Genesis 45:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Not to cultivate the land. Due to a lack of seed, and possibly in Egypt, prohibited by Joseph to prevent their destruction without purpose.

"There will be no oration." In Egypt, just as today, the bounty of the land relied on the annual inundation of the Nile. The farmer could only till the earth after the fertile silt had been deposited from the flood. However, if the Nile did not overflow its banks or if the flooding was minimal, there would not be an adequate amount of soil for planting and sowing, particularly during periods of insufficient artificial irrigation such as canals and dams. Similarly, in neighboring regions like Canaan, the absence of grain for sowing would hinder any possibility of receiving an oracle.