The Meaning of Genesis 47:22 Explained

Genesis 47:22

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: Only the land of the priests he did not buy; for the priests had an assigned portion from Pharaoh, and ate their assigned portion which Pharaoh had given them; so they did not sell their land.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 47:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 47:13-26 - Egyptians Saved In Famine
The slender stores of the Egyptians were soon exhausted, and had it not been for Joseph the streets would have been filled with the dying and dead. His Egyptian name means "the savior of the world;" and the confession of the Egyptians proved how true it was: "Thou hast saved our lives." How closely the parallel holds! Joseph rose from the pit and the prison to save his brethren as well as the myriads of his adopted fellow-countrymen: Jesus rose from the grave to be a Prince and a Savior. Joseph's bread cost him nothing, while Jesus gave us that which cost him Calvary. Joseph sold his corn for money; our Lord gave himself without money or price. You may go to Him without reluctance, though your sack is empty and you have no money in your hand; but He will give and give again, without stint. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Genesis 47:22 mean?

Only the land of the priests not he did buy for [was assigned] a portion to the priests by Pharaoh and they ate - their rations which gave them Pharaoh Upon thus they did sell their lands
רַ֛ק אַדְמַ֥ת הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים לֹ֣א קָנָ֑ה כִּי֩ חֹ֨ק לַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים מֵאֵ֣ת פַּרְעֹ֗ה וְאָֽכְל֤וּ אֶת־ חֻקָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֤ן לָהֶם֙ פַּרְעֹ֔ה עַל־ כֵּ֕ן מָכְר֖וּ אַדְמָתָֽם

רַ֛ק  Only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רַק  
Sense: only, altogether, surely.
אַדְמַ֥ת  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים  of  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
קָנָ֑ה  he  did  buy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָנָה 
Sense: to get, acquire, create, buy, possess.
חֹ֨ק  [was  assigned]  a  portion 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
לַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים  to  the  priests 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
פַּרְעֹ֗ה  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
וְאָֽכְל֤וּ  and  they  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חֻקָּם֙  their  rations 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
נָתַ֤ן  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
פַּרְעֹ֔ה  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
עַל־  Upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֕ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
מָכְר֖וּ  they  did  sell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָכַר  
Sense: to sell.
אַדְמָתָֽם  their  lands 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.