Genesis 41:54
New International Version
and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.

New Living Translation
Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food.

English Standard Version
and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

Berean Standard Bible
the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.

King James Bible
And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

New King James Version
and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

New American Standard Bible
and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

NASB 1995
and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

NASB 1977
and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

Legacy Standard Bible
and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. So there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

Amplified Bible
the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said [they would]; the famine was in all the [surrounding] lands, but in the land of Egypt there was bread (food).

Christian Standard Bible
and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every land, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every country, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.

American Standard Version
And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

Contemporary English Version
and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was not enough food in other countries, but all over Egypt there was plenty.

English Revised Version
And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said: and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the seven years of famine began as Joseph had said they would. All the other countries were experiencing famine. Yet, there was food in Egypt.

Good News Translation
and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every other country, but there was food throughout Egypt.

International Standard Version
the seven years of famine started, just as Joseph had predicted. It was an international famine, but there was food everywhere throughout the land of Egypt.

Majority Standard Bible
the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.

NET Bible
Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.

New Heart English Bible
Then the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was food.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

World English Bible
The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the seven years of famine begin to come, as Joseph said, and famine is in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt has been bread;

Young's Literal Translation
and the seven years of famine begin to come, as Joseph said, and famine is in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt hath been bread;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the seven years of famine will begin to come, according to that Joseph said: and the famine will be in all the lands; and in all the land of Egypt was bread.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The seven years of scarcity, which Joseph had foretold, began to come: and the famine prevailed in the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.

Catholic Public Domain Version
the seven years of destitution, which Joseph had predicted, began to arrive. And the famine prevailed throughout the whole world, but there was bread in all the land of Egypt.

New American Bible
the seven years of famine set in, just as Joseph had said. Although there was famine in all the other countries, food was available throughout the land of Egypt.

New Revised Standard Version
and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every country, but throughout the land of Egypt there was bread.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; and in all the land of Egypt there was no bread.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And seven years of famine began to come according to what Yoseph said, and there was a famine in all lands and in all the land of Egypt there was no bread.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph said; and there was a famine in all the land; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Famine Begins
53When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt. 55When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”…

Cross References
Genesis 41:30
but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land.

Genesis 45:6-7
For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. / God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Genesis 47:13
There was no food, however, in all that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine.

Genesis 42:5
So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.

Genesis 50:20
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Exodus 1:8-11
Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt. / “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. / Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.” ...

Psalm 105:16-17
He called down famine on the land and cut off all their supplies of food. / He sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave.

Acts 7:11-12
Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. / When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.

Genesis 12:10
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.

Genesis 26:1
Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.

Genesis 43:1-2
Now the famine was still severe in the land. / So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

Genesis 47:4
Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.”

2 Kings 8:1
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed that a seven-year famine will come to the land.”

Amos 8:11
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

Matthew 24:7
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.


Treasury of Scripture

And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

the seven.

Genesis 41:3,4,6,7,27
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river…

Genesis 45:11
And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

Psalm 105:16
Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

according.

Genesis 41:30
And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

and the dearth.

Genesis 42:2,5,6
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die…

Genesis 43:1
And the famine was sore in the land.

Genesis 45:11
And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

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Bread Dearth Egypt Famine First Food Joseph Lands Need Seven Short Whole
Genesis 41
1. Pharaoh has two dreams.
9. Joseph interprets them.
33. He gives Pharaoh counsel, and is highly advanced, and married.
46. The seven years of plenty.
50. He begets children.
53. The famine begins.














and the seven years of famine began
This phrase marks the commencement of a significant period in the narrative of Joseph, as well as in the history of Egypt and the surrounding regions. The Hebrew word for "famine" is "רָעָב" (ra'av), which indicates not just a scarcity of food, but a severe and widespread hunger that affects entire populations. Historically, famines were often seen as divine judgments or tests, and in this context, it serves as a fulfillment of the prophecy revealed through Pharaoh's dreams, interpreted by Joseph. This period of famine is pivotal as it sets the stage for the reunification of Joseph with his family and the eventual migration of the Israelites to Egypt.

just as Joseph had said
This phrase underscores the accuracy and reliability of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. Joseph's ability to predict the famine was not due to his own wisdom, but because of divine revelation. The Hebrew name "יוסף" (Yosef) means "He will add," reflecting Joseph's role in adding to the survival and prosperity of Egypt through his God-given insight. This fulfillment of Joseph's prophecy reinforces the theme of God's sovereignty and faithfulness, as well as the importance of obedience and trust in God's plans.

There was famine in all the other lands
The phrase highlights the widespread nature of the famine, affecting not just Egypt but "all the other lands." This indicates a regional catastrophe, which would have had significant economic, social, and political implications. The phrase "all the other lands" suggests that the famine was not limited to Egypt, but extended to Canaan and beyond, affecting the known world at the time. This widespread famine serves as a backdrop for the movement of people and resources, and it is instrumental in bringing Joseph's brothers to Egypt, thus advancing God's redemptive plan for Israel.

but in the whole land of Egypt there was food
This phrase contrasts the dire situation in other lands with the abundance in Egypt, where "there was food." The Hebrew word for "food" is "לֶחֶם" (lechem), which can also mean "bread," symbolizing sustenance and life. This abundance in Egypt is a direct result of Joseph's wise administration and God's providence. It highlights the theme of divine provision and the blessings that come from obedience to God's guidance. Egypt becomes a place of refuge and sustenance, not only for its own people but also for those from surrounding nations, illustrating God's ability to use one faithful individual to bring about widespread blessing and deliverance.

(54) The dearth.--As the Nile at this early period was not assisted and regulated in its overflow by dams and canals, famines were much more common in Egypt than when subsequently the kings had done so much to provide against this danger. As, too, this dearth was "in all lands," in Arabia, Palestine, Ethiopia, &c., there was evidently a long period of excessive drought. Still Egypt is always liable to famine, and Bar Hebraeus (Chronicon, p. 260) gives terrible details of the sufferings of Egypt in the year of the Hej'ra 462, when so great was the loss of life, that whereas in the city of Tanis (Zoan) 300,000 men paid poll-tax in the previous year, there remained in it less than a hundred souls at the end of the dearth.

One argument adduced by Canon Cook, Excursus on the Bearings of Egyptian History on the Pentateuch, p. 451, for placing the descent of the Israelites into Egypt in the reign of Amenemha III., is that it was this monarch who "first established a complete system of dykes, canals, locks, and reservoirs, by which the inundations of the Nile were henceforth regulated." The artificial lake of Moeris was also made by his orders, and other works of extraordinary vastness. Now not only would such works be suggested by a dearth of unusually long continuance, but the measures taken by Joseph during the seven years of famine would place the whole resources of the country at the Pharaoh's disposal.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
the seven
שֶׁ֣בַע (še·ḇa‘)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

years
שְׁנֵ֤י (šə·nê)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 8141: A year

of famine
הָרָעָב֙ (hā·rā·‘āḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

began,
וַתְּחִלֶּ֜ינָה (wat·tə·ḥil·le·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

just as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Joseph
יוֹסֵ֑ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

had said.
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

And although there was
וַיְהִ֤י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

famine
רָעָב֙ (rā·‘āḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

in every
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

country,
הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת (hā·’ă·rā·ṣō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 776: Earth, land

there was
הָ֥יָה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

food
לָֽחֶם׃ (lā·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

throughout
וּבְכָל־ (ū·ḇə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the land
אֶ֥רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Egypt.
מִצְרַ֖יִם (miṣ·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa


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OT Law: Genesis 41:54 The seven years of famine began (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 41:53
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