Genesis 47:21
New International Version
and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other.

New Living Translation
As for the people, he made them all slaves, from one end of Egypt to the other.

English Standard Version
As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other.

Berean Standard Bible
and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other.

King James Bible
And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

New King James Version
And as for the people, he moved them into the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end.

New American Standard Bible
As for the people, he relocated them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.

NASB 1995
As for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.

NASB 1977
And as for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.

Legacy Standard Bible
As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end.

Amplified Bible
And as for the people, he relocated them [temporarily] to cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.

Christian Standard Bible
and Joseph made the people servants from one end of Egypt to the other.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and Joseph moved the people to the cities from one end of Egypt to the other.

American Standard Version
And as for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

Contemporary English Version
and made everyone the king's slaves,

English Revised Version
And as for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
All over Egypt Joseph moved the people to the cities.

Good News Translation
Joseph made slaves of the people from one end of Egypt to the other.

International Standard Version
Then Joseph transported the people to cities from one end of Egypt to the other.

Majority Standard Bible
and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other.

NET Bible
Joseph made all the people slaves from one end of Egypt's border to the other end of it.

New Heart English Bible
And as for the people, he subjugated them as slaves from one end of the border of Egypt to the other end of it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

World English Bible
As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end of it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
as for the people, he has removed them to cities from the [one] end of the border of Egypt even to its [other] end.

Young's Literal Translation
as to the people he hath removed them to cities from the one end of the border of Egypt even unto its other end.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the people, he made them pass over to the cities from the extremity of the bounds of Egypt, and even to the extremity.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to the other end thereof,

Catholic Public Domain Version
along with all of its people, from the newest borders of Egypt, even to its furthest limits,

New American Bible
and the people were reduced to slavery, from one end of Egypt’s territory to the other.

New Revised Standard Version
As for the people, he made slaves of them from one end of Egypt to the other.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And as for the people, he removed them from town to town from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end thereof.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he moved the people from town to town from one end of the border of Egypt and unto the other.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And as for the people, he removed them city by city, from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he brought the people into bondage to him, for servants, from one extremity of Egypt to the other,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph's Leadership During the Famine
20So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s, 21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other. 22However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land.…

Cross References
Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Exodus 1:13-14
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly / and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

Leviticus 25:23-24
The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and residents with Me. / Thus for every piece of property you possess, you must provide for the redemption of the land.

Leviticus 25:39-41
If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. / Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. / Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers.

Deuteronomy 15:12-15
If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. / And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. / You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. ...

Deuteronomy 28:68
The LORD will return you to Egypt in ships by a route that I said you should never see again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”

1 Samuel 8:11-17
He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots. / He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. / And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ...

1 Kings 9:22
But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry.

2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 25:11
Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population.

Nehemiah 5:4-5
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. / We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

Isaiah 5:13
Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.

Jeremiah 34:13-14
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying: / Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.

Ezekiel 30:12
I will make the streams dry up and sell the land to the wicked. By the hands of foreigners I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Acts 7:10-11
and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household. / Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.


Treasury of Scripture

And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

A.

to cities.

Genesis 41:48
And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

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Border Borders Cities City Egypt Egypt's End Joseph Moved Reduced Removed Servants Servitude Slaves Thereof
Genesis 47
1. Joseph presents his father, and five of his brothers before Pharaoh.
11. He gives them habitation and maintenance.
13. He gets the Egyptian's money;
16. their cattle;
18. and their lands, except the priests', to Pharaoh.
23. He restores the land for a fifth.
28. Jacob's age.
29. He swears Joseph to bury him with his fathers.














And as for the people
This phrase refers to the Egyptian populace during the time of Joseph. In the Hebrew text, the word for "people" is "עָם" (am), which often denotes a collective group or nation. Historically, this reflects the widespread impact of the famine that had struck Egypt, affecting not just the Israelites but the entire Egyptian nation. Theologically, it underscores the idea that God's providence and plans often encompass entire communities, not just individuals.

he relocated them
The Hebrew verb used here is "הֶעֱבִיר" (he'evir), which means to transfer or move. This action by Joseph was a strategic response to the severe famine, ensuring that the people were situated in areas where they could be sustained. From a conservative Christian perspective, this can be seen as an example of wise stewardship and governance, reflecting Joseph's God-given wisdom in managing resources and people during a crisis.

to cities
The relocation to cities suggests a centralization of the population. In ancient Egypt, cities were centers of administration and resource distribution. This move would have facilitated the efficient distribution of food and resources during the famine. Archaeologically, this aligns with what is known about ancient Egyptian urban planning and governance. Spiritually, it can be seen as a metaphor for how God sometimes moves His people into new situations to fulfill His purposes.

from one end of Egypt to the other
This phrase indicates the comprehensive nature of the relocation, covering the entire land of Egypt. The Hebrew expression "מִקְצֵה" (miqtzeh) means "from the end" or "extremity," emphasizing the vastness of the operation. Historically, this reflects the centralized power of Pharaoh and the administrative capabilities of Joseph. In a broader scriptural context, it highlights the theme of God's sovereignty over nations and His ability to orchestrate events on a grand scale for His purposes.

(21) He removed them to cities.--Joseph's object in this measure was most merciful. As the corn was stored up in the cities, the people would be sure of nourishment only if they were in the immediate neighbourhood of the food. As a consequence, possibly, of Joseph's policy, the number of cities in the Valley of the Nile became so enormous that Herodotus computes them at 20,000. Thus the people would not dwell at any distance from their lands, while it would be impossible for them to reside actually on their plots of ground, as these every year are overflowed by the Nile.

Verse 21. - And as for the people, he removed them - not enslaved them, converted them into serfs and bondmen to Pharaoh (LXX., Vulgate), but simply transferred them, caused them to pass over - to cities - not from cities to cities, as if changing their populations (Onkelos, Rosenmüller, Kalisch), but either from the country districts to the towns (Targums Jonathan and Jerusalem, Lange, Schumann, Gerlach, Murphy), or according to the cities, i.e. in which the grain had been previously collected (Keil) - from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. Not that the people were transported from one side of the country to the other as a high stroke of policy to complete their subjugation (Jarchi, Grotius, Rosenmüller, Kalisch, and others), but that throughout the land they were moved into the nearest cities, as a considerate and even merciful arrangement for the more efficiently supplying them with food (Calvin, Keil, Lange, Wordsworth, Speaker's Commentary).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and Joseph reduced
הֶעֱבִ֥יר (he·‘ĕ·ḇîr)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

the people
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

to servitude
לֶעָרִ֑ים (le·‘ā·rîm)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

from one end
מִקְצֵ֥ה (miq·ṣêh)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7097: End, extremity

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

to
וְעַד־ (wə·‘aḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the other.
קָצֵֽהוּ׃ (qā·ṣê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7097: End, extremity


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OT Law: Genesis 47:21 As for the people he moved them (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 47:20
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