Genesis 41:57Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Perhaps he might recall, "Joseph also gathered grain in the years of plenty and sold it during periods of scarcity" (Genesis 37:1-57). Does anyone truly have to pay exorbitantly? Each person has the opportunity to buy; hence, no one is wronged.

Following this, another speaker, inspired by the ability of rhetoric, declares, “Agriculture is truly wonderful, providing fruits for everyone and enriching the earth solely through labor, without deceit. Negligence causes more harm than good, and he who plants quality seeds shall reap a pure harvest, free from unwanted weeds. A fertile land yields returns a hundredfold, and a well-tended field consistently produces greater bounty." From the plentiful yield of arable land, one should anticipate a reward for their labor; from the richness of fertile ground, a rightful recompense.

Why then do you turn nature's efforts into dishonesty? Why do you deny the people access to what belongs to them? Why do you strip the populace of their wealth, inducing poverty, and fostering desire for barrenness? If they fail to benefit from fertility while you profit by hoarding grain and inflating prices, they would prefer there be no harvest at all than to see you profit amidst their hunger. You seem to wish for scarcity and want for provision, lamenting the land’s bounty and grieving the fullness of granaries, eager for a time of desolation and poor harvest. Your joy comes from wishing that no one bears fruit, aligning with your selfish desires.

Is this what you term hard work? Is this your version of diligence? In reality, it is but a deceptive ruse, a cunning trick. You disguise avarice as assistance, labeling it a benevolent act, while in truth it is a grave injustice, akin to robbery or usury. You have found the opportune moment to exploit the vulnerable, much like a deceptive adversary preying upon the desperate. Inflating bread prices, similar to rising interest rates, poses a serious threat. By withholding bread from the market, you augment your profits, hoarding it like a usurer and offering it as a prized auction item. Why wish ill upon everyone, yearning for famine, bleak harvests, and barren years? Your benefit is at the expense of all.

Saint Joseph opened the storehouses for everyone (Genesis 41:56); he did not lock them away nor seek to capitalize on the bread supply but ensured there was a constant availability for all. He hoarded nothing but wisely anticipated ways to overcome future famine. You have read in the Gospel how the Lord Jesus critiques the merchant obsessed with accumulating wealth, who exclaimed, “What shall I do? I have nowhere to gather my fruits. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones” (Luke 12:17, 18), all while unaware that his soul would be required of him that very night. He was lost in uncertainty, believing himself destitute, though his granaries overflowed with bread.

Solomon's statement rings true: "He who withholds bread will leave it to the nations" (Proverbs 11:26), not to his descendants, for ill-gotten gains cannot be inherited. What is gained through selfish means is scattered by fate like the wind. He further stated, “He who seeks to seize the harvest is cursed among the people; the blessing of the people is upon him who shares it” (Proverbs 11:26). Hence, it is right to generously distribute bread rather than chase after selfish gain. Ultimately, it is unwise to prioritize that which diminishes dignity over that which promotes genuine usefulness.