“Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.”
When he summoned a famine on the land, and broke every staff of bread. The transition to Joseph's story (implicit here though not named) marks a shift toward crisis narratives where God's providence operates through apparent suffering. The famine, summoned by God's will, represents a test of faith and a means through which divine purposes are advanced. The poetic language 'broke every staff of bread'—destroying the supports of sustenance—emphasizes the totality of the crisis and the corresponding need for divine intervention.
Church Fathers on Psalms 105:16
1. This Psalm is the first of those to which is prefixed the word Allelujah; the meaning of which word, or rather two words, is, Praise the Lord. For this reason he begins with praises: “O confess unto the Lord, and call upon His Name” Psalm 104:1; for this confession is to be understood as praise, just as these words of our Lord, “I confess to You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Matthew 11:25 For after commencing with praise, calling upon God is wont to follow,…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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