The Meaning of Genesis 47:25 Explained

Genesis 47:25

KJV: 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.

YLT: And they say, 'Thou hast revived us; we find grace in the eyes of my lord, and have been servants to Pharaoh;'

Darby: And they said, Thou hast saved us alive. Let us find favour in the eyes of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's bondmen.

ASV: And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 47:25 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 47:25 mean?

So they said You have saved our lives let us find favor in the sight of my lord and we will be servants of Pharaoh
וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ הֶחֱיִתָ֑נוּ נִמְצָא־ חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י וְהָיִ֥ינוּ עֲבָדִ֖ים לְפַרְעֹֽה

וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ  So  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֶחֱיִתָ֑נוּ  You  have  saved  our  lives 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
נִמְצָא־  let  us  find 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
חֵן֙  favor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵן  
Sense: favour, grace, charm.
בְּעֵינֵ֣י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֲדֹנִ֔י  of  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
וְהָיִ֥ינוּ  and  we  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עֲבָדִ֖ים  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
לְפַרְעֹֽה  of  Pharaoh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.