Genesis 41:55 (WEB)
When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Genesis 41:55–57 (KJV)
55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
Key words
- אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַר לָכֶם תַּעֲשׂוּasher-yomar lakhem ta'asu · Hebrew
- 'what he saith to you, do' — Pharaoh's command about Joseph.
- ὃ ἐὰν εἴπῃ ὑμῖν ποιήσατεho ean eipē hymin poiēsate · Greek (LXX)
- 'whatever he says to you, do' — Mary's words at Cana, 'Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it' (John 2:5), echo this sentence almost exactly.
- כָל־הָאָרֶץ בָּאוּ מִצְרַיְמָהkhol-ha'arets ba'u Mitsraymah · Hebrew
- 'all countries came into Egypt' — Joseph feeds not only Israel but the nations.
Why it matters
When famine strikes, Pharaoh sends everyone to Joseph — 'what he says to you, do' — and Joseph feeds Egypt and all the nations with grain. Pitre's chart pairs this with Jesus, who feeds the world with the Bread of Life (John 6) (pp 140–141). The Septuagint wording of Pharaoh's command is also the closest Old Testament parallel to Mary's last recorded words at Cana.