Acts 7:11

Act 7:11. Now there came a dearth — According to the prediction of Joseph, when the seven preceding years of extraordinary plenty were past, which he had also predicted; over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan — A calamity which reduced the latter country to such distress, that, fruitful as it had generally been, our fathers found no sustenance — Or, not what was sufficient to support themselves and their families. But Jacob, hearing that there was corn in Egypt — Ordered his sons to go and fetch a supply from thence; and sent our fathers first — Namely, the ten without Benjamin. And at the second time — That they went, when Benjamin accompanied them; Joseph was made known to his brethren — Of which see on Gen 44:1-15. And, as the matter was immediately made public, Joseph’s kindred — Greek, το γενος, his descent, or race, was discovered to Pharaoh, of which he had not been informed before. Then sent Joseph, and called his father — With Pharaoh’s full consent; and all his kindred — Now become numerous, amounting in the whole even to threescore and fifteen souls — So the Seventy interpreters, whom Stephen follows: one son and a grandson of Manasseh, and three children of Ephraim, being added to the seventy persons, mentioned Gen 46:27. So Bengelius.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 7:11 . λιμὸς , cf. Luk 4:25 , where ἐπί follows. χορτάσματα : sustenance, R.V., fodder, provender for their cattle, cf. Gen 24:25 ; Gen 24:32 ; Gen 42:27 , Jdg 19:19 ; only here in N.T., cf. Polyb., ix., 43. The want of it would be a most pressing need for large owners of flocks. Blass takes it as meaning frumentum , corn, food for man as well as for beasts, since χορτάζειν , both in LXX and N.T. (Mar 8:4 ; cf. Mar 7:27-28 ), is used of the food of man, cf. Kennedy, Sources of N. T. Greek , pp. 82, 156.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. There came a famine. Hereby it appeareth that the deliverance of Joseph was such a benefit as was common to all the family of Jacob. For, seeing the famine drew on, Joseph was sent before in due time to provide sustenance to feed the hungry; as he himself doth acknowledge the wonderful counsel of God in that point. Nevertheless, the free goodness of God appeareth plainly in the person of Joseph, whilst that he is appointed to nourish and feed his brethren, who had sold him, and by that means sent him far away, and thought that he was gone away quite out of the world. He putteth meat in their mouths who had thrown him into a pit, and had deprived him of the air and the common breath. Finally, he nourisheth and preserveth their life who were not afraid to take from him his life. In the mean season, Stephen putteth the Jews in mind of this, that the patriarchs were enforced to depart out of that land which was given them for an heritage, and that they died in another place. Therefore, forasmuch as they were sojourners in it, they are at length banished out of the same.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(11-14) Now there came a dearth . . .—So far as we can trace the sequence of thought, there seems the suggested inference that as those who, in the history of Joseph, had persecuted him, came afterwards to be dependent on his bounty, so it might prove to be, in the last parallel which the history of Israel presented. In the coming famine, not of bread, but of sustenance for their spiritual life, they would have to turn to Him of whom they had been, in purpose and in act, the betrayers and murderers.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, &c.] The oldest MSS. omit “the land of.”

our fathers found no sustenance] The noun in Greek is generally used of food for cattle rather than men. See LXX. Gen_24:25; Gen_24:32, &c. But we must suppose that, though in the history the sufferings of the people are most noticed, the famine also affected the supplies of cattle-food, and the one word is used to embrace all.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt, and Canaan,.... This dearth, or famine, is said to be in all lands, Gen 41:54 though only Egypt and Canaan are mentioned here, because the history is concerned with no other. The Jewish writers (p) speak of three lands particularly, which were affected with it, Phenicia, Arabia, and Palestine; and this famine in the land of Israel, they say (q), which lasted seven years, was on account of the selling of Joseph into Egypt, as before observed. The Heathen writers make mention of this famine, particularly Justin (r), who speaking of Joseph says, that he foresaw many years before the barrenness of the fields; and all Egypt would have perished with famine, had not the king, through his advice, ordered by an edict, that corn should be laid up for many years: this was the fifth of the ten famines, the Jews say have been, or shall be in the world (s):

and great affliction; meaning the famine, which was very severe, and lasted a long time, even seven years: want of eating is called "affliction", by the Jews (t); by which they mean fasting, which is a voluntary want of eating, or abstinence from it; and if that is an affliction, then much more want of food, or abstinence through necessity; compare Ti1 5:10.

And our fathers found not sustenance; Jacob and his family could not get sufficient provision for them in the land of Canaan, where they then were, but were obliged to go to Egypt for it.

(p) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 90. fol. 78. 1. (q) Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. (r) Ex Trogo, l. 36. c. 2. (s) Targum in Ruth i. 1. (t) Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora pr. Affirm. 32.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Now there came a dearth - A famine, Gen 41:54.

And Chanaan - Jacob was living at that time in Canaan.

Found no sustenance - No food; no means of living.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

A dearth; this is mentioned, Gen 41:54, &c.

And great affliction; as seldom any mischief comes alone, rapine and many diseases follow famine.

Found no sustenance; any coarse diet, grass or herbs.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. Our fathers—The same phrase, our fathers, is used in Act_7:12-13, indicating that Stephen intends to claim for himself and the Church of Jesus the fatherhood of the patriarchs.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Famine for dearth, A.V.; Egypt for the land of Egypt, A.V. and T.R.; Canaan for Chanaan, A.V.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 9

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. There came a dearth. For the history of Joseph, begin at chapter 39, and read to the close of Genesis. For the account of the famine and the visit to Egypt of the ten brethren, see Gen. 42 and 43.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

there came a famine

"a famine came." The ground stopped producing food.

our fathers

This refers Jacob and his sons, who were the ancestors of the Jewish people.

grain

Grain was the most common food at that time.

our fathers ... his brothers

Both of these phrases refer to Joseph's older brothers. The UDB makes this explicit. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

On their second trip

"On their next trip" (See: Ordinal Numbers)

made himself known

Joseph revealed to his brothers his identity as their brother.

Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Pharaoh learned that they were Joseph's family" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

famine

suffer

Egypt

ancestor

Jacob

Joseph (OT)

Pharaoh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

11. τὴν Αἴγυπτον with אABC. Vulg. ‘in universam Ægyptum.’

11. ἐφ’ ὅλην τὴν Αἴγυπτον, over all Egypt.

χορτάσματα, sustenance. The word is generally used of food for cattle rather than men. See LXX. Gen 24:25; Gen 24:32, &c. But we may suppose that, though in the history the sufferings of the people are most noticed, the famine also affected the supplies of cattle-food, and the one word is used to embrace all.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Sustenance [χορτασματα] . For their cattle : fodder. See on shall be filled, Mt 5:6.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.