Genesis 47:18-20 · Bible study
Genesis 47:18-20 Commentary: Joseph's Land Purchase in Famine
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of 'the second year' in the famine narrative, the voluntary land sale, and Joseph's role in Egypt's economic survival.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Joseph buys all Egypt's land for Pharaoh after the people volunteer to sell themselves and their land for food and seed.
- Key words: 'Second year' (H8145), timing; 'buy' (H7069), transaction; 'servants' (H5650), status change.
- Main debate: Whether 'the second year' refers to the second year of the famine or the second year after money and livestock were exhausted.
- Theological theme: God's providential preservation of life through wise stewardship, even for those outside Israel.
- Best use: Teaching on crisis leadership, God's care for the desperate, and the moral complexity of survival decisions.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
18When 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.
19Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”
20So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s,
WEB World English Bible 2000
18When 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.
19Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.”
20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Pharaoh’s.
KJV King James Version 1769
18When 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:
19Wherefore 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.
20And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
18And 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:
19wherefore should 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, and that the land be not desolate.
20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them: and the land became Pharaoh’s.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
18And 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;
19why do we die before thine eyes, both we and our ground? buy us and our ground for bread, and we and our ground are servants to Pharaoh; and give seed, and we live, and die not, and the ground is not desolate.'
20And Joseph buyeth all the ground of Egypt for Pharaoh, for the Egyptians have sold each his field, for the famine hath been severe upon them, and the land becometh Pharaoh's;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
18And that year ended; and they came to him the second year, and said to him, We will not hide [it] from my lord that since [our] money is come to an end, and the herds of cattle are in the possession of my lord, nothing is left before my lord but our bodies and our land.
19Why should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen to Pharaoh; and give seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.
20And Joseph bought all the soil of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them; and the land became Pharaoh's.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
18And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands.
19Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king's servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.
20So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it into Pharao's hands:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 47:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage describes the voluntary sale by the Egyptians of their land and themselves to Pharaoh in exchange for food during the severe famine. The people propose the transaction themselves (Clarke, Gill, Cambridge Bible), and Joseph does not coerce or trick them. The second year (v.18) is understood as the year after the Egyptians had exhausted their money and livestock, likely the sixth or seventh year of the famine overall (Clarke, Gill). The proceeds go to Pharaoh, not Joseph personally, and the terms include seed for planting, a 20% tax on harvests, and a return to land stewardship (v.23-24). Calvin defends Joseph's actions as prudent statecraft given the crisis, while the Cambridge Bible notes that from a modern perspective it looks like tyranny, but for an ancient Near Eastern people it was a clever solution to prevent total collapse. There is broad agreement that the narrative is a survival story, not a moral condemnation of Joseph.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Second year of the famine view: Gill and some Jewish commentators read 'second year' as the seventh and final year of the famine, with 'second' referencing a separate count from the people's distress.
- Second year after money failed view: Calvin and others argue that 'the second year' is from when money was exhausted, not from the start of the famine, placing the event at the sixth or seventh year of the famine.
What is clear: The famine was severe, the people initiated the sale of themselves and their land, and Joseph provided seed to preserve both life and land from devastation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The timing of 'the second year' | It marks a distinct phase after money and livestock have been exhausted, in the latter part of the seven-year famine. | Some commentators (e.g., Gill, Clarke) identify it as the seventh year of the famine. Others (e.g., Calvin) see it as the second year after the failure of money, not necessarily the seventh winter. |
| Joseph's character | Joseph acted for Pharaoh, not for personal gain, and did not force the people to sell; they volunteered. | Christians differ on whether this system of land confiscation was praiseworthy statecraft or exploitative. Calvin defends it as necessary; the Cambridge Bible calls it 'outrageous tyranny' if judged by modern standards. |
| The role of seed | Joseph gave the people seed to plant, ensuring future harvests and preventing land desolation. | Some see this as a benevolent provision; others note that the 20% tax (v.24) still made the people tenants, not freeholders. |
| The priests' exemption | The priests did not sell their land because Pharaoh provided for them separately (v.22). | No significant debate; this detail is accepted as part of the historical record showing a privileged class. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Genesis 47:18-20 comes near the end of the seven-year famine Joseph had predicted in Pharaoh's dreams (Gen 41). By this point, the famine had been severe for several years. Earlier in chapter 47, the Egyptians had first spent all their money to buy grain (v.14). When that ran out, they traded their livestock (v.16-17). Now in the passage, the people come a second time, meaning the second year after their money was exhausted, likely the seventh and final year of the famine (Gill, Clarke). They offer their bodies and land for bread and seed.
In the ancient Near East, land was not normally sold permanently; it stayed within families or clans. But here, desperation overrides custom. The people plead directly: buy us and our land for bread, and we will be servants to Pharaoh. This is not a demand from Joseph; it is their idea. Joseph's response is to buy all the land for Pharaoh, but he also provides seed (v.23) and imposes a 20% tax (v.24). The land becomes the king's property, and the people become tenant farmers who keep 80% of the harvest. This system endured for generations, a pragmatic centralization of resources during a crisis. The priests are exempt because Pharaoh had already provided for them (v.22). The narrative does not criticize Joseph: the people themselves declare, “Thou hast saved our lives” (v.25).
The “second year” detail is crucial for timing: it shows that Joseph's policy of exchanging grain for assets was gradual, not sudden, and allowed the Egyptians to survive through the worst of the famine.
