Definition: And [there was] no bread in all the land; for the famine [was] very sore, so that the land of Egypt and [all] the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse together. It’s a really important passage from Genesis about a difficult time! Here's what it means in simpler terms: Basically, God was facing a huge crisis – a severe food shortage. “And [there was] no bread in all the land…” This means there simply wasn’t any food available. Imagine everyone starving and without anything to eat. “…for the famine was very sore…” "Sore" means really, deeply uncomfortable or painful. The famine was causing a lot of suffering and hardship for people. “So that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.” This is the most impactful part. "Fainted" means to lose their strength or become weak. The entire region – Egypt and the land of Israel – were affected so badly that they started to feel sick, weak, and even lost hope. Think of it like this: Imagine a massive wildfire spreading across a forest. The fire is causing a huge loss of life and resources - people are starving, crops are failing, and everything is suffering. That’s what happened here – God was dealing with a terrible famine that caused widespread hardship. Why is this important? This story shows that God can be very powerful and even seem to want things to go wrong in order to test our faith and show us the importance of being grateful for what we have. --- Do you want me to: Explain another verse from Genesis? Discuss the meaning of this passage in a different way? Talk about how this story relates to bigger themes like suffering or God’s care for his people?