Genesis 41:48 – Evaluating the Variant - Updated American Standard Version

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Textual Commentary on Genesis 41:48 – Evaluating the Variant “of abundance” in Light of the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the Samaritan Pentateuch

Masoretic Text (Codex Leningrad B 19A)

Genesis 41:48 in the Masoretic Text reads:

וַיִּקְבֹּ֗ץ אֶת־כָּל־אֹ֙כֶל֙ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר הָיָ֣ה בְאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֑יִם וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֹ֙כֶל֙ בֶּעָרִ֔ים אֹ֥כֶל שְׂדֵ֛ה הָעִ֥יר אֲשֶֽׁר־סְבִיבֹתֶ֖יהָ נָתַ֥ן בְּתוֹכָֽהּ׃

Literal rendering from the Hebrew text: “And he gathered all the food of the seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt, and he placed the food in the cities. The food of the field of the city which was around it, he placed in its midst.”

The Masoretic reading simply refers to “the seven years” (שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים) with no qualifying adjective. This is the preserved reading in the best manuscript witnesses of the Hebrew Bible: Codex Leningrad B 19A (1008 C.E.) and the Aleppo Codex (10th century C.E., partially damaged).

Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch Reading

The Septuagint (LXX) and the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) both add the phrase “of abundance” after “seven years”:

LXX (Greek): καὶ συνήγαγεν πᾶσαν τὴν βρῶσιν τῶν ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν τῆς εὐφορίας…

SP (Hebrew-based text): וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת-כָּל-אֹכֶל שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הַשָּׁבָעָה…

The Greek term “τῆς εὐφορίας” directly translates to “of abundance,” indicating a descriptive clarification that the seven years were those of plenty, as previously prophesied in verses 29–30. The Samaritan Pentateuch aligns with this addition, presumably in Hebrew form such as “הַשָּׂבָעָה” (haṣṣābā‘āh), also indicating abundance.

Internal Evidence: Contextual and Linguistic Considerations

From a contextual standpoint, the addition of “of abundance” does harmonize with the prior narrative in Genesis 41:29:

“Look! Seven years are coming of great abundance in all the land of Egypt.”

Thus, the addition serves as an explanatory clarification to the reader—however, that alone does not justify inclusion into the original text unless supported by substantial textual evidence.

Linguistically, Hebrew often omits adjectives when they can be inferred from the context. The phrase “seven years” (שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים) is clearly identified in the narrative structure of Genesis 41 as the years of abundance. Verse 30 then discusses the “seven years of famine.” Therefore, the original Hebrew author evidently saw no need to redundantly add a descriptor that had already been established.

Textual Evaluation and Weight of Evidence

When weighing manuscripts, the Masoretic Text holds primary authority due to its careful and disciplined transmission history, particularly by the Masoretes, who went to extraordinary lengths to ensure accuracy, including complex cross-referencing and counting systems.

The Septuagint, while significant, was often translated with a paraphrastic tendency. In this case, the addition may be more interpretive than textual, reflecting an effort by the translator to harmonize with the prior prophecy. The same can be said for the Samaritan Pentateuch, which is known for frequent expansions and harmonizations within the Pentateuch.

The lack of “of abundance” in the Masoretic tradition, especially given its meticulous preservation, is noteworthy. Moreover, the Dead Sea Scrolls fragments of Genesis (e.g., 4QGenb and 4QGenc), while not fully extant for this passage, provide general support for the MT over the SP in terms of shorter, more original readings.

Therefore, the inclusion of “of abundance” in the LXX and SP is most likely a scribal gloss or interpretive addition rather than part of the original text. There is no compelling external or internal reason to adopt it into the mainline Hebrew reading.

Conclusion on Genesis 41:48 Variant

Given the weight of evidence and principles of textual criticism, the shorter reading of the Masoretic Text is to be preferred. The addition “of abundance” in the Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch appears to be an explanatory gloss. While helpful for interpretation, it should not be adopted into the translation unless clearly marked as a textual variant. Translators faithful to the original Hebrew should retain the MT reading and footnote the variant, as done appropriately in the Updated American Standard Version.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).