Commentary for Genesis 41:54
וַתְּחִלֶּ֜ינָה שֶׁ֣בַע שְׁנֵ֤י הָרָעָב֙ לָב֔וֹא כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֤י רָעָב֙ בְּכָל־הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת וּבְכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם הָ֥יָה לָֽחֶם׃
And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Ramban on Genesis
AND THE FAMINE WAS IN ALL LANDS. That is, which surrounded Egypt. Otherwise, what could the distant lands do if there was such a famine in them?115They would not be able to come to Egypt to ease the famine and would have perished. Thus did the Sages say in Bereshith Rabbah:11690:6. “The famine was in three lands: Phoenicia, Arabia and Palestine.”
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Rashbam on Genesis
ובכל ארץ מצרים היה לחם, because Joseph had stored food in the cities.
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Or HaChaim on Genesis
ותחילנה …כאשר אמר יוסף. The famine began just as Joseph had said. It was necessary for the Torah to repeat "as Joseph had said;" Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream was proven true especially after the seven years of plenty were followed by the famine. Had the famine not commenced at that time, people would have said that the seven years of plenty had nothing to do with Joseph's forecast.
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