And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
Let them collect all the food during those good years that are coming, and store grain under Pharaoh's authority, keeping food supplies in the cities.
The writer is describing Joseph's plan to have Egypt store up food during the seven years of abundance to prepare for the coming famine.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams and his recommended response. Joseph had explained that Egypt would experience seven years of great abundance followed by seven years of severe famine. This storage plan would become one of history's first recorded government-sponsored disaster preparedness programs, ultimately saving Egypt and surrounding nations from starvation.
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