Genesis 41

Genesis Chapter 41

1After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile,

2when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

3After 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.

4And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,

5but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.

6After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind.

7And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.

8In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures.

10Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard.

11One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.

12Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually.

13And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”

14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

16“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,

18when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.

19After them, seven other cows—sickly, ugly, and thin—came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!

20Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first.

21When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke.

22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk.

23After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind.

24And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

25At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning.

27Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.

28It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,

30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land.

31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.

32Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.

33Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.

34Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

35Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities.

36This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.”

37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials.

38So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?”

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

40You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

41Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”

42Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.

43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

44And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”

45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.

46Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

47During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully.

48During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.

49So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.

50Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”

52And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53When the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end,

54the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt.

55When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

56When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

57And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

Footnotes (8)

Verse 1 [*]River: River; or the branch of the Nile which ran to Tanis, his capital. There were seven principal canals, and this was the most to the east, except that of Pelusium. (Calmet)
Verse 1 [*]Genesis 41 Section 3: Observe, 1. The delay of Joseph's enlargement. It was not till the end of two full years (v. 1); so long he waited after he had entrusted the chief butler with his case and began to have some prospect of relief. Note, We...
Verse 1 [*]Genesis 41 Section 2: Verses 1-8 The means of Joseph's being freed from prison were Pharaoh's dreams, as here related. Now that God no longer speaks to us in that way, it is no matter how little we either heed dreams, or tell them. The tellin...
Verse 1 [*]Genesis 41 Reference Overview: Hebrew, at the end of two years of days . This dream was not so much for Pharaoh, as to be a means to deliver Joseph, and to provide for God’s Church.
Verse 1 [*]Genesis 41:1 Study Note: Hebrew, at the end of two years of days . This dream was not so much for Pharaoh, as to be a means to deliver Joseph, and to provide for God’s Church.
Verse 1 [*]Genesis 41:1 Exposition: Hebrew, at the end of two years of days . This dream was not so much for Pharaoh, as to be a means to deliver Joseph, and to provide for God’s Church.
Verse 2 [*]Genesis 41 Section 2: 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 meado...
Verse 2 [*]Marshy: Marshy. Hebrew Achu; a word which the Septuagint and Siracides (Ecclesiasticus xl. 16, ) retain. (Du Hamel)

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Genesis 41 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

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Verse 1 • RiverGeorge Leo Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary

River; or the branch of the Nile which ran to Tanis, his capital. There were seven principal canals, and this was the most to the east, except that of Pelusium. (Calmet)

Verse 1 • Genesis 41 Section 3Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)

Observe, 1. The delay of Joseph's enlargement. It was not till the end of two full years (v. 1); so long he waited after he had entrusted the chief butler with his case and began to have some prospect of relief. Note, We have need of patience, not only bearing, but waiting, patience. Joseph lay in prison until the time that his word came, Ps 105 19. There is a time set for the deliverance of God's people; that time will come, though it seem to tarry; and, when it comes, it will appear to have been the best time, and therefore we ought to wait for it (Hab 2 3), and not think two full years too long to continue waiting. 2. The means of Joseph's enlargement, which were Pharaoh's dreams, here related. If we were to look upon them as ordinary dreams, we might observe from them the follies and absurdities of a roving working fancy, how it represents to itself tame cows as beasts of prey (nay, more ravenous than any, eating up those of their own kind), and ears of corn as devouring one another. Surely in the multitude of dreams, nay, even in one dream, there are divers vanities, Eccl 5 7. Now that God no longer speaks to us in that way, I think it is no matter how little we either heed them or tell them. Foolish dreams related can make no better than foolish talk. But these dreams which Pharaoh dreamed carried their own evidence with them that they were sent of God; and therefore, when he awoke, his spirit was troubled, v. 8. It cannot but put us into a concern to receive any extraordinary message from heaven, because we are conscious to ourselves that we have no reason to expect any good tidings thence. His magicians were puzzled, the rules of their art failed them: these dreams of Pharaoh, it seems, did not fall within the compass of them, so that they could not offer at the interpretation of them. This was to make Joseph's performance by the Spirit of God the more admirable. Human reason, prudence, and foresight, must be nonplussed, that divine revelation may appear the more glorious in the contrivance of our redemption, 1 Cor 2 13, 14. Compare with this story, Dan 2 27; 4 7; 5 8. Joseph's own dreams were the occasion of his troubles, and now Pharaoh's dreams were the occasion of his enlargement.

Verse 1-8 • Genesis 41 Section 2Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Verses 1-8 The means of Joseph's being freed from prison were Pharaoh's dreams, as here related. Now that God no longer speaks to us in that way, it is no matter how little we either heed dreams, or tell them. The telling of foolish dreams can make no better than foolish talk. But these dreams showed that they were sent of God; when he awoke, Pharaoh's spirit was troubled.

Verse 1 • Genesis 41 Reference OverviewScofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)

Hebrew, at the end of two years of days . This dream was not so much for Pharaoh, as to be a means to deliver Joseph, and to provide for God’s Church.

Verse 1 • Genesis 41:1 Study NoteGeneva Study Bible Notes

Hebrew, at the end of two years of days . This dream was not so much for Pharaoh, as to be a means to deliver Joseph, and to provide for God’s Church.

Verse 1 • Genesis 41:1 ExpositionMartin Luther's Bible Commentary

Hebrew, at the end of two years of days . This dream was not so much for Pharaoh, as to be a means to deliver Joseph, and to provide for God’s Church.

Verse 2 • Genesis 41 Section 2Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)

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 dreams; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Verse 2 • MarshyGeorge Leo Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary

Marshy. Hebrew Achu; a word which the Septuagint and Siracides (Ecclesiasticus xl. 16, ) retain. (Du Hamel)

Genesis 41

Footnotes (8)

Genesis 41 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

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