And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
When all the money ran out in Egypt and Canaan, the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, 'Give us food! Why should we die right in front of you when we have no money left?'
The writer is showing how desperate the people became during the famine when their money was completely gone and they still needed food to survive.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Genesis, Joseph had risen to a position of great authority in Egypt after interpreting Pharaoh's dreams about seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. He implemented a plan to store grain during the plentiful years, which allowed Egypt to have reserves when the famine struck and affected surrounding regions like Canaan. As the famine persisted, the people's money was exhausted, leading them to desperately seek help from Joseph for basic sustenance.
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