Joseph Manages the Famine – Genesis 47:13-31

In Ancient Land Law:  Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, Ellickson and Thorland contend that “The amount of crown-owned land appears to have fluctuated widely over time” but that “the pharaonic palace owned considerable agricultural land during the Old and Middle Kingdoms.”  Biblical timelines put Israel going down to Egypt in the 1800’s BC and leaving in 1440 BC (from the middle of the Middle Kingdom period to the middle of the New Kingdom period.  This is yet again another indicator of accuracy of the Biblical record and in agreement with the account given in our passage today.

[13] Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished 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, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. [15] And 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 food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” [16] And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” [17] So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. [18] And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. [19] Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

[20] So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. [21] As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. [22] Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

[23] Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. [24] And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” [25] And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” [26] So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.

[27] Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. [28] And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

[29] And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, [30] but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” [31] And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed. (Genesis 47:13–31, ESV)

Joseph first acquires great monetary wealth for Pharaoh by selling the stored food to Egyptians and Canaanites.  Then, when all their money is gone, the Egyptians buy food with their herds.  They continue to raise their herds, but the herds belong to Pharaoh.  Finally they must give him their land and selves to Pharaoh for food, becoming, in effect, indentured servants to Pharaoh.  They are given seed to plant and must give a fifth of their crop to Pharaoh.  Joseph makes Pharaoh incredibly wealthy, but he also saves Egypt and Canaan from starvation.  He especially saves his family.

Israel gains possessions in Egypt, in Goshen, land they did not possess in Canaan, and they are fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28).  God has used Egypt as an incubator for this fledgling nation.  Jacob lives there seventeen years, past the time of the famine.  Though his family is prospering in Egypt, his mind is on Canaan, and he asks a pledge from Joseph that upon his death he will be returned there for burial.  That is the land Yahweh has promised to his family.  It will take a severe motivation for Israel to leave and return to Canaan (see Exodus).

Jacob/Israel marks the fulfillment of Yahweh’s promises and goodness to him by bowing on his bed and worshiping Yahweh.  He sees God’s hand in everything that has happened to him.  God is fulfilling His purposes for this family He made covenant with.