King James Version

Genesis 47:19

Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.

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Hebrew

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לָ֧מָּהlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.נָמ֣וּתnamutdieמוּתverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “die”, an unfinished actionH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…לְעֵינֶ֗יךָleeyneykhato eye , , -sightעַיִןpreposition, noun, common, both genders, dual, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to eye , , -sight”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5869an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him…גַּםgamalsoגַּםparticle, affirmation — “also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.אֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙anachnvweאֲנַחְנוּpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, plural — “we”H587weourselves, us, we.גַּ֣םgamalsoגַּםparticle, affirmation — “also”H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...andagain, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.אַדְמָתֵ֔נוּadmatenvcountryאֲדָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “country”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH127soil (from its general redness)country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.קְנֵֽהqenehpurchaseקָנָהverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “purchase”, a commandH7069to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication to ownattain, buy(-er), teach to keep cattle, get, provoke to jealousy, possess(-or), purchase, recover, redeem, [idiom] surely, [idiom] verily.אֹתָ֥נוּotanvobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).וְאֶתveetand object markerאֵתconjunction, particle, direct object marker — “and object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).אַדְמָתֵ֖נוּadmatenvcountryאֲדָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “country”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH127soil (from its general redness)country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.בַּלָּ֑חֶםbalachemin breadלֶחֶםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “in bread”, the ordinary formH3899food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)(shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.וְנִֽהְיֶ֞הvenihyehand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “and be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.אֲנַ֤חְנוּanachnvweאֲנַחְנוּpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, plural — “we”H587weourselves, us, we.וְאַדְמָתֵ֨נוּ֙veadmatenvand countryאֲדָמָהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “and country”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH127soil (from its general redness)country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.עֲבָדִ֣יםavadimservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “servant”, the ordinary formH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.לְפַרְעֹ֔הlefaroto Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Pharaoh”H6547Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsPharaoh.וְתֶןvetenand giveנָתַןconjunction, verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and give”, a commandH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…זֶ֗רַעzeraseedזֶרַעnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “seed”, the ordinary formH2233seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity[idiom] carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time.וְנִֽחְיֶה֙venichyehand liveחָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “and live”, an unfinished actionH2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revivekeep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.וְלֹ֣אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…נָמ֔וּתnamutdieמוּתverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “die”, an unfinished actionH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…וְהָאֲדָמָ֖הvehaadamahand the countryאֲדָמָהconjunction, definite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and the country”, the ordinary formH127soil (from its general redness)country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.לֹ֥אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תֵשָֽׁםteshambe desolateיָשַׁםverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be desolate”, an unfinished actionH3456to lie wastebe desolate.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.

Young’s Literal Translation

why do we die before thine eyes, both we and our ground? buy us and our ground for bread, and we and our ground are servants to Pharaoh; and give seed, and we live, and die not, and the ground is not desolate.'

World English Bible

Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.”

Darby Translation

Why should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen to Pharaoh; and give seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.

Douay-Rheims

Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king’s servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

In order, then, that we die not before thee, and the land be made desolate, buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharao: give seed that we may sow, and live and not die, so our land shall not be made desolate.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ἵνα οὖν μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν ἐναντίον σου, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐρημωθῇ, κτῆσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν ἀντὶ ἄρτων, καὶ ἐσόμεθα ἡμεῖς καὶ ἡ γῆ ἡμῶν παῖδες τῷ Φαραώ· δὸς σπέρμα, ἵνα σπείρωμεν, καὶ ζῶμεν καὶ μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν, καὶ ἡ γῆ οὐκ ἐρημωθήσεται.