What does Genesis 41:54 mean?
Joseph and his God are proved right yet again. The seven years of abundant crops in Egypt come to an end (Genesis 41:53), and the seven years of desperate famine in the region begin. We're reminded (Genesis 41:57) that this was not a local famine. It afflicted all surrounding lands. The difference was that though Egypt did not have crops, the people still had bread, thanks to Joseph's preparations during seven years of abundance (Genesis 41:33–36).Famines were not unusual during this time, though ones that endured for seven years would be especially severe. Lack of rainfall as far away as Sudan would prevent the annual flooding of the Nile, leading to a loss of crops. When accompanied by lack of rainfall elsewhere in the region, famine would strike many nations together. Egypt alone would be adequately prepared for this particular disaster (Genesis 47:13–26).