Genesis 47:22 - Exposition

Only the land of the priests (so the LXX ; Vulgate, and Chaldee render cohen , which, however, sometimes signifies a prince) bought he not; for the priests had a portion— not of land (Lange, Kalisch), but of food (Keil, Murphy)—assigned them of Pharaoh (not of Joseph, who must not, therefore, be charged with the sin of extending a State allowance to an idolatrous priesthood), and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands ,—that is, in consequence of the State aliment which they enjoyed (during the period of the famine) they did not require to alienate their lands.