Genesis 47:17
And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses and he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle.
Open Genesis 47:17 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Quæ cum adduxissent, dedit eis alimenta pro equis, et ovibus, et bobus, et asinis : sustentavitque eos illo anno pro commutatione pecorum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἤγαγον δὲ τὰ κτήνη πρὸς Ἰωσήφ, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς Ἰωσὴφ ἄρτους ἀντὶ τῶν ἵππων καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν προβάτων καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν βοῶν καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν ὄνων· καὶ ἐξέθρεψεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἄρτοις ἀντὶ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ ἐκείνῳ.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיָּבִ֣יאוּ אֶת מִקְנֵיהֶם֮ אֶל יוֹסֵף֒ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן לָהֶם֩ יוֹסֵ֨ף לֶ֜חֶם בַּסּוּסִ֗ים וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה הַצֹּ֛אן וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה הַבָּקָ֖ר וּבַחֲמֹרִ֑ים וַיְנַהֲלֵ֤ם בַּלֶּ֨חֶם֙ בְּכָל מִקְנֵהֶ֔ם בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַהִֽוא
The Fathers on this verse
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter XVI. Due measure must be observed in liberality, that it may not be expended on worthless persons, when it is needed by worthier ones. However, alms are not to be given in too sparing and hesitating a way. One ought rather to follow the example of the blessed Joseph, whose prudence is commended at great length
80. First of all, then, he gathered up their money, then their implements, last of all he acquired for the king all their rights to the ground. He did not wish to deprive all of them of their property, but to support them in it. He also imposed a general tax, that they might hold their own in safety. So pleasing was this to all from whom he had taken the land, that they looked on it, not as the selling of their rights, but as the recovery of their welfare. Thus they spoke: “Thou hast saved our lives, let us find grace in the sight of our Lord.” For they had lost nothing of their own, but had received a new right. Nothing of what was useful to them had failed, for they had now gained it in perpetuity.