Was Joseph greedy?

[towardseight]

Joseph was the son of Jacob. The name “Jacob” figuratively means “the cunning one” because Jacob took away his own brother's blessing by cunning. Now read through the Bible passage below and tell me what you think. Was Joseph greedy by taking from the suffering ancient Egyptians not only their money and livestock but also their land and making them into slaves?

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Genesis 47:13 Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine. 14 Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. 15 When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food, for why should we die in your presence? For our money is gone.” 16 Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. 18 When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord’s. There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.” 20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. Thus the land became Pharaoh’s.

[Who me]

3 minutes ago, towardseight said:

Was Joseph greedy by taking from the suffering ancient Egyptians not only their money and livestock but also their land and making them into slaves?

If he was doing this for his own benefit  then yes he could be accused of greed, but he was serving his master the Pharoah. 

We don't  know what price he charged for food, but he clearly acted wisely to ensure that the people of Egypt survived the famine.

 

[towardseight]

26 minutes ago, Who me said:

If he was doing this for his own benefit  then yes he could be accused of greed, but he was serving his master the Pharoah. 

We don't  know what price he charged for food, but he clearly acted wisely to ensure that the people of Egypt survived the famine.

Joseph was the ruler of Egypt (Gen 45:8). He made the decisions. He could have given the Egyptians free food after they had given away all their money and livestock. The fact that he also took their land and made them into slaves seems very extreme to me.

[Michael37]

53 minutes ago, towardseight said:

Joseph was the son of Jacob. The name “Jacob” figuratively means “the cunning one” because Jacob took away his own brother's blessing by cunning. Now read through the Bible passage below and tell me what you think. Was Joseph greedy by taking from the suffering ancient Egyptians not only their money and livestock but also their land and making them into slaves?

Don't miss the typology of the complete poverty of humanity and its incapacity to save itself, and thus its reliance upon God and His agencies, which in return require complete surrender and submission, given that this fallen Creation is in bondage to decay and so tragedies, trials, testings, and tribulation are commonplace, but not without recourse to triumph in God's economy. (My own words).

[Your closest friendnt]

28 minutes ago, towardseight said:

Joseph was the ruler of Egypt (Gen 45:8). He made the decisions. He could have given the Egyptians free food after they had given away all their money and livestock. The fact that he also took their land and made them into slaves seems very extreme to me.

@towardseight

Thank you for bringing thats up. I wanted to discuss this for some time. 

These are not the correct evaluations for Jacob and for Joseph to begin with.

With Jacob you have made an incorrect statement to call him that name which is not supported by the material facts at hand. And even bigger error to call Joseph a greedy man. Gigantic mistake to make his name synonymous to a greedy man. The same for Jacob to make him synonymous to a cunning man.  

Bring all material facts to support your statements and your definitions why did you choose those words for both of them. 

Or say in this situation can Joseph been seen that he was motivated by greed? And what about the other events in his life. 

Name the other events that happened before and after that event. Do they portrayed Joseph as being a greedy man? 

 

Edited February 12 by Your closest friendnt

[Who me]

1 hour ago, towardseight said:

Joseph was the ruler of Egypt (Gen 45:8). He made the decisions. He could have given the Egyptians free food after they had given away all their money and livestock. The fact that he also took their land and made them into slaves seems very extreme to me.

He was the ruler under Pharaoh,  he was not Pharaoh. 

Why should he give the Egyptians free food?

They like the rest of Egypt benefitted from seven years of superabundent harvests and could have as villages/communities stored food for the next seven years of famine, but they didn’t. 

 

 

[towardseight]

1 hour ago, Your closest friendnt said:

@towardseight

Thank you for bringing thats up. I wanted to discuss this for some time. 

These are not the correct evaluations for Jacob and for Joseph to begin with.

With Jacob you have made an incorrect statement to call him that name which is not supported by the material facts at hand. And even bigger error to call Joseph a greedy man. Gigantic mistake to make his name synonymous to a greedy man. The same for Jacob to make him synonymous to a cunning man.  

Bring all material facts to support your statements and your definitions why did you choose those words for both of them. 

Or say in this situation can Joseph been seen that he was motivated by greed? And what about the other events in his life. 

Name the other events that happened before and after that event. Do they portrayed Joseph as being a greedy man? 

I asked DeepSeek:

Does the biblical name Jacob figuratively mean "cunning"?

DeepSeek answered:

Yes, figuratively, the name Jacob (Hebrew Ya‘aqov) is tied to "cunning" in the biblical narrative. While its literal meaning is "he grasps the heel" (from the root ‘qb, "heel") or "supplanter," Jacob’s story highlights deceptive acts:

He tricks his brother Esau into selling his birthright (Genesis 25:29–34).

He deceives their father Isaac to steal Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27).

Esau later laments: “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me (‘aqav) these two times” (Genesis 27:36). Here, the Hebrew wordplay links Ya‘aqov to ‘aqav (“to cheat/supplant”), cementing the figurative association with cunning or trickery.

[towardseight]

5 minutes ago, Who me said:

He was the ruler under Pharaoh,  he was not Pharaoh. 

Why should he give the Egyptians free food?

They like the rest of Egypt benefitted from seven years of superabundent harvests and could have as villages/communities stored food for the next seven years of famine, but they didn’t. 

Genesis 45:8 Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

He was "a father to Pharao" which means he was higher than Pharaoh.

Why should he give the Egyptians free food after they have given him all their money and livestock? Because of charity.

[Michael37]

4 minutes ago, towardseight said:

I asked DeepSeek:

Does the biblical name Jacob figuratively mean "cunning"?

DeepSeek answered:

Yes, figuratively, the name Jacob (Hebrew Ya‘aqov) is tied to "cunning" in the biblical narrative. While its literal meaning is "he grasps the heel" (from the root ‘qb, "heel") or "supplanter," Jacob’s story highlights deceptive acts:

He tricks his brother Esau into selling his birthright (Genesis 25:29–34).

He deceives their father Isaac to steal Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27).

Esau later laments: “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me (‘aqav) these two times” (Genesis 27:36). Here, the Hebrew wordplay links Ya‘aqov to ‘aqav (“to cheat/supplant”), cementing the figurative association with cunning or trickery.

Yes, that is all substantiated.

However Joseph is not of the same stripe as Jacob, so to speak. He matures in character from the naive young favourite son who seems like an upstart when he tells his brothers of the dream he had, and gets treated badly with the trauma of the pit he is cast into, with being sold into slavery, with being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and stuck in prison for 13 years, to the skillful administrator who forgives his brothers and welcomes his family to share in his good fortune.

Typology of Christ with Joseph in the Price of Betrayal:

Mat 26:14-16  Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests.  (15)  And he said to them, What will you give me, and I will betray Him to you? And they appointed to him thirty pieces of silver.  (16)  And from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Gen 37:27-28  Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him. For he is our brother, and our flesh. And his brothers listened.  (28)  And men, Midianites traders, came by. And they drew up Joseph and took him out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

[Who me]

11 minutes ago, towardseight said:

Genesis 45:8 Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

He was "a father to Pharao" which means he was higher than Pharaoh.

Why should he give the Egyptians free food after they have given him all their money and livestock? Because of charity.

Genesis 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph was under Pharaoh.

Note in gen 41 Joseph suggested taking a fith see v 

33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

As for charity, where in genesis do you see this being taught?