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Genesis 47:19

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47:19Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become29 Pharaoh’s slaves.30 Give us seed that we may live31 and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.”32

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Footnotes

  1. 29 After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.
  2. 30 Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.
  3. 31 After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.
  4. 32 The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Why should we die here in front of you—both us and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food. Then we with our land will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed so that we can live and not die, and so that the land won’t become desolate.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Why should we die before your very eyes? Buy us and our land in exchange for food; we offer our land and ourselves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us grain so we may live and not die, and so the land does not become empty and desolate.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Why should we die in front of you, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, then we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Then give us seed and we shall live and not die, and the land will not become desolate.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.