And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.
Parallel translations
- WEB They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
- BSB “You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor in our lord’s eyes, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
- NKJV So they said, “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
- NASB So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”
- NLT “You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.”
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
The people gratefully declare that Joseph has saved their lives and willingly become Pharaoh's servants. They respond with thankfulness, not resentment.
Overview
Far from complaining, the Egyptians acknowledge Joseph as their deliverer and gladly accept their new status. Their words, 'you have saved our lives,' express genuine gratitude for his provision. Joseph the savior, freely confessed by a thankful people, foreshadows Christ, the greater Savior whom redeemed people gladly own as Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Gen 33:15And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.
- Prov 11:26–27He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
- Gen 45:6–8For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
- Ruth 2:13Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
- Gen 6:19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
- Gen 18:3And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
- Gen 50:20But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
- Gen 41:45And 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.
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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 47:25 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.