And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
Gathered up all the food. This general expression must be viewed as limited to the proportion of one-fifth of the crop (Genesis 41:34). It gives a striking idea of the exuberant fertility of this land, that, from the superabundance of the seven plenteous years, grain enough was laid up for the subsistence, not only of its home population, but of the neighbouring countries, during the seven years of dearth.