TRV
Translation
King James Version
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:
KJV (with Strong's)
When that year H8141 was ended H8552, they came H935 unto him the second H8145 year H8141, and said H559 unto him, We will not hide H3582 it from my lord H113, how that our money H3701 is spent H8552; my lord H113 also hath H413 our herds H4735 of cattle H929; there is not ought left H7604 in the sight H6440 of my lord H113, but our bodies H1472, and our lands H127:
Complete Jewish Bible
When that year was over, they approached Yosef again and said to him, "We won't hide from my lord that all our money is spent, and the herds of livestock belong to my lord. We have nothing left, as my lord can see, but our bodies and our land.
Berean Standard Bible
When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.
American Standard Version
And when that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide from my lord, how that our money is all spent; and the herds of cattle are my lord’s; there is nought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
World English Bible Messianic
When that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord how our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But when the yeere was ended, they came vnto him the next yeere, and sayd vnto him, We will not hide from my lord, that since our money is spent, and my lord hath the heards of the cattel, there is nothing left in the sight of my lorde, but our bodies and our ground.
Young's Literal Translation
And that year is finished, and they come in unto him on the second year, and say to him, `We do not hide from my lord, that since the money hath been finished, and possession of the cattle is unto my lord, there hath not been left before my lord save our bodies, and our ground;
See also
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 1,439 of 31,102
Study This Verse
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.
Copy as
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.
Copy as
Continue studying Genesis 47:18 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Genesis 47:18 starkly depicts the culmination of the Egyptian famine's devastating impact, revealing a populace utterly depleted of all financial and livestock assets. In a desperate plea for survival, they present themselves and their land to Joseph, acknowledging their complete destitution and absolute reliance on Pharaoh's administration for continued sustenance, thereby illustrating the profound depths of human vulnerability in the face of prolonged crisis.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Genesis 47:18 captures the climactic moment of the Egyptian people's destitution, where their plea to Joseph is marked by transparency and utter vulnerability. The KJV's use of "ought" (an archaic term for "anything") emphasizes that literally no asset remains to them except their physical selves and their land.
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices to convey the gravity of the situation. Pathos is profoundly evident, as the people's desperate confession evokes sympathy and highlights their extreme suffering. Their direct address and stark admission ("We will not hide it... there is not ought left") create a sense of raw Honesty and Transparency, emphasizing their complete vulnerability. The Repetition of "my lord" (three times) underscores Joseph's absolute authority and their complete submission to him. The phrase "our bodies, and our lands" functions as a form of Merism, where two distinct but related parts are mentioned to represent the totality of their remaining possessions, signifying their complete and utter surrender of everything they have left.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 47:18 serves as a profound theological statement on humanity's ultimate dependence on God's provision and the critical role of wise stewardship in times of crisis. The utter destitution of the Egyptians, having exhausted all their earthly resources, underscores the finite nature of human wealth and the necessity of looking beyond self-sufficiency for survival. Joseph's divinely-inspired foresight and administrative skill, which provided the only means of sustenance, point to the broader truth that true provision ultimately flows from God's sovereign hand. This narrative challenges us to consider our own preparedness, not just materially but spiritually, for times of scarcity, and to recognize that even in the most dire circumstances, God can use human agents to preserve life and fulfill His purposes.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 47:18 offers a poignant mirror for contemporary reflection, urging us to consider our own vulnerabilities and where we place our ultimate trust. In a world often driven by accumulation and self-reliance, this verse starkly reminds us that all earthly resources are finite, and true security ultimately rests in a source beyond ourselves. It challenges us to cultivate a posture of humility and dependence, recognizing that even our "bodies and lands"—our very existence and means of livelihood—are ultimately gifts. Furthermore, it prompts us to examine our roles as stewards, both individually and corporately, in managing resources with foresight and compassion, especially for those most vulnerable in society. The resilience and desperate honesty of the Egyptians also inspire us to face our own limitations with candor and to seek help when our own resources are depleted, trusting that provision can come through unexpected channels, often through the wise and compassionate actions of others.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Joseph's economic policy during the famine fair or exploitative?
Answer: Joseph's economic policy, as seen in Genesis 47:13-26, was primarily a pragmatic and life-preserving measure in the face of an unprecedented, seven-year famine. The people willingly offered their assets—money, livestock, land, and ultimately themselves—in exchange for food, acknowledging that Joseph's administration was their only source of survival. From their perspective, it was a necessary exchange to avoid widespread starvation and death. While it resulted in a significant shift in socio-economic structure, centralizing land ownership under Pharaoh and transforming the populace into tenant farmers, it ensured the survival of the entire population. This policy, though leading to increased royal power, was a testament to Joseph's divinely-inspired foresight and administrative skill, preventing a complete societal collapse and mass fatalities.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 47:18, with its vivid portrayal of humanity's utter destitution and desperate surrender for life, powerfully foreshadows the spiritual reality of salvation found in Jesus Christ. Just as the Egyptians, having exhausted all their earthly resources, came to Joseph for physical sustenance, so too does humanity, spiritually bankrupt and utterly unable to save itself, find ultimate provision and eternal life in Christ. Joseph, as the one who held the keys to life-giving grain, serves as a profound type of Christ, who declared Himself to be the "Bread of Life" (see John 6:35). The people's willingness to surrender their bodies and lands for survival mirrors the call to complete surrender to Christ, where we are invited to "lose" our old lives and perceived self-sufficiency in order to truly find life in Him (as taught in Matthew 16:25). In Christ, we find not merely physical preservation but spiritual redemption, forgiveness of sins, and abundant life (see John 10:10), freely given to all who, recognizing their utter spiritual need, come to Him in faith. He is the ultimate "Lord" (as in Romans 10:9) to whom we surrender all, receiving in return not just survival, but eternal flourishing.