Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 47:14
And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
14. gathered up ] Joseph’s policy of State granaries was completely successful. He accumulated vast wealth for his master, the King of Egypt.
Pharaoh’s house ] i.e. the royal treasury, “the White House,” as it was known in Egypt. Cf. Gen 41:40.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 14. Gathered up all the money] i. e., by selling corn out of the public stores to the people; and this he did till the money failed, Ge 47:15, till all the money was exchanged for corn, and brought into Pharaoh’s treasury. Be sides the fifth part of the produce of the seven plentiful years, Joseph had bought additional corn with Pharaoh’s money to lay up against the famine that was to prevail in the seven years of dearth; and it is very likely that this was sold out at the price for which it was bought, and the fifth part, which belonged to Pharaoh, sold out at the same price. And as money at that time could not be plentiful, the cash of the whole nation was thus exhausted as far as that had circulated among the common people.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Wherein he did no more than any of the subjects might have done; he bought great store of corn in the plentiful years with the kings money, and kept it till a time of famine, and sold it at a rate which was agreeable to the Season.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Joseph gathered up all the money,…. Not that he went about to collect it, or employed men to do it, but he gathered it, being brought to him for corn as follows: even all
that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: by which means those countries became as bare of money as of provisions:
and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house: into his repository, as the Targum of Jonathan, into his treasury, not into his own house or coffers, in which he acted the faithful part to Pharaoh; for it was with his money he bought the corn, built storehouses, kept men to look after them to sell the corn; wherefore the money arising from thence belonged to him; nor did he do any injury to the people: they sold their corn in the time of plenty freely; he gave them a price for it, it then bore, and he sold it out again to them, at a price according to the season; nor was it ever complained of, that it was an exorbitant one; it was highly just and necessary it should be at a greater price than when it was bought in, considering the great expense in the collection, preservation, and distribution of it: it must be a vast sum of money he amassed together, and Dr. Hammond e thinks it probable that this Pharaoh, who, by Joseph’s advice, got all this wealth, is the same with Remphis, of whom Diodorus Siculus f says, that he spent his time in minding the taxes and heaping up riches from all quarters, and left more behind him than any of the kings that reigned before, even in silver and gold four million talents, the same that Herodotus g calls Rhampsinitus, who, he says, had the greatest quantity of money of any of the kings of Egypt.
e Annotat. on Acts vii. 43. f Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 56. g Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 121.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
14. And Joseph gathered up all the money. Moses first declares that the Egyptian king had acted well and wisely, in committing the work of providing corn to the sole care and authority of Joseph. He then commends the sincere and faithful administration of Joseph himself. We know how few persons can touch the money of kings without defiling themselves by peculation. Amid such vast heaps of money, the opportunity of plundering was not less than the difficulty of self-restraint. But Moses says, that whatever money Joseph collected, he brought into the house of the king. It was a rare and unparalleled integrity, to keep the hands pure amidst such heaps of gold. And he would not have been able to conduct himself with such moderation, unless his divine calling had proved as a bridle to hold him in; for they who are restrained from thefts and rapaciousness by worldly motives alone, would immediately put forth their hand to the prey, unless they feared the eyes and the judgments of men. But inasmuch as Joseph might have sinned without a witness of his fault; it follows that the true fear of God flourished in his breast. Plausible and well coloured pretexts, in excuse of the theft, would doubtless present themselves. “When you are serving a tyrant, why may it not be lawful for you to apply some part of the gain to your own advantage?” So much the more does it appear that he was fortified by downright honesty; since he repelled all temptations, lest he should desire fraudulently to enrich himself at the expense of another.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Gen 47:14. Joseph gathered up all the money As long as the AEgyptians had any money left, they bought corn of Joseph, which supported them all the third, and, it is probable, the fourth and fifth years of the famine. That all the money of the people was expended, is, I think, very evident from the words of this verse, as well as the following, where we are told, that, when money failed, they gave up their cattle, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 47:14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
Ver. 14. And Joseph gathered up all the money. ] There is something, then, besides grace, that is better than money: though misers will as easily part with their blood, a as with their good. Constantinople was lost through the citizens’ covetousness. The like is reported of Heidelberg. Worthy they were, in this name, to have been served as the great Caliph of Babylon was by the great Cham of Tartary. He was set in the midst of those infinite treasures which he and his predecessors had most covetously amassed; and bidden to eat of that gold, silver, and precious stones, what he pleased, and make no spare. In which order, the covetous catiff kept for certain days, miserably died for hunger. b Money is a baser thing than “food and raiment”: these if we have, “let us be content.” 1Ti 6:8
a Chaldaei nummum , id est, Sanguinem, appellant.
b Turk. Hist., fol. 113.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
gathered up: i.e. caused it to be gathered up. Figure of speech Metonymy.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the money: Gen 41:56
Joseph brought: Luk 16:1, Luk 16:2, Luk 16:10-12, 1Co 4:2, 1Pe 4:10
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
47:14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and {e} Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
(e) In which he both declares his faithfulness to the king, and his freedom from covetousness.