And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
Parallel translations
- WEB All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
- KJV And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
- NKJV So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.
- NASB Then the people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
- NLT And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
People from all countries come to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine is severe everywhere.
Overview
The whole region turns to Joseph for survival, fulfilling his rise to influence over the nations. This worldwide need sets the stage for Joseph's brothers to come seeking food. God draws the surrounding peoples and ultimately Joseph's own family to the one who can save them.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Gen 42:5So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
- Gen 41:56When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
- Gen 41:54the 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.
- Gen 42:1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
- Ps 105:16–17He called down famine on the land and cut off all their supplies of food.
- Deut 9:28Otherwise, those in the land from which You brought us out will say, ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’
- Gen 50:20As 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.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 41:57 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.