Bible study online

Genesis 47:17

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Genesis 47:17

Verse 17 of 31

Scripture focus

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.

Genesis 47:17 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Genesis 47:17

Theological / Devotional

For horses. The existence of horses in Egypt proves that the Joseph narrative may not be dated earlier than the Hyksos period, since the horse was unknown there until the Hyksos introduced it (see on ch. 41:43).

For that year. It is not certain which of the seven years of famine is here meant.

Some commentators think that the distribution of seed to farmers the following year (v. 23) shows that that was the seventh year of the famine, and the year in which the cattle were exchanged for food consequently the sixth year. However, it is probable that some planting had been carried on during all the years of famine in fields bordering on the Nile, which would render the reference to seed in vs. 23, 24 of no value as evidence that the last year is here meant. Nevertheless, the year referred to in v. 17 probably fell in the latter part of the period of famine.

By SdaBc