John Gill Commentary Genesis 41:47

"And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls." — Genesis 41:47 (ASV)

And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by
handfuls

Such as the gatherers take up in their hands when reaped, in order to bind up in sheaves: now such was the fruitfulness of the land during the seven years of plenty, that either one stalk produced as many ears as a man could hold in his hand; or one grain produced an handful, as Ben Melech observes;

though Onkelos paraphrases the words, ``the inhabitants of the earth in the seven years of plenty gathered even into their treasuries:''

and this they did by the order and direction of Joseph as he passed through the land; what he bought of them they brought, and put into the granaries, as he directed them.