Genesis 47:22
New International Version
However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

New Living Translation
The only land he did not buy was the land belonging to the priests. They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn’t need to sell their land.

English Standard Version
Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

Berean Standard Bible
However, 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.

King James Bible
Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

New King James Version
Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had rations allotted to them by Pharaoh, and they ate their rations which Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their lands.

New American Standard Bible
Only the land of the priests he did not buy, because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land.

NASB 1995
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.

NASB 1977
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.

Legacy Standard Bible
Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they ate off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore, they did not sell their land.

Amplified Bible
Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived on the amount which Pharaoh gave them, so they did not sell their land.

Christian Standard Bible
The only land he did not acquire belonged to the priests, for they had an allowance from Pharaoh. They ate from their allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The only land he didn’t acquire was the priests’ portion, for it was given to them by Pharaoh. They lived off the rations Pharaoh had given them; therefore they did not sell their land.

American Standard Version
Only the land of the priests bought he not: for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Only he did not buy the land of the Priests, because there was a standing covenant with the Priests from the presence of Pharaoh, and they were eating their portion that Pharaoh had given them; because of this they did not sell their land.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
except only the land of the priests; Joseph bought not this, for Pharao gave a portion in the way of gift to the priests; and they ate their portion which Pharao gave them; therefore they sold not their land.

Contemporary English Version
except the priests. The king gave the priests a regular food allowance, so they did not have to sell their land.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their possessions.

English Revised Version
Only the land of the priests bought he not: for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But he didn't buy the priests' land because the priests received an income from Pharaoh, and they lived on that income. That's why they didn't sell their land.

Good News Translation
The only land he did not buy was the land that belonged to the priests. They did not have to sell their lands, because the king gave them an allowance to live on.

International Standard Version
However, he did not purchase land belonging to the priests, because the priests held an allotment, previously provided to them by Pharaoh, from which they lived. That's why they did not sell their land.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Only the land of the priests bought he not, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land.

Literal Standard Version
Only the ground of the priests he has not bought, for the priests have a portion from Pharaoh, and they have eaten their portion which Pharaoh has given to them, therefore they have not sold their ground.

Majority Standard Bible
However, 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.

New American Bible
Only the priests’ lands Joseph did not acquire. Since the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived off the allowance Pharaoh had granted them, they did not have to sell their land.

NET Bible
But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

New Revised Standard Version
Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh, and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

New Heart English Bible
Only he did not buy the land of the priests, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived off their allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they did not have to sell their land.

Webster's Bible Translation
Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them by Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

World English Bible
Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn’t sell their land.

Young's Literal Translation
Only the ground of the priests he hath not bought, for the priests have a portion from Pharaoh, and they have eaten their portion which Pharaoh hath given to them, therefore they have not sold their ground.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Joseph's Leadership During the Famine
21and 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. 23Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land.…

Cross References
Genesis 47:21
and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other.

Genesis 47:23
Then Joseph said to the people, "Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land.

Genesis 47:26
So Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests' land does not belong to Pharaoh.


Treasury of Scripture

Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: why they sold not their lands.

of the priests.

Genesis 14:18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

Genesis 41:45,50
And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt…

2 Samuel 8:18
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

for the priests.

Deuteronomy 12:19
Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

Joshua 21:1-45
Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel; …

Ezra 7:24
Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.

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Allotment Allowance Assigned Ate Bought Buy Eat Eaten Fixed Food Ground However Lands Need Pharaoh Portion Priests Received Regular Sell Sold Wherefore
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Allotment Allowance Assigned Ate Bought Buy Eat Eaten Fixed Food Ground However Lands Need Pharaoh Portion Priests Received Regular Sell Sold Wherefore
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.














(22) The priests had a portion assigned to them of Pharaoh.--Herodotus (ii. 37) mentions that it was still the custom in Egypt for the priests to have a daily allowance of' cooked food. Very probably this usage began in Joseph's time; but it is not here ascribed to him, but to the king himself. Being thus supplied with food, they did not sell their lands; and with this, again, the Greek accounts tally, as they represent the king, the priests, and the warriors as the only landholders in Egypt. The last class, however, held their land from the king.

Verse 22. - Only the land of the priests (so the LXX., Vulgate, and Chaldee render cohen, which, however, sometimes signifies a prince) bought he not; for the priests had a portion - not of land (Lange, Kalisch), but of food (Keil, Murphy) - assigned them of Pharaoh (not of Joseph, who must not, therefore, be charged with the sin of extending a State allowance to an idolatrous priesthood), and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands, - that is, in consequence of the State aliment which they enjoyed (during the period of the famine) they did not require to alienate their lands.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
However,
רַ֛ק (raq)
Adverb
Strong's 7535: But, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless

he did not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

acquire
קָנָ֑ה (qā·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own

the priests’ portion
הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים (hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

of the land,
אַדְמַ֥ת (’aḏ·maṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 127: Ground, land

for
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

it had been given to them by Pharaoh.
פַּרְעֹ֗ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

They lived off
וְאָֽכְל֤וּ (wə·’ā·ḵə·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 398: To eat

the rations that
חֹ֨ק (ḥōq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2706: Something prescribed or owed, a statute

Pharaoh
פַּרְעֹ֔ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

supplied;
נָתַ֤ן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

so
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

they did not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

sell
מָכְר֖וּ (mā·ḵə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4376: To sell

their land.
אַדְמָתָֽם׃ (’aḏ·mā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 127: Ground, land


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OT Law: Genesis 47:22 Only he didn't buy the land (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 47:21
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