King James Version

Genesis 47:3

And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֧אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…פַּרְעֹ֛הparoPharaohפַּרְעֹהnoun, proper name — “Pharaoh”H6547Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsPharaoh.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אֶחָ֖יוechayvbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.מַהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “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.מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶ֑םmaaseykhembusinessמַעֲשֶׂהnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “business”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4639an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) propertyact, art, [phrase] bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, [idiom] well, (handy-, needle-, net-) work(ing, -manship), wrought.וַיֹּאמְר֣וּvayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).פַּרְעֹ֗הparoPharaohפַּרְעֹהnoun, proper name — “Pharaoh”H6547Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsPharaoh.רֹעֵ֥הroehcompanionרָעָהverb, qal, participle, construct — “companion”, a verb used as a describing wordH7462to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend)[idiom] break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep) (-er), pastor, [phrase] shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.צֹאן֙tsonflockצֹאןnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “flock”, the ordinary formH6629a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)(small) cattle, flock ([phrase] -s), lamb ([phrase] -s), sheep(-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds).עֲבָדֶ֔יךָavadeykhaservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.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.אֲנַ֖חְנוּanachnvweאֲנַחְנוּpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, plural — “we”H587weourselves, us, we.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.אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּavoteynvfatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “father”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Pharaoh said unto his brethren: 'What is your occupation?' And they said unto Pharaoh: 'Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

Young’s Literal Translation

and Pharaoh saith unto his brethren, 'What [are] your works?' and they say unto Pharaoh, 'Thy servants [are] feeders of a flock, both we and our fathers;'

World English Bible

Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.”

Darby Translation

And Pharaoh said to his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said to Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.

Douay-Rheims

And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: We thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Pharaoh said unto his brethren: 'What is your occupation?' And they said unto Pharaoh: 'Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Pharao said to the brethren of Joseph, What is your occupation? and they said to Pharao, Thy servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Φαραὼ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς Ἰωσὴφ, Τί τὸ ἔργον ὑμῶν; οἱ δὲ εἶπαν τῷ Φαραῷ, ποιμένες προβάτων οἱ παῖδές σου, καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν.