King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the [other] kine upon the brink of the river.
Complete Jewish Bible:
After them, there came up out of the river seven more cows, miserable-looking and lean; and they stood by the other cows at the edge of the river.
Berean Standard Bible:
After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river.
American Standard Version:
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And, behold, seven{H7651} other{H312} kine{H6510} came up{H5927} after them{H310} out of the river{H2975}, ill{H7451} favoured{H4758} and leanfleshed{H1851}{H1320}; and stood{H5975} by{H681} the other kine{H6510} upon the brink{H8193} of the river{H2975}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 41:4
- And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
Genesis 41:20
- And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
Genesis 41:21
- And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they [were] still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 41:3
Genesis 41:3 is part of the account of Pharaoh's dreams, which Joseph later interprets. The historical context of this verse is set during the period when Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, has been brought to Egypt. He has risen to prominence after interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker while in prison.
The themes present in this verse include:
1. **Divine Revelation through Dreams**: Pharaoh's dreams are a means of divine communication, a common motif in the ancient world and the Bible, indicating that God can speak through dreams.
2. **Famine and Providence**: The dream's content foreshadows a significant famine that will affect Egypt and the surrounding regions. This famine is part of a larger narrative arc where God's providence works through human actions and natural events to fulfill a greater purpose.
3. **Duality and Interpretation**: The contrast between the "seven well-favoured and fatfleshed kine" (cows) and the "seven other kine" that are "ill favoured and leanfleshed" symbolizes future contrasts, which Joseph will interpret as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
4. **Joseph's Rise to Power**: This verse is part of the narrative that leads to Joseph's rise from a prisoner to a position of authority in Egypt. His ability to interpret dreams will lead to him becoming second in command under Pharaoh.
5. **Egypt as a Refuge**: The dream anticipates Egypt's role as a place of refuge during the famine, which will eventually lead to the Israelites' migration to Egypt, setting the stage for the Exodus narrative.
In summary, Genesis 41:3 is embedded in a story of divine communication, foreshadowing a significant environmental and economic crisis. It underscores themes of God's guidance over human affairs, the use of dreams as a vehicle for divine messages, and the interplay between human ingenuity (as seen in Joseph's rise and role in managing the crisis) and divine providence.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H7651
There are 345 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֶׁבַע
Transliteration: shebaʻ
Pronunciation: sheh'-bah
Description: or (masculine) (שִׁבְעָה); from שָׁבַע; a primitive cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number; ([phrase] by) seven(-fold),-s, (-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare שִׁבְעָנָה. - Strong's Number: H312
There are 271 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַחֵר
Transliteration: ʼachêr
Pronunciation: akh-air'
Description: from אָחַר; properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc.; (an-) other man, following, next, strange. - Strong's Number: H6510
There are 22 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּרָה
Transliteration: pârâh
Pronunciation: paw-raw'
Description: feminine of פַּר; a heifer; cow, heifer, kine. - Strong's Number: H5927
There are 817 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָלָה
Transliteration: ʻâlâh
Pronunciation: aw-law'
Description: a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative; arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, [idiom] mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, [phrase] perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work. - Strong's Number: H310
There are 766 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַחַר
Transliteration: ʼachar
Pronunciation: akh-ar'
Description: from אָחַר; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses); after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with. - Strong's Number: H2975
There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְאֹר
Transliteration: yᵉʼôr
Pronunciation: yeh-ore'
Description: of Egyptian origin; a channel, e.g. a fosse, canal, shaft; specifically the Nile, as the one river of Egypt, including its collateral trenches; also the Tigris, as the main river of Assyria; brook, flood, river, stream. - Strong's Number: H7451
There are 623 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רַע
Transliteration: raʻ
Pronunciation: rah
Description: from רָעַע; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral); adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.). - Strong's Number: H4758
There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַרְאֶה
Transliteration: marʼeh
Pronunciation: mar-eh'
Description: from רָאָה; a view (the act of seeing); also an appearance (the thing seen), whether (real) a shape (especially if handsome, comeliness; often plural the looks), or (mental) a vision; [idiom] apparently, appearance(-reth), [idiom] as soon as beautiful(-ly), countenance, fair, favoured, form, goodly, to look (up) on (to), look(-eth), pattern, to see, seem, sight, visage, vision. - Strong's Number: H1851
There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דַּק
Transliteration: daq
Pronunciation: dak
Description: from דָּקַק; crushed, i.e. (by implication) small or thin; dwarf, lean(-fleshed), very little thing, small, thin. - Strong's Number: H1320
There are 241 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּשָׂר
Transliteration: bâsâr
Pronunciation: baw-sawr'
Description: from בָּשַׂר; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin. - Strong's Number: H5975
There are 495 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָמַד
Transliteration: ʻâmad
Pronunciation: aw-mad'
Description: a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive); abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, [phrase] serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry. - Strong's Number: H681
There are 165 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֵצֶל
Transliteration: ʼêtsel
Pronunciation: ay'-tsel
Description: from אָצַל (in the sense of joining); a side; (as a preposition) near; at, (hard) by, (from) (beside), near (unto), toward, with. See also בֵּית הָאֵצֶל. - Strong's Number: H8193
There are 164 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׂפָה
Transliteration: sâphâh
Pronunciation: saw-faw'
Description: or (in dual and plural) שֶׂפֶת; probably from סָפָה or שָׁפָה through the idea of termination (compare סוֹף); the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.); band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.