And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
When harvest time comes, you must give one-fifth of your crops to Pharaoh, and you can keep the other four-fifths for yourselves. Use your share for planting seeds next season, feeding your families, and providing food for your children.
Joseph is establishing a tax system where people give 20% of their harvest to Pharaoh and keep 80% for their own needs and future planting.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes during the severe seven-year famine in Egypt, when Joseph (as Pharaoh's administrator) had saved the people by selling them grain during the crisis. After the people had spent all their money and traded their livestock and land to survive, Joseph established this taxation system as part of Egypt's new agricultural economy under Pharaoh's ownership.
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