Genesis 47:17

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
brought	וַיָּבִ֣יאוּ vai.ya.Vi.'u	H935	to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
cattle	מִקְנֵיהֶם֮ mik.nei.Hem	H4735	something bought · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
Joseph	יוֹסֵף֒ yo.Sef	H3130	Joseph · proper noun, a man's name
Joseph	יוֹסֵ֨ף yo.Sef	H3130	Joseph · proper noun, a man's name
gave	וַיִּתֵּ֣ן vai.yi.Ten	H5414	to give · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
bread	לֶ֜חֶם Le.chem	H3899	food (for man or beast) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
horses	בַּסּוּסִ֗ים ba.su.Sim	H5483	a horse (as leaping) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
flocks	הַצֹּ֛אן ha.Tzon	H6629	a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats) · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
cattle	וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה u.ve.mik.Neh	H4735	something bought · conjunction + preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
herds	הַבָּקָ֖ר ha.ba.Kar	H1241	beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gen… · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
asses	וּבַחֲמֹרִ֑ים u.va.cha.mo.Rim	H2543	a male ass (from its dun red) · conjunction + preposition with the article + noun, common both genders plural absolute
fed	וַיְנַהֲלֵ֤ם vay.na.ha.Lem	H5095	properly · conjunction + verb, piel sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
bread	בַּלֶּ֙חֶם֙ ba.Le.chem	H3899	food (for man or beast) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
cattle	וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה u.ve.mik.Neh	H4735	something bought · conjunction + preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
year	בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה ba.sha.Nah	H8141	a year (as a revolution of time) · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Exodus 9:3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and…
1 Kings 10:28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
Isaiah 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they…
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Y…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 47:13-26

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…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 47:16

And Joseph said, Give your cattle--"This was the wisest course that could be adopted for the preservation both of the people and the cattle, which, being bought by Joseph, was supported at the royal expense, and very likely returned to the people at the end of the famine, to enable them to resume their agricultural labors."

Adam Clarke on Genesis 47:16

Give your cattle - This was the wisest measure that could be adopted, both for the preservation of the people and of the cattle also. As the people had not grain for their own sustenance, consequently they could have none for their cattle; hence the cattle were in the most imminent danger of starving; and the people also were in equal danger, as they must have divided a portion of that bought for themselves with the cattle, which for the sake of tillage, etc., they wished of course to preserve till the seven years of famine should end. The cattle being bought by Joseph were supported at the royal expense, and very likely returned to the people at the end of the famine; for how else could the…

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John Gill on Genesis 47:17

And they brought their cattle unto Joseph,.... Which they might the more readily do, since there was scarce any grass to feed them with; and though some of them were creatures used for food, yet might be so lean and poor for want of grass, as not to be fit to eat; and besides, they could do better without flesh than without bread: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses; with which Egypt abounded, to which many places of Scripture have respect, Deuteronomy 17:16, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds; the sheep and the oxen; which shows that these creatures were bred and fed by them, and were, no doubt, slain, and used for food: and for the asses; which were used f…

Dictionary and topics

Herd — Gen. 13:5; Deut. 7:14. (See CATTLE.)
Herdsman — In Egypt herdsmen were probably of the lowest caste. Some of Joseph’s brethren were made rulers over Pharaoh’s cattle (Gen. 47:6, 17). The Israelites were known in Egypt as “keepers of cattle;” and…
Egypt · History of Israel in: Joseph enriches the king — History of Israel in: Joseph enriches the king
Extortion · (grain) — (grain)
Horse, The · Notice of early traffic in — Notice of early traffic in
Money · Silver used as — Silver used as
Statecraft · .Joseph — .Joseph
Usurpation · and per — and per

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Genesis 47:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 47:13-26

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 47:16

Adam Clarke on Genesis 47:16

John Gill on Genesis 47:17

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 47:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 47:13-26

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 47:16

Adam Clarke on Genesis 47:16

John Gill on Genesis 47:17

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Genesis 47:16-17

Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 47:13-27

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 47:13-26

Rashi on Genesis 47:17