וַתְּחִלֶּ֜ינָה שֶׁ֣בַע שְׁנֵ֤י הָרָעָב֙ לָב֔וֹא כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֤י רָעָב֙ בְּכָל־הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת וּבְכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם הָ֥יָה לָֽחֶם׃
און עס האָבן אָנגעהױבן קומען די זיבן הונגעריאָרן, אַזױ װי יוֹסף האָט פֿאַרױסגעזאָגט. און עס איז געװען אַ הונגער אין אַלע לענדער, נאָר אין גאַנצן לאַנד מִצרַיִם איז געװען ברױט.
Chizkuni
ותחילנה, from חולניות, becoming weak, sickly; when the supply of available food ran out people naturally began to lose weight and become weakened as soon as the famine started. ובכל ארץ מצרים היה לחם, “but in the whole land of Egypt there was bread. (food),” as opposed to the countries adjacent to Egypt.
Da'at Zekenim
ותחילנה, “they commenced;” our author, following his interpretation of the expression ותכילנה, understands this word as derived from חולי, sickly, meaning that during the years of famine, the Egyptians began to look very sickly. (B’reshit Rabbah 90,6)
Ramban
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.”