Genesis 41:57

Gen 41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy [corn]; because that the famine was [so] sore in all lands.

Ver. 57. All countries came to Joseph, &c.] Foreigners also should be relieved so much as may be. King Edward VI sent five thousand pounds to relieve Protestants beyond the seas. {a} Geneva received our fugitives for religion in Queen Mary’s time: and Strasburg, the poor banished Lorrainers, that were well nigh famished, being forced to feed on hips and haws, &c.

{a} Hi frondibus et gramine vescebantur. - Scultet., Annal., p. 315.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, came to Egypt to Joseph.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

The famine was sore in all lands--that is, the lands contiguous to Egypt--Canaan, Syria, and Arabia.

Next: Genesis Chapter 42

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 57. All countries came into Egypt - to buy] As there had not been a sufficiency of rains, vapours, c., to swell the Nile, to effect a proper inundation in Egypt, the same cause would produce drought, and consequently scarcity, in all the neighbouring countries and this may be all that is intended in the text.

1. As the providence of God evidently led the butler and baker of Pharaoh, as well as the king himself, to dream the prophetic dreams mentioned in this and the preceding chapter, so his Spirit in Joseph led to the true interpretation of them. What a proof do all these things give us of a providence that is so general as to extend its influence to every part, and so particular as to notice, influence, and direct the most minute circumstances! Surely God "has way every where, and all things serve his will."

2. Dreams have been on one hand superstitiously regarded, and on the other skeptically disregarded. That some are prophetic there can be no doubt; that others are idle none can hesitate to believe. Dreams may be divided into the six following kinds:

1. Those which are the mere nightly result of the mind's reflections and perplexities during the business of the day.

2. Those which spring from a diseased state of the body, occasioning startings, terrors, c.

3. Those which spring from an impure state of the heart, mental repetitions of those acts or images of illicit pleasure, riot, and excess, which form the business of a profligate life.

4. Those which proceed from a diseased mind, occupied with schemes of pride, ambition, grandeur, c. These, as forming the characteristic conduct of the life, are repeatedly reacted in the deep watches of the night, and strongly agitate the soul with illusive enjoyments and disappointments.

5. Those which come immediately from Satan, which instil thoughts and principles opposed to truth and righteousness, leaving strong impressions on the mind suited to its natural bent and turn, which, in the course of the day, by favouring circumstances, may be called into action.

6. Those which come from God, and which necessarily lead to him, whether prophetic of future good or evil, or impressing holy purposes and heavenly resolutions. Whatever lends away from God, truth, and righteousness, must be from the source of evil whatever leads to obedience to God, and to acts of benevolence to man, must be from the source of goodness and truth. Reader, there is often as much superstition in disregarding as in attending to dreams and he who fears God will escape it in both.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

57. all countries] Cf. Gen_41:52, as we should say, “the whole world.” This verse prepares us for the crisis in the Joseph narrative recorded in the following chapter.

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.

All provinces in the neighbourhood: for the stores laid up would not have supplied all mankind even for a few months. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

וכל הארץ באו מצרימה —Transpose the words and explain it thus: “and all the countries came into Egypt אל יוסף to Joseph לשבר to buy corn”, for if you explain the words in the order in which they are written it ought to state לשבור מן יוסף to buy from Joseph.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

לשבור אל יוסף, the words have been inverted and mean the same as if the Torah had written באו אל יוסף לשבור, “they came to Joseph to trade in grain.”

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.