Jacob and his sons are presented before Pharao: he giveth them the land
of Gessen. The famine forceth the Egyptians to sell all their
possessions to the king.
47:1. Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and
brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are
come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of
Gessen.
47:2. Five men also, the last of his brethren, he presented before the
king:
The last ... xtremos. Some interpret this word of the chiefest, and
most rightly: but Joseph seems rather to have chosen out such as had
the meanest appearance, that Pharao might not think of employing them
at court, with danger of their morals and religion.
47:3. And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: We,
thy servants, are shepherds, both we and our fathers.
47:4. We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for
the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land
of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be
in the land of Gessen.
47:5. The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren
are come to thee.
47:6. The land of Egypt is before thee: and make them dwell in the best
place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there
are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.
47:7. After this Joseph brought in his father to the king, and
presented him before him: and he blessed him.
47:8. And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy
life?
47:9. He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty
years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the
pilgrimage of my fathers.
47:10. And blessing the king, he went out.
47:11. But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in
Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had
commanded.
47:12. And he nourished them, and all his father’s house, allowing food
to every one.
47:13. For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had
oppressed the land, more especially of Egypt and Chanaan;
47:14. Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which
they bought, and brought it in to the king’s treasure.
47:15. And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph,
saying: Give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now no
money?
47:16. And he answered them: Bring me your cattle, and for them I will
give you food, if you have no money.
47:17. And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange
for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses: and he maintained
them that year for the exchange of their cattle.
47:18. And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide
from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are
gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our
bodies and our lands.
47:19. Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine,
both we and our lands: buy us to be the king’s servants, and give us
seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.
47:20. So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his
possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it
into Pharao’s hands:
47:21. And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to
the other end thereof,
47:22. Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the
king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the
public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their
possessions.
47:23. Then Joseph said to the people: Behold, as you see, both you and
your lands belong to Pharao; take seed and sow the fields,
47:24. That you may have corn. The fifth part you shall give to the
king; the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your
families and children.
47:25. And they answered: our life is in thy hand; only let my lord
look favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king.
47:26. From that time unto this day, in the whole land of Egypt, the
fifth part is paid to the kings, and it is become as a law, except the
land of the priests, which was free from this covenant.
47:27. So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and
possessed it; and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.
47:28. And he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life
came to a hundred and forty-seven years.
47:29. And when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called
his son Joseph, and said to him: If I have found favour in thy sight,
put thy hand under my thigh; and thou shalt shew me this kindness and
truth, not to bury me in Egypt.
47:30. But I will sleep with my fathers, and thou shalt take me away
out of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. And
Joseph answered him: I will do what thou hast commanded.
47:31. And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel
adored God, turning to the bed’s head.
To the bed’s head.... St. Paul, Heb. 11.21, following the Greek
translation of the Septuagint, reads adored the top of his rod. Where
note, that the same word in the Hebrew, according to the different
pointing of it, signifies both a bed and a rod. And to verify both
these sentences, we must understand that Jacob leaning on Joseph’s rod
adored, turning towards the head of his bed: which adoration, inasmuch
as it was referred to God, was an absolute and sovereign worship: but
inasmuch as it was referred to the rod of Joseph, as a figure of the
sceptre, that is, of the royal dignity of Christ, was only an inferior
and relative honour.