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Genesis 41

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Pharaoh's Disturbing Dreams 1–8

1
And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. ​
2
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. ​
3
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.
4
And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. ​
5
And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. ​
6
And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7
And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. ​

The Butler Remembers Joseph 9–13

9
Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: ​
10
Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
11
And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12
And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13
And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

Joseph Is Brought Before Pharaoh 14–24

14
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. ​
15
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. ​
17
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
18
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
20
And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
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.
22
And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
23
And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
24
And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams 25–36

25
And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. ​
26
The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27
And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28
This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29
Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30
And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31
And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32
And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. ​
33
Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. ​
34
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. ​
35
And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36
And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

Joseph Elevated to Second Ruler 37–45

37
And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38
And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? ​
39
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40
Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. ​
41
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42
And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; ​
43
And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
44
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45
And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. ​

Joseph Administers Egypt 46–57

46
And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. ​
47
And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48
And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49
And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50
And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
51
And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. ​
52
And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. ​
53
And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54
And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. ​
55
And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56
And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. ​
57
And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Genesis 41

Verse 1

at the end of two full years — The two years began after Joseph interpreted the butler's dream: 'Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him' (40:23). The 'river' is yeor, of Egyptian origin and used of the Nile (also Ex 1:22). Pharaoh 'dreamed' (chalam) as the butler and baker had (40:5) and as Joseph himself had (37:5).

Verse 2

fed in a meadow — 'Meadow' is achu, a marsh grass, found only here, in v.18 and in Job 8:11, 'Can the flag grow without water?' The kine 'came up' (alah) out of the river. 'Seven' is the number the dreams keep throughout (vv.2–7), and Joseph reads each seven as years (v.26).

Verse 4

did eat up the seven well favoured — The lean kine eat the fat and are no fatter: 'it could not be known that they had eaten them' (v.21). That is what Joseph explains in vv.30–31: 'all the plenty shall be forgotten', and 'the plenty shall not be known' (the verb yada in both vv.21 and 31). 'Awoke' is yaqats, to wake from sleep.

Verse 5

seven ears of corn — 'Ears' is shibbol, the head of grain, on 'one stalk' (qaneh, a reed-like stem). 'Rank' is bari, the same word as 'fat' of the kine in vv.2 and 4, so the plump ears answer to the fat cows. The second dream comes in a second sleep (yashen, to sleep; sheni, 'the second time'), and Joseph gives the reason in v.32.

Verse 8

magicians of Egypt — Chartom is found in Genesis (here and v.24), in Exodus for the magicians who withstood Moses (7:11, 22; 8:7, 18–19; 9:11), and in Daniel (1:20; 2:2). None could 'interpret' (pathar), the verb of 40:8, 16, 22 and 41:12–15. At the plague of lice the same class says, 'This is the finger of God' (Ex 8:19).

Verse 9

I do remember my faults — Zakar, to remember, is the verb of Joseph's request in 40:14, 'think on me when it shall be well with thee', and the butler had 'forgat' him (shakach, 40:23). Two years on, what he calls to mind is 'my faults' (chet, offence), the offence that had put him in ward with the baker (40:1–3).

Verse 14

out of the dungeon — 'Dungeon' is bor, a pit: the word for the pit his brothers cast him into (37:24) and for 'the dungeon' of 40:15. 'Hastily' is ruts, to run. Psalm 105 tells it from the LORD's side: 'the word of the LORD tried him' (Ps 105:19), and then 'The king sent and loosed him' (v.20).

Verse 16

It is not in me — Biladay, apart from me: Joseph accepts no credit. In prison he had said, 'Do not interpretations belong to God?' (40:8), and Daniel says the same before Nebuchadnezzar: 'there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets' (Dan 2:28). The 'answer of peace' is shalom, welfare, and 'answer' is the verb anah, to respond, used also for 'answered'.

Verse 25

God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do — The 'one' dream (echad) is a single message in two forms. Nagad, to declare, is the verb the magicians could not satisfy (v.24, 'declare'), and Joseph now says God has 'shewed' it; the sentence returns in v.28. Compare Amos 3:7: 'the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.'

Verse 32

doubled unto Pharaoh twice — Shanah, to repeat, with paamayim, twice: one meaning given in two forms. 'Established' is kun, set firm, and 'shortly' is mahar, in haste. Elihu says of God's way of speaking: 'God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not' (Job 33:14), and 'In a dream, in a vision of the night' (v.15).

Verse 33

discreet and wise — Bin (understanding, discerning) and chakam (wise): Joseph names the qualities needed, and in v.39 Pharaoh applies the same two words to him, 'none so discreet and wise as thou art'. He proposes only the office; Pharaoh sees the man. Ps 105:22 records the later result: 'teach his senators wisdom'.

Verse 34

the fifth part of the land — Chamash, to take a fifth, a verb found only here. The fifth is of the produce, and Joseph later 'made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part' (47:26). 'Officers' (paqid) are overseers, from the verb 'appoint' (paqad). The taking is in the 'plenteous years' (saba, abundance).

Verse 38

the Spirit of God — Ruach elohim, the phrase of Gen 1:2, 'the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters', and of Ex 31:3, 'I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge'. Pharaoh draws his conclusion from what Joseph has said of God (vv.16, 25, 28, 32).

Verse 40

shall all my people be ruled — 'Ruled' is nashaq, literally to kiss, the word of Ps 2:12, 'Kiss the Son'; 'word' is peh, mouth. Ps 105:21 gives the office: 'He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance.' The dreams of ch.37 come to rest when his brothers 'bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth' (42:6).

Verse 42

his ring from his hand — The ring (tabaat) is the signet: Ahasuerus gives his to Haman (Est 3:10) and then to Mordecai (Est 8:2). 'Fine linen' is shesh, and the 'gold chain' (ravid) is named only here and in Ezek 16:11. Authority, dress and chain are given in one act, as Joseph is brought up from the prison.

Verse 45

Zaphnathpaaneah — The name is Egyptian in origin and is found only here. His wife, Asenath, is the 'daughter of Potipherah priest of On'. Their two sons (v.50) were taken by Jacob as his own: 'Ephraim and Manasseh… are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine' (48:5), and each became a tribe of Israel.

Verse 46

thirty years old — He was 'seventeen years old' when he was feeding the flock with his brethren (37:2), so thirteen years had passed. Thirty is also David's age when he 'began to reign' (2 Sam 5:4). He 'stood before' Pharaoh (amad, stood) and then 'went throughout' (abar, passed over) the whole land.

Verse 51

Manasseh — The name comes from nashah, to forget, and Joseph states the reason in the same verse: 'God… hath made me forget all my toil (amal), and all my father's house.' The son is born in the plenteous years, 'before the years of famine came' (v.50). Jacob later sets him beside his brother (48:5, 14–20).

Verse 52

Ephraim — From parah, to be fruitful: 'God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction' (oni). The verb is God's blessing from the beginning ('Be fruitful, and multiply', Gen 1:28) and returns in Jacob's word for Joseph, 'a fruitful bough' (49:22). 'Affliction' is the word of 31:42, 'God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands.'

Verse 54

the dearth was in all lands — The dearth (raab, hunger) began 'according as Joseph had said' (vv.27–30). It was in 'all lands' (erets), yet 'in all the land of Egypt there was bread' (lechem). Ps 105:16 names the cause: 'he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.' Jacob hears of Egypt's corn in 42:1–2.

Verse 56

sold unto the Egyptians — Shabar is the verb of buying and selling grain, and it runs through the next chapters ('buy for us from thence', 42:2). 'All the face of the earth' is the extent also named in v.57. Joseph, then, is 'the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land' (42:6).

Verse 57

all countries came into Egypt to Joseph — 'Countries' and 'lands' are both erets, the earth: the whole earth comes to one man for bread, the man who was 'sold for a servant' (Ps 105:17). Joseph names the purpose later: 'God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive' (50:20).