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
In the book of Genesis, Joseph, who had risen to power in Egypt as Pharaoh's second-in-command, was overseeing the distribution of food during a widespread famine that affected the region. He implemented a system where the Egyptian people, who had sold their land to Pharaoh in exchange for grain, were required to give one-fifth of their harvest as a tax to sustain the government and ensure continued food supply. This arrangement highlighted Joseph's administrative wisdom, which stemmed from his earlier interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams about seven years of abundance followed by seven years of scarcity.
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