And he nourished them, and all his father's house, allowing food to every one.

And Joseph maintained his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to the number of the little ones.

and Joseph nourisheth his father, and his brethren, and all the house of his father with bread, according to the mouth of the infants.

And Joseph took care of his father and his brothers and all his father's people, giving them food for the needs of their families.

And Joseph sustained his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to the want of their little ones.

And he fed them, along with all his father's house, providing portions of food to each one.

Et aluit Joseph patrem suum, et fratres suos, et omnem domum patris sui pane, usque ad os parvuli.

And Joseph nourished his father, etc., according to their families [1] Some explain the expression, "the mouth of the little one," as if Joseph nourished his father and his whole family, in the manner in which food is conveyed to the mouths of children. These interpreters regard the form of speech as emphatical, because, during the famine, Jacob and his family had no more anxiety about the providing of food than children, who cannot even stretch out their hand to receive it. Others translate it "youth," but I know not with what meaning. [2] Others take it, simply, according to the proportion and number of the little children. To me the genuine sense seems to be that he fed all, from the greatest to the least. Therefore, there was sufficient bread for the whole family of Jacob, because, by the care of Joseph, provision was made to supply nourishment even to the little ones. In this manner Moses commemorates both the clemency of God, and the piety of Joseph; for it was an instance of uncommon attention, that these hungry husband men, who had not a grain of corn, were entirely fed at his expense.

Footnotes

1 - Usque ad os parvuli Even to the mount of the little one. lphy chtÃ, (Lephi chataph.)

2 - Alii vertunt pubem; sed nescio quo sensu.

And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, (d) according to [their] families.
(d) Some read that he fed them as little babies, because they could not provide for themselves against that famine.

And. Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and his father's household, with bread,.... For though there might be in Rameses pasture sufficient for their cattle, yet not corn for their families, the famine still continuing; during which time Joseph, as a dutiful and affectionate son, and as a kind brother, supplied them with all necessary provision, signified by bread:
according to their families; according to the number of them, some of his brethren having more and others less in their families; and in proportion to their number he distributed food unto them, so that there was no want: or "according to the mouth of an infant" (a); he nourished them like infants, he put as it were the bread into their mouths, and fed them with as much care and tenderness as infants are fed; and they had no more care to provide food for themselves than children have, such a full and constant supply was handed forth to them: in this Joseph was an eminent type of Christ, who supplies the wants of his people.
(a) "ad os parvuli", Montanus, Schmidt.