Genesis 45:6 · Bible study
Genesis 45:6 Commentary: The Famine's Duration and God's Sovereign Plan
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Joseph's precise timeline of the famine years demonstrates God's sovereign timing and the urgent need for Jacob's family to move to Egypt.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Joseph tells his brothers that the famine has already lasted two years and will continue for five more years, with no possibility of farming.
- Key words: “Plowing” (ḥarîš) and “harvest” (qāṣîr), a pair that covers all agricultural work. “Famine” (rāʿāv), severe food shortage.
- Main debate: Whether the statement is fully literal (no farming at all) or somewhat qualified (some sowing near the Nile, as Gill notes). Most agree it means near-total agricultural failure.
- Theological theme: God's sovereign control over natural events and history, using the famine to preserve the covenant family.
- Best use: Teaching on God's providence, the purpose of trials, and the call to trust God's timing and provision.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are yet five years, in which there will be no plowing and no harvest.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Because these two years the famine is in the heart of the land, and yet are five years, in which there is neither ploughing nor harvest;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For the famine has been these two years in the land; and yet there are five years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For it is two years since the famine began to be upon the land, and five years more remain, wherein there can be neither ploughing nor reaping.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Que ya ha habido dos años de hambre en medio de la tierra, y aun quedan cinco años en que ni habrá arada ni siega.
Que já houve dois anos de fome em meio da terra, e ainda restam cinco anos em que nem haverá arada nem colheita.
Voilà deux ans que la famine est dans le pays; et pendant cinq années encore, il n’ y aura ni labour, ni moisson.
Denn dies sind zwei Jahre, daß es teuer im Lande ist; und sind noch fünf Jahre, daß kein Pflügen und Ernten sein wird.
Want het zijn nu twee jaren des hongers in het midden des lands; en er zijn nog vijf jaren, in welke geen ploeging noch oogst zijn zal.
Infatti, sono due anni che la carestia è nel paese; e ce ne saranno altri cinque, durante i quali non ci sarà né aratura né mèsse.
Bo już dwa lata głodu było na ziemi, a jeszcze pięć lat zostaje, których nie będą orać ani żąć.
ибо теперь два года голода на земле: [остается] еще пять лет, в которые ни орать, ни жать не будут;
現在 這 地 的饑荒 已經 二年了，還有 五 年 不能 耕種，不能收成。
For these two years have been years of need, and there are still five more years to come in which there will be no ploughing or cutting of grain.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 45:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Joseph's statement serves both a practical and a theological purpose. Adam Clarke notes that “no plowing and harvest” meant the Nile would not rise above twelve cubits, making agriculture impossible. Matthew Henry stresses that Joseph gives the exact remaining years to show God's detailed plan: the famine will last exactly seven years, with two already past and five still to come. The Cambridge Bible adds that the phrase “neither plowing nor harvest” is a general description of agricultural ruin, confirming the drought's severity. Gill further explains that even the Nile’s banks would yield little, and the ground was too hard to plow. All these details emphasize that Joseph speaks with divine authority, knowing the precise timeline because God revealed it. This leaves no doubt that the family's move to Egypt is not optional but necessary for survival. The consensus is clear: the specific numbers and the cessation of farming highlight God's control over nature and history, making Joseph's invitation to move both urgent and wise.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse provides a factual update on the famine's length and severity, making clear that the family cannot survive in Canaan and must move to Egypt where Joseph has stored grain.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The severity of the agricultural collapse | Christians agree the famine made normal plowing and harvest impossible, causing extreme hardship. | Some commentators (like Gill) note that Egyptians may have sown seed near the Nile and obtained sparse crops, while others take the description as absolute 'no plowing or harvest.' |
| The purpose of the famine | All traditions see the famine as part of God's plan to bring Jacob's family to Egypt and preserve them. | Some emphasize judgment on the region, others focus on preservation of the patriarchs; both are affirmed in the broader narrative. |
| The historicity of the seven-year famine | The text treats the famine as a real historical event, and most believers accept it as such. | Critical scholars sometimes question the exact seven-year pattern, viewing it as literary structuring, while conservative Christians hold to its literal accuracy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
By the time Joseph speaks in Genesis 45:6, the famine has been devastating the ancient Near East for two years. The backdrop is Pharaoh's dreams, which Joseph interpreted as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine (Genesis 41:29, 31). Egypt's agriculture depended on the Nile's annual flood. When the river failed to rise sufficiently, typically below the critical twelve-cubit mark, the land could not be irrigated or plowed, and harvests failed. Joseph's storehouse program during the seven good years allowed Egypt to survive, but neighbouring regions, including Canaan where Jacob's family lived, had no such reserves.
The phrase “no plowing and no harvest” is a stark witness to total agricultural collapse. The Hebrew word for plowing (ḥarîš) appears alongside “earing” in older English versions (from the Anglo-Saxon erian, to plow). The Cambridge Bible notes this was a stock phrase for all field work, as seen in Exodus 34:21 and Deuteronomy 21:4. Gill comments that even the banks of the Nile might be sown, but the yield would be meagre. The five remaining years meant no crops at all, so families in Canaan faced starvation. Joseph's detailed timeline, two years past, five more ahead, underscores that the drought is not over. His invitation to live in Goshen, a fertile region in Lower Egypt (Lange mentions the province of Scharkijah), was a lifeline. God's sovereignty over the famine's length and severity made Joseph's position as ruler and provider essential for preserving the covenant family.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew manuscripts are consistent. The phrase “neither plowing nor harvest” appears in all major traditions. The only variation is in English translations: older versions use “earing” (meaning plowing), while modern versions use “plowing.” This is a translation choice, not a textual issue.
Reception History
Pre-modern commentators, including the Geneva Bible and Matthew Henry, focused on the desperate condition of the land and how it magnified God's provision through Joseph. The phrase “no earing nor harvest” remained in English Bibles for centuries, and older writers used it to illustrate total ruin and dependence on God. In the Reformation period, the verse was read as a proof of God's sovereignty over nature, the drought lasted exactly as long as God decreed. Modern expositors continue to highlight the theological significance: the famine's duration was known only because God revealed it to Joseph, confirming his role as a prophet and provider. The verse has been used in sermons on waiting on God's timing and on recognising the severity of spiritual famine apart from Christ.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's timing is precise. Joseph gives exact numbers: two years already, five more to come. The famine is not random; God set its duration. Sermon point: God knows the exact length of every trial we face.
- Trouble has a purpose. The famine that ruined the land was also the means God used to reunite Joseph with his brothers and save the family. Even agricultural disaster can be part of God's redemptive plan.
- God's provision is timely. Joseph already has grain stored. The move to Egypt is the appointed way to survive. Application: we need to take the steps God provides, not wait passively.
Five-point outline
- The context of the famine: it was prophesied and now confirmed
- The severity of the famine: no plowing or harvest means complete agricultural failure
- The specificity of the timeline: two years past, five to go
- The revelation of God's hand: Joseph uses the famine to show God sent him ahead
- The call to action: the family must move to Egypt to be saved
Illustration hooks
- Weather forecast. Imagine a meteorologist predicting a drought that lasts exactly seven years. People would dismiss it until it came true. Joseph's credibility came from God's revealed word.
- Family reunion under duress. Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring a broken family together. The famine forced Jacob's sons to go to Egypt, the very place where forgiveness and provision waited.
- A farmer's despair. A farmer who cannot plow or harvest for five years would watch his livelihood vanish. That was the reality for Egypt and Canaan, but for Joseph's family, it led to preservation.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did the famine actually last that long? Yes. The Bible records it as seven years total, and Joseph's statement confirms it.
- Why didn't God just end the famine earlier? The timing served multiple purposes, testing the brothers, reuniting the family, and demonstrating God's power over nature and nations.
- How do I know God is in control during my own “famines”? The same God who set the seven years also sent Joseph ahead with provision. He is working ahead of our troubles.
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the heart of Joseph's self-revelation to his brothers. It connects the prophetic dream interpretation, the years of drought, and the urgent call for the family to come to Egypt. As you read it together, notice how Joseph's precise language shows God's hand in every detail.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What two numbers does Joseph mention in verse 6, and what do they tell us about the famine? (Two years already, five years remaining, total seven.)
- Observation: Why does Joseph specify “no plowing and no harvest”? What would that mean for farmers and families living in Canaan?
- Interpretation: How does Joseph's accurate knowledge of the remaining famine years prove that he is speaking God's words, not his own?
- Interpretation: Read Genesis 45:7, 8. How does Joseph frame the famine in terms of God's purpose rather than human failure?
- Application: Joseph's brothers had to physically move to Egypt to receive the provision. What are some ways God calls us to move, physically, relationally, or spiritually, to receive His provision?
- Application: If you were one of Joseph's brothers, would you have trusted that the famine would last five more years? What does this say about trusting God's revealed timeline even when it seems long?
- Reflection: Where in your own story has a hard time turned out to be part of a larger plan to bring you closer to God or to help someone else?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 41:29 | Behold, seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt are coming. |
| Genesis 41:31 | and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous. |
| Genesis 41:54 | The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. |
| Genesis 41:56 | The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt. |
| Genesis 47:18 | 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. |
| Genesis 47:23 | 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. |
| Exodus 34:21 | “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. |
| Deuteronomy 21:4 | The elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke clarifies that "earing" refers to ploughing or seed-time, not harvesting grain. He notes that while the famine meant no normal seed-time or harvest, the Egyptians still came to Joseph for seed, suggesting some limited sowing along the Nile produced a meager crop.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the phrase "neither plowing nor harvest" is a general expression covering all farm work, not just two separate activities. The drought made the ground too hard to break, and there was not even seed grain left for sowing. The land would produce nothing at all for five more years.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
For the Geneva commentators, the detail matters: two years of famine have already passed, and five more are still ahead — seven total — with absolutely no plowing or harvest during that entire period. They emphasize the precise length of the disaster yet to come.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains that during the remaining five famine years, no plowing or harvest would occur. The drought from the Nile's failure made the soil nearly impossible to cultivate, and without seed corn to spare, any attempt to sow would be futile since nothing could sprout.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that the old English word "earing" means ploughing. This detail supports the idea that Egypt's famine came from a severe drought that stopped the Nile's annual flooding, leaving the ground too dry for sowing seed.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the brothers' journey as a moral trial proving their repentance, especially toward Benjamin. Judah's offer to substitute himself for Benjamin shows his self-sacrifice, causing Joseph to reveal himself. The story highlights God's providence turning their evil deed into a means of preserving life.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes Joseph’s immediate recognition that God orchestrated the entire sequence of events to save lives during the coming famine. He notes that Joseph frames his brothers’ betrayal not as a human crime but as divine providence, viewing himself as an instrument sent ahead to preserve their lineage. This perspective allows him to offer forgiveness without bitterness, attributing his rise in Egypt directly to God’s sovereign plan for deliverance.