before thee? for our money is spent.
Young's Literal Translation
And the silver is consumed out of the land of Egypt, and out of the land of Canaan, and all the Egyptians come in unto Joseph, saying, `Give to us bread--why do we die before thee, though the money hath ceased?'
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Commentary on Genesis 47 verses 13–26
13 ¶ 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.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
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.
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Care being taken of Jacob and his family, the preservation of which was especially designed by Providence in Joseph's advancement, an account is now given of the saving of the kingdom of Egypt too from ruin; for God is King of nations as well as King of saints, and provideth food for all flesh. Joseph now returns to the management of that great trust which Pharaoh had lodged in his hand. It would have been pleasing enough to him to have gone and lived with his father and brethren in Goshen; but his employment would not permit it. When he had seen his father, and seen him well settled, he applied himself as closely as ever to the execution of his office. Note, Even natural affection must give way to necessary business. Parents and children must be content to be absent one from another, when it is necessary, on either side, for the service of God or their generation. In Joseph's transactions with the Egyptians observe,
I. The great extremity that Egypt, and the parts adjacent, were reduced to by the famine. There was no bread, and they fainted (Gen 47:13), they were ready to die, Gen 47:15, Gen 47:19. 1. See here what a dependence we have upon God's providence. If its usual favours are suspended but for a while, we die, we perish, we all perish. All our wealth would not keep us from starving if the rain of heaven were but withheld for two or three years. See how much we lie at God's mercy, and let us keep ourselves always in his love. 2. See how much we smart by our own improvidence. If all the Egyptians had done for themselves in the seven years of plenty as Joseph did for Pharaoh, they had not been now in these straits; but they regarded not the warning they had of the years of famine, concluding that tomorrow shall be as this day, next year as this, and much more abundant. Note, Because man knows not his time (his time of gathering when he has it) therefore his misery is great upon him when the spending time comes, Ecc 8:6, Ecc 8:7. 3. See how early God put a difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites, as afterwards in the plagues, Exo 8:22; Exo 9:4, Exo 9:26; Exo 10:23. Jacob and his family, though strangers, were plentifully fed on free cost, while the Egyptians were dying for want. See Isa 65:13, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry. Happy art thou, O Israel. Whoever wants, God's children shall not, Psa 34:10.
II. The price they had come up to, for their supply, in this exigency. 1. They parted with all their money which they had hoarded up, Gen 47:14. Silver and gold would not feed them, they must have corn. All the money of the kingdom was by this means brought into the exchequer. 2. When the money failed, they parted with all their cattle, those for labour, as the horses and asses, and those for food, as the flocks and the herds, Gen 47:17. By this it should seem that we may better live upon bread without flesh than upon flesh without bread. We may suppose they parted the more easily with their cattle because they had little or no grass for them; and now Pharaoh saw in reality what he had before seen in vision, nothing but lean kine. 3. When they had sold their stocks off their land, it was easy to persuade themselves (rather than starve) to sell their land too; for what good would that do them, when they had neither corn to sow it nor cattle to eat of it? They therefore sold that next, for a further supply of corn. 4. When their land was sold, so that they had nothing to live on, they must of course sell themselves, that they might live purely upon their labour, and hold their lands by the base tenure of villenage, at the courtesy of the crown. Note, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, even liberty and property (those darling twins), will he give for his life; for life is sweet. There are few (though perhaps there are some) who would even dare to die rather than live in slavery, and dependence on an arbitrary power. And perhaps there are those who, in that case, could die by the sword, in a heat, who yet could not deliberately die by famine, which is much worse, Lam 4:9. Now it was a great mercy to the Egyptians that, in this distress, they could have corn at any rate; if they had all died for hunger, their lands perhaps would have escheated to the crown of course, for want of heirs; they therefore resolved to make the best of bad.
III. The method which Joseph took to accommodate the matter between prince and people, so that the prince might have his just advantage, and yet the people not be quite ruined. 1. For their lands, he needed not come to any bargain with them while the years of famine lasted; but when these were over (for God will not contend for ever, nor will he be always wroth) he came to an agreement, which it seems both sides were pleased with, that the people should occupy and enjoy the lands, as he thought fit to assign them, and should have seed to sow them with out of the king's stores, for their own proper use and behoof, yielding and paying only a fifth part of the yearly profits as a chief rent to the crown. This became a standing law, Gen 47:26. And it was a very good bargain to have food for their lands, when otherwise they and theirs must have starved, and then to have their lands again upon such easy terms. Note, Those ministers of state are worthy of double honour, both for wisdom and integrity, that keep the balance even between prince and people, so that liberty and property may not intrench upon prerogative, nor the prerogative bear hard upon liberty and property: in the multitude of such counsellors there is safety. If afterwards the Egyptians thought it hard to pay so great a duty to the king out of their lands, they must remember, not only how just, but how kind, the first imposing of it was. They might thankfully pay a fifth where all was due. It is observable how faithful Joseph was to him that appointed him. He did not put the money into his own pocket, nor entail the lands upon his own family; but converted both entirely to Pharaoh's use; and therefore we do not find that his posterity went out of Egypt any richer than the rest of their poor brethren. Those in public trusts, if they raise great estates, must take heed that it be not at the expense of a good conscience, which is much more valuable. 2. For their persons, he removed them to cities, Gen 47:21. He transplanted them, to show Pharaoh's sovereign power over them, and that they might, in time, forget their titles to their lands, and be the more easily reconciled to their new condition of servitude. The Jewish writers say, "He removed them thus from their former habitations because they reproached his brethren as strangers, to silence which reproach they were all made, in effect, strangers." See what changes a little time may make with a people, and how soon God can empty those from vessel to vessel who had settled upon their lees. How hard soever this seems to have been upon them, they themselves were at this time sensible of it as a very great kindness, and were thankful they were not worse used: Thou hast saved our lives, Gen 47:25. Note, There is good reason that the Saviour of our lives should be the Master of our lives. "Thou hast saved us; do what thou wilt with us."
IV. The reservation he made in favour of the priests. They were maintained on free cost, so that they needed not to sell their lands, Gen 47:22. All people will thus walk in the name of their God; they will be kind to those that attend the public service of their God, and that minister to them in holy things; and we should, in like manner, honour our God, by esteeming his ministers highly in love for their work's sake.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 13–26. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Genesis 47:15 details a critical juncture in the widespread famine afflicting both Egypt and Canaan, marking the complete exhaustion of monetary resources among the populace. With their financial means rendered useless, the desperate Egyptians converged upon Joseph, Pharaoh's chief administrator, pleading for sustenance to avert imminent death. This verse powerfully underscores the severity of the crisis, the utter failure of conventional economic systems, and the people's absolute reliance on Joseph's divinely-ordained wisdom and providential management.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated within the broader narrative of Joseph's administrative genius during the seven-year famine, following his interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams and subsequent appointment as vizier over Egypt (Genesis 41:37-45). Initially, during the first years of the famine, people from various lands, including Joseph's own family, came to Egypt to purchase grain with money (Genesis 42:1-3). However, Genesis 47:15 marks a turning point, indicating that the monetary system has now collapsed due to the famine's prolonged severity. This economic failure sets the stage for Joseph's subsequent, more radical economic policies, where he exchanges grain for livestock, then land, and ultimately the people's labor, effectively centralizing all resources under Pharaoh's control (Genesis 47:16-26). The verse highlights the escalating desperation and the shift from a market-based economy to a system of direct exchange and servitude, all orchestrated by Joseph to preserve life.
Historical & Cultural Context: Ancient Egypt was an agrarian society heavily dependent on the annual flooding of the Nile for its agricultural bounty. A multi-year famine, as described here, would have been catastrophic, leading to widespread starvation, social unrest, and the collapse of established economic structures. Money, primarily in the form of silver (as indicated by the Hebrew word keçeph), served as a medium of exchange, but its value diminishes to nothing when there is no food to purchase. The concept of a ruler providing for his people in times of crisis was a common expectation in the ancient Near East, but Joseph's systematic approach, including the foresight to store grain during years of plenty, was unprecedented. The Egyptians' appeal to Joseph reflects his supreme authority, second only to Pharaoh, and their cultural understanding that the ruler was responsible for the welfare of his subjects. The phrase "die in thy presence" also carries a cultural weight, implying that the leader's failure to provide would be a stain on his honor and a direct indictment of his rule.
Key Themes: Genesis 47:15 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in the book of Genesis. It powerfully illustrates Divine Providence, demonstrating how God's sovereign plan, initiated through Joseph's dreams and his subsequent enslavement and rise to power, is meticulously unfolding to preserve life and fulfill His covenant promises to Abraham's descendants. The verse also underscores the theme of Wisdom and Stewardship, as Joseph's God-given administrative acumen and his prudent management of resources are the sole means of survival for a vast population. Furthermore, it highlights Human Vulnerability and Dependence, revealing humanity's inherent fragility in the face of natural disaster and economic collapse, ultimately pointing to a deeper reliance on divine provision. The economic transformation described in this chapter, initiated by the failure of money, also touches on themes of Societal Restructuring and the adaptability required for survival in extreme conditions, all under the guiding hand of Joseph, and by extension, God.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Genesis 47:15 vividly portrays the dire consequences of the prolonged famine and the people's desperate plea for survival.
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices. Repetition is evident in the phrase "money failed" (or "faileth"), which appears twice, emphasizing the complete and undeniable collapse of the economic system and the futility of wealth in the face of absolute scarcity. The rhetorical question, "for why should we die in thy presence?", serves as a form of pathos, appealing directly to Joseph's emotions and sense of responsibility, highlighting the people's extreme vulnerability and their desperate plea for intervention. The phrase "all the Egyptians" uses hyperbole to convey the universal and overwhelming nature of the crisis, indicating that the famine affected every stratum of society and that Joseph was the singular focal point of hope. Finally, the entire scene functions as a form of foreshadowing, hinting at the deeper economic and social transformations Joseph will implement in the subsequent verses, as the people's dependence shifts from money to direct bartering and ultimately, to servitude under Pharaoh.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 47:15 serves as a profound theological statement on human limitations and divine sovereignty. It illustrates that even the most stable human systems, like a monetary economy, are ultimately fragile and susceptible to collapse in the face of overwhelming natural forces. This collapse forces humanity to confront its inherent vulnerability and dependence, not on accumulated wealth, but on a higher power. Joseph, as God's chosen instrument, embodies the principle of divine provision, demonstrating that God often works through human agents to sustain life and fulfill His purposes, even amidst widespread suffering. The crisis reveals that true security lies not in material possessions, but in God's unfailing care and the wisdom He bestows upon His chosen servants to manage resources for the common good.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 47:15 offers profound lessons on preparedness, stewardship, and ultimate dependence. It serves as a stark reminder that even in times of prosperity, foresight and wise planning are crucial, not only for personal finances but also for community and national resilience against unforeseen crises. Joseph's example underscores that true leadership involves not merely accumulating resources but, more importantly, equitable distribution and compassionate care for the vulnerable, especially when conventional systems fail. In our own lives, this verse challenges us to consider where our ultimate trust lies. Do we place our security in our wealth, our jobs, or our societal structures, which can "fail"? Or do we recognize that while human systems may falter, God's providential care enduring? It calls us to cultivate a spirit of generosity, to be good stewards of the resources God entrusts to us, and to extend compassion to those in need, remembering that our ultimate sustenance comes from Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "when money failed" signify beyond economic collapse?
Answer: Beyond the literal economic collapse, "when money failed" signifies the complete exhaustion of human self-sufficiency and the end of all conventional means of survival. It represents a point of absolute desperation where people could no longer rely on their own wealth or established systems, forcing them into a state of total dependence on an external provider. Theologically, it powerfully symbolizes the inadequacy of worldly resources in the face of ultimate need, pointing to a deeper, existential need for divine provision. This moment highlights that true security is not found in material possessions but in a higher, unfailing source, echoing themes found in passages like Psalm 62:5-7.
How does Joseph's response in this chapter reflect God's character?
Answer: Joseph's response throughout Genesis 47, including his continued provision even when money failed, profoundly reflects God's character of foresight, compassion, and sovereign provision. Just as God prepared Joseph to save many lives, so too does God proactively provide for His people, often through human instruments, demonstrating His faithfulness and mercy even in times of severe judgment or hardship. Joseph's actions embody the divine attribute of sustaining life, showing that God is not distant but intimately involved in the welfare of His creation, providing for their physical needs even as He works out His greater redemptive plan. His wisdom in managing the crisis is a testament to God's guiding hand, as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Joseph, as the one who held all the grain and distributed it to a dying world, serves as a powerful type of Christ. Just as Joseph was the sole source of physical sustenance in a time of famine, preventing death in Egypt and Canaan, so too is Jesus Christ the exclusive source of spiritual life and eternal bread for a world perishing in spiritual famine (John 6:35). The people's desperate plea to Joseph, "Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence?", echoes humanity's universal cry for salvation and life from Christ, who offers Himself freely when all other human efforts and worldly resources have failed to provide true sustenance. In Christ, the ultimate steward of God's grace, we receive not just temporary relief from earthly hunger but everlasting life, fulfilling the shadow of Joseph's earthly provision. He is the one who satisfies our deepest spiritual hunger, declaring, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst". Through His sacrifice, He became the true manna from heaven, providing eternal nourishment far beyond what Joseph could offer (John 6:48-51).