Textual Notes
The supplied translations (KJV, WEB, BSB, etc.) show no significant textual variants in Genesis 47:18-20. The Hebrew text is stable. The LXX reading of v.18 translates 'we will not hide' as 'lest we be utterly ruined,' which the Cambridge Bible notes as a misunderstanding of the Hebrew. This does not affect the meaning of the passage. No other ancient manuscripts differ substantively.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this passage has been read as a model of wise stewardship and as a morally ambiguous episode. Calvin used it to defend Joseph's actions as necessary for survival, arguing that the people voluntarily offered themselves and Joseph did not abuse his power. Matthew Henry saw it as a demonstration of God's providence preserving Egypt and later sheltering Israel. Some early church fathers, like Chrysostom, emphasized Joseph's compassion in not letting the people perish. In the Reformation, the story was cited in debates about civil authority and property rights. Modern readers often criticize the outcome as feudal, while evangelical and Catholic interpreters focus on God's faithfulness in crisis. The passage remains a touchstone for discussions of economic ethics in times of scarcity.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- When everything is gone: The Egyptians exhaust money and livestock, then offer their land and bodies. Desperation drives them to surrender everything for survival (v.18).
- Mercy in exchange: Joseph does not exploit their desperation but provides seed for the future, showing that God's wisdom through Joseph preserved both life and land from desolation (v.19).
- A new order: The land becomes Pharaoh's, but the people are not destroyed, they become tenants with a share of the harvest. God’s provision creates a sustainable system despite crisis (v.20).
Five-point outline
- The crisis deepens: Money and livestock gone; only bodies and land remain (v.18).
- The people’s proposal: They ask to be bought with bread, offering themselves and their land as servants (v.19).
- Joseph’s response: He buys all the land for Pharaoh, not for himself, and gives seed (v.20, 23).
- Provision for the future: A tax system of 20% ensures ongoing survival and prevents desolation (v.24).
- The people’s gratitude: They acknowledge Joseph saved their lives (v.25).
Illustration hooks
- A family that sold their home and moved to a smaller apartment after a job loss, choosing survival over pride.
- A community after a natural disaster, pooling resources and temporarily surrendering assets for emergency relief.
- A business owner who gave up equity in their company to keep it alive during an economic downturn.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was Joseph being unfair by taking the land? Is this just a story about bad government?
- Why did God let the famine get so severe before providing a solution?
- What does this passage teach about God’s care for people in times of scarcity?
Leading a Discussion
These verses show the end of a long process of survival through famine. The people have no more money or animals. They come voluntarily to offer their land and their bodies. Joseph, acting for Pharaoh, buys everything and gives them seed. How do we read this story? It raises questions about government, trust, and God’s provision in hard times. Discuss together.
Discussion questions
- What does the willingness of the Egyptians to sell themselves and their land tell you about the severity of the famine?
- The people propose the transaction, not Joseph. Why might that detail matter for how we judge Joseph's actions?
- How does Joseph's choice to give seed (v.23) change the outcome? What does it reveal about his long-term thinking?
- What does this story suggest about God's care for people who are not part of the covenant family (Egyptians)?
- Compare the Egyptians' response to scarcity with Israel's complaints in the wilderness. What attitudes are different?
- In what ways does this narrative challenge our assumptions about economic fairness and survival?
- How can we apply the principle of “providing for a future harvest” even when resources are scarce today?
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)
| II Kings 6:26 | As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” |
| Jeremiah 38:9 | “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.” |
| Nehemiah 5:2 | For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” |
| Nehemiah 5:3 | There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.” |
| Job 2:4 | Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. |
| Lamentations 1:11 | All her people sigh. They seek bread. They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh their soul. “Look, Yahweh, and see, for I have become despised.” |
| Lamentations 5:6 | We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. |
| Lamentations 5:9 | We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness. |
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 notes that the Egyptians came to Joseph at the crisis point where the famine's seventh and final year required sowing the land for the eighth-year harvest. He draws a parallel to practices in India and Burma, where famine or debt drove families to sell themselves as slaves.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin defends Joseph against charges of exploiting the Egyptians' desperation. He argues that Joseph used no fraud, force, or threats; the people voluntarily offered their lands. Calvin emphasizes that Joseph acted with equity, granting personal liberty while acquiring only the fields for the king at a just price.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible observes that the Egyptians themselves proposed surrendering their land and freedom to Pharaoh, emphasizing Joseph's unquestioned authority and popularity. The commentary highlights the cultural contrast: what ancient Orientals considered a masterstroke of cleverness appears to modern readers as an outrageous act of tyranny.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The notes highlight how the Egyptians, having exhausted their money and livestock, offer their bodies and land in exchange for seed to survive. Joseph’s acquisition of all Egyptian territory for Pharaoh is presented as a direct result of this desperate bargain, effectively transferring ownership of the entire nation’s soil to the crown during the famine.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the Egyptians, having spent their money and cattle in previous years, finally surrendered their bodies and land to secure seed for planting. He emphasizes that this transaction transformed Egypt’s property structure, making Pharaoh the sole owner while the people became his tenants. This shift ensured agricultural survival despite the famine's severity.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange interprets Joseph’s acquisition of Egyptian land as a divinely sanctioned preparation for Israel’s future return to Canaan. He argues that while Pharaoh gained control over territory and people, this arrangement preserved the distinct identity of Jacob’s family under God’s protection. This temporary settlement in Goshen serves as a symbolic pre-representation of the eventual exodus and restoration of the nation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights how Joseph’s policy systematically transferred wealth and land from the people to Pharaoh through a staged exchange of money, livestock, and finally personal freedom. He notes the specific exemption for priests, whose lands were not seized because they already received a fixed allowance directly from the crown, leaving them economically independent of this new system.