41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old 3 when he began serving 4 Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by 5 Pharaoh and was in charge of 6 all the land of Egypt.
47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each 8 of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. 9 So the land became Pharaoh’s.
47:26 So Joseph made it a statute, 10 which is in effect 11 to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
1 tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head.” This Hebrew idiom usually refers to restoring dignity, office, or power. It is comparable to the modern saying “someone can hold his head up high.”
2 tn Heb “according to the former custom.”
3 tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”
4 tn Heb “when he stood before.”
5 tn Heb “went out from before.”
6 tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”
7 tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.
8 tn The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
9 tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
10 tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.
11 tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.