I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’”
Parallel translations
- WEB There I will nourish you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’
- KJV 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.
- BSB And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.’
- NKJV There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’
- NASB There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.” ’
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
Joseph pledges to nourish his family through the five remaining famine years so they will not fall into poverty. His provision flows from God's prior provision through him.
Overview
Joseph promises to sustain his father's household throughout the famine, sparing them ruin. His ability to provide is itself the fruit of God's earlier preparation through the years of plenty. As the one who preserves life for his family, Joseph foreshadows Christ, who sustains and provides for his own.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Gen 47:12Joseph nourished his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household, with bread, according to their families.
- Gen 47:6The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
- Matt 15:5–6But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,”
- 1 Tim 5:4But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God.
- Mark 7:9–12He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
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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 45:11 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.