Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
Joseph didn't buy the priests' land because the priests received a regular food allowance from Pharaoh. Since Pharaoh provided for them, they didn't need to sell their land.
The writer is explaining that the Egyptian priests kept their land because Pharaoh took care of their needs, so they didn't have to sell it for food during the famine.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes during the seven-year famine that Joseph had predicted while serving as Pharaoh's administrator in Egypt. As people ran out of food and money, they sold their land to Pharaoh in exchange for grain. In ancient Egypt, priests held special status and were supported directly by the government, making them a privileged class that didn't face the same economic pressures as ordinary citizens.
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