And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain; because that the famine was so severe in all lands.
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Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
Yes, the famine had taken hold of them. For all people that have not been fed by Christ are hungry. And so let us buy the nourishment with which we can avert famine. Let no one hold back out of consideration of his poverty; let no one who does not have money be afraid. Christ does not ask money but faith, which is more valuable than money. Indeed Peter, who did not have money, bought him. “Silver and gold I do not have,” he said, “but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ arise and walk.” And the prophet Isaiah says, “All you who are thirsty, come to the water, and you that have no money come, buy, and drink and eat without money and without the price of the wine.” For he who paid the price of his blood for us did not ask a price from us, because he redeemed us not with gold or silver but with his precious blood. Therefore you owe that price with which you have been bought. Even though he does not always demand it, you still owe it. Buy Christ for yourself, then, not with...
If this famine had been only in Egypt, Egypt would have had no fear, because of the grain Joseph [had stored up]. However, there was famine throughout the entire world, and because the entire earth stood in need of [the grain in] Egypt, the grain supply quickly dwindled and became expensive even for the Egyptians. The Egyptians would have consumed the grain at little expense, because of its abundance, if the entire earth had not come down to buy grain there. To make known that the entire earth hungered, [Moses] said, “The entire world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.”
