“Genesis 47:20-26”

Monday, April 27, 2020

“So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s. As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other. Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, ‘Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land. At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.’ So they said, ‘You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.’ Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“Thus the land became Pharaoh’s.” (verse 20) Even though it was “Joseph” who “bought all the land of Egypt” with his shrewd organization and administration skills, Pharaoh became the rightful owner. “Not only with respect to dominion and government, so it was before, but with respect to property; before, every man's field, and garden, and vineyard were his own, and he was in possession thereof for his own use, but now being sold, were Pharaoh's; and they held them of him, and paid a rent for them in a manner hereafter directed by a law.” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)

“As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.” (verse 21) This obviously does not indicate that 100 percent of the people were removed from all arable acreage because there were still those left with the responsibility to farm Pharaoh’s land and reap the “harvest” (verse 24). But the bulk of the population was removed from the farmlands and transported to the urbanized areas, thus greatly increasing the size and numbers of Egyptian municipalities. This, at least initially, was an act of mercy and compassion considering the fact that the continuing famine rendered the land barren and Joseph had the grain surpluses stored “in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields” (Genesis 41:48).

“Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh…” (verse 22) Since the temple priests received food rations from the king, it was not necessary for them to sell their land to Joseph in exchange for grain. “These lands were inalienable, being endowments by which the temples were supported. The priests for themselves received an annual allowance of provision from the state, and it would evidently have been the height of cruelty to withhold that allowance when their lands were incapable of being tilled.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

“Now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land.” (verse 23) Joseph notified the people who received the seed that he had “bought” them and their “land for Pharaoh,” so all the sowing and harvesting would be done as slaves living on state-owned property. They were permitted to keep four fifths of their harvest to feed themselves and their children, but they were required to “give a fifth to Pharaoh” (verse 24). “The state-controlled land is cultivated by the former landowners, who pay a tax of 20 percent of the harvest in return for the privilege and for the seed allotment. Such an interest rate was not considered excessive in the ancient Near East. During the reign of Hammurabi, for instance, the state’s share of the harvest from administered fields varied between two-thirds and one-half after the deduction of production expenses. An interest rate of 20 percent on money loans was quite common in Babylon, while the rate for loans of produce was usually 33.3 percent.” (Nahum Sarna)

“So they said, ‘You have saved our lives!” (verse 25) The vast majority of the Egyptians were thrilled with and thankful for the new arrangement. “Joseph’s actions cannot be measured by the moral standards that the Hebrew Bible, especially the prophetic tradition, has inculcated in Western civilization. Rather, they must be judged in the context of the ancient Near Eastern world, by whose norms Joseph emerges here as a highly admirable model of a shrewd and successful administrator. Nonetheless, a moral judgment on the situation is subtly introduced into the narrative by shifting the onus of responsibility for the fate of the peasants from Joseph to the Egyptians themselves. The peasants initiate the idea of their own enslavement (v. 19) and even express gratitude when it is implemented!” (Nahum Sarna)

Please read Genesis 47:27-31 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

